Since 2008 piracy has become an increased security challenge off of the horn of Africa. Throughout the vast international waters of the Gulf of Aden and the greater Indian Ocean, marine trade transportation, and more importantly, lives are at risk. This was punctuated with the 2009 Somali-piracy incident aboard MV Maersk Alabama. It was the first American-flagged cargo vessel to be hijacked in recent history.

You want to be assured of safe passage through dangerous seas. If you could see over the horizon, you would have advance notice of lurking dangers. Whether an incident occurs over moments or hours, Insitu unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) give you the valuable, timely insight that comes from sufficient warning to ensure decision-making superiority.

Our platforms have supported many anti-piracy missions around the globe. At the time of the 2009 Somali-piracy incident, the ScanEagle® UAS was deployed aboard the nearby navy vessel USS Bainbridge. ScanEagle provided real-time situational awareness during the three-day incident, which ended in the death of three Somali pirates and the safe release of Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips.

In 2012 ScanEagle deployed on Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown in the Gulf of Aden. Within the first few days of operation with Combined Task Force 150, the ship, with ScanEagle’s assistance, covertly located a suspicious smaller vessel. The end result was the successful interception of a large illicit narcotics shipment.

Our UAS have been deployed shipboard since 2005, serving navies from around the world, including those from the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. Whether installed on an offshore patrol vessel, frigate or DDG, launch and recovery systems allow rapid response to changing missions, and are compact enough to be stowed when not in use, so decks remain clear. Our aircraft are recovered safely — without the dangerous task of overflying or flying toward the ship — using the patented SkyHook® recovery system.

Time and time again, agility, precision and endurance align to support anti-piracy missions in Africa.