Coalition forces keep close watch on suspected vessels

Aboard USS Mason US-led coalition naval forces In Arabian Gulf searched hundreds of vessels last year to stop terrorists from getting into the region by sea, officials said.

The presence of coalition forces, mainly American, has also resulted in a decline in high-seas piracy, said Commander Eugene Black, the commanding officer of the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Mason. His battleship is part of an international task force to "deter, detect, and disturb international terrorism".

"We occasionally stop some vessels that we suspect and board them," he said, adding protecting the maritime infrastructure and shipping routes was also part of their operations here.

Lieutenant Commander Neil Brennan from the HSL-46 Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron, which is deployed from Mayport, Florida, and stationed on-board the USS Mason, said they flew regular missions to gather intelligence and report suspicious movements to their command.

"We carry out routine patrols and report suspicious movements to the command. Based on that, they decide which vessels to board. There has been smuggling of weapons and drugs on cargo dhow, so they are the ones we target the most," he said.

The USS Mason has two helicopters on-board, which carry out search and rescue operations as a secondary mission. They are flown by six pilots and three air crew, who are certified rescue swimmers.

Recently, the ship worked with Bahraini authorities to help carry out a rescue mission by a Bahraini helicopter to pick up sailors off a sinking dhow. It is also engaged in anti-terror awareness campaigns.

Lieutenant William Speaks, Public Affairs Officer, US 5th fleet, said coalition forces provide information to sailors through marine radio channel. "The information is posted in Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu," he said.

The channel broadcasts messages about the coalition's role and mission and how maritime sailors could cooperate with them to contain terrorism.

The USS Mason, which will be joined by the Italian destroyer Grecali, is part of Task Force 152 that is carrying out anti-terrorism missions in the region.

According to figures issued by the US Navy, there have been more than 1,300 boarding of vessels in the northern Arabian Sea since 2001, 166 of these were last year.

The writer is an Arab journalist based in Manama