NATO Anti-Piracy Mission to Start Late March

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will send five ships to take part in a new counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia at the end of this month, the alliance said on Friday.
Operation "Allied Protector" will involve ships from Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States.
The force will be commanded by Portuguese Rear Admiral Jose Pereira da Cunha and overseen by British Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope from a NATO command centre in Northwood, England.
"In conjunction with other nations and international organisations we aim to enhance the safety of commercial maritime routes vital for the global economy," Stanhope said in a statement.
A surge in piracy in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes off Somalia has caused international alarm, and warships from around the world have been deployed in the area to try to curb the hijacks.
Somali pirates, typically in small groups aboard speedboats, have earned millions of dollars in ransoms after boarding and seizing vessels -- from fishing trawlers to a Saudi supertanker.
The NATO operation follows a similar alliance mission last year. A first phase will be undertaken as the force heads for what will be NATO's first ever deployment in Southeast Asia and the second as it returns to European waters at the end of June.
In Asia the group will make stops in Karachi, Pakistan, and Singapore, and also in Perth, Australia...more..http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE52C0D420090313