Northern Trident 2009

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Suspected pirate skiff, is shadowed by HMAS SYDNEY

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The Royal Australian Navy Frigates, HMA Ships Sydney and Ballarat, last night came to the aid of the merchant vessel MV Dubai Princess, after she raised distress signals in the Gulf of Aden. The MV Dubai Princess claimed it was under attack from pirates, who were reported to be firing rocket propelled grenades and attempting to board the vessel by force.

The incident occurred in international waters at around 6pm Australian time, approximately 170km south of Yemen. Sydney and Ballarat responded to the distress signal while transiting though the Gulf of Aden as part of their Northern Trident 2009 deployment around the world.

As the situation developed, another merchant vessel, MV MSC Stella, was also harassed by small vessels in the same vicinity.

The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said the measured response by the two passing Australian ships provided security to the merchant vessel