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An Evolving Target The challenge of fighting piracy at sea. by LCDR PAUL KAPFER JAGC U.S. Navy The internationally recognized transit corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden runs parallel with hundreds of miles of Somali coastline and reaches a 10-mile-wide choke point at the entrance to the Red Sea. Its ship- ping destinations are prime targets of opportunity for Somali pirates with small boats and few options. It not only provides transport to Saudi oil terminals but is also the shortest route to Europe via the Suez Canal. Recent pirate tactics have evolved. Pirates are now using "mother ships" as support vessels to supply and launch the skiffs used to board a merchant ship. Some pirates have con- verted captured vessels into mother ships— keeping the crews hostage while hunting for other victims. With their greater seaworthi- ness, these vessels expand the piracy threat outward as far as the waters off India's west coast. The Expanding Threat The distance from the west end of the IRTC to Mumbai, India, is similar in length to the entire eastern seaboard of the United States. The threat area also extends south into the Indian Ocean nearly that same distance, which is a vast space to protect for the 20 to 30 warships patrolling at any given time.1 Deployed warships respond quickly to pirate attacks (embarked helicopters help shorten response times), but help can be hours away when an incident occurs. Naval forces cap- ture pirates in the process of boarding a mer- FKDQW YHVVHO RU LQ VRPH FDVHV ÀJKW WKHLU ZD\ aboard after the vessel has been hijacked. Courtesy of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet. Once captured, the authorizing United Nations Security Council Resolutions require that pirates be tried by presenting evidence in a court of law.2 However, naval forces on 58 Proceedings Spring 2012 www.uscg.mil/proceedings Response