Dutch Navy Piracy Drill on Happy Dragon

Heavylift vessel Happy Dragon of BigLift Shipping had a close encounter last month with the Royal Dutch Navy command frigate HNLMS Evertsen in the Gulf of Aden. Marines boarded the freight ship to free the crew from ‘pirates’ in a special drill.

Taking part in NATO operation Ocean Shield, HNLMS Evertsen patrols the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Happy Dragon had a Vessel Protection Detachement (VPD) on board, a group of armed Dutch marines that make sure pirates will not dare to approach the vessel for a hijack. The Dutch Navy monitors the whereabouts of these teams, therefore the command centre knew about the position of the BigLift vessel. It happened that on 17 April, both vessels were close to each other in the Gulf of Aden.

As Netherlands-based military staff plays a role in coordinating all operations of the Navy within Ocean Shield, they contacted the BigLift Shipping management at their headquarters in Amsterdam to suggest Happy Dragon could take part in a special drill, in which the Navy ship would be able to practise liberating a vessel from pirates on a real-life scale. Management at BigLift reacted positively, as did the captain of Happy Dragon. Following the staff and management agreement, the vessel captains needed little time to prepare for action. On the day of the drill itself, the vessels made first radio contact. ”Our marines are trained to board vessels and conquer it from pirates”, says Marloes Visser, spokesperson for the chief of staff of the Netherlands Military. The marines do not need to make special preparations for the boarding of any specific ship, as they will board any vessel.

The captains agreed to play a scenario in which Happy Dragon would be hi-jacked. The members of the crew that participated in the drill gathered in a protected cabin, locking the pirates out. HNLMS Evertsen came alongside, the Enhanced Boarding Element with specially trained marines boarded the vessel and the men overcame the supposed pirates. From beginning to end, the drill took a few hours. After waiting for that time in the secure room, the crew was released. When the drill was over, both vessels continued their journeys.

‘‘We are pleased about the cooperation with the Royal Dutch Navy”, spokesperson Hansje Dahmen-Verkade of BigLift Shipping says. ”We regularly take on VPDs when crossing the Gulf of Aden to ensure the safety of our crew on board as well as the vessel and her load. The captain of Happy Dragon and his crew gladly participated in this drill.”

The captain of Happy Dragon stated he and his crew were assured when they saw what the marines are capable of when releasing a vessel from the hands of pirates. The commander of HNLMS Evertsen expressed gratitude to the captain and crew of Happy Dragon for their willingness to participate in the drill and the fact that they welcomed the marines on board.

Hans Buitelaar