BIW-built USS Winston Churchill seizes thousands of weapons off Somalia coast
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, launched from the Bath Iron Works shipyard in 1999, seized the weapons from two stateless dhows, the U.S. Navy said
Credit: U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet
The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) Author: Beth Brogan (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 9:31 AM EST February 18, 2021 Updated: 9:31 AM EST February 18, 2021
BATH, Maine A U.S. Navy destroyer built at Bath Iron Works in 1999 has seized thousands of illegal weapons off the Somalia coast.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston Churchill (DDG 81) boarded two stateless dhows in the Indian Ocean Feb. 11-12 as part of maritime security operations, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet said in a release.
Guided-missile destroyer Winston Churchill seizes thousands of illicit weapons from dhows off Somalia coast February 16 The guided-missile destroyer Winston S. Churchill, in accordance with international law, boarded a stateless dhow off the coast of Somalia and interdicted an illicit shipment of weapons and weapon components, Feb. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Louis Thompson Staats IV) The guided-missile destroyer Winston Churchill seized thousands of illicit weapons including AK-47 assault rifles and heavy sniper rifles from two dhows off the coast of Somalia last week. The Churchill’s Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure team and embarked joint service Advanced Interdiction Team detected the weapons during a flag verification boarding and the weapons were subsequently seized from the stateless dhows during maritime security operations from Feb. 11-12.
Islamabad: Pakistan Navy SEALs participated in counter-terrorism drills at PNS Qasim, Manora on Monday. The demonstration was part of the multinational maritime exercise Aman-21 in the North Arabian Sea in which more than 40 countries including the US, UK, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other Arab, African, Asian and European countries are participating with their ships, aircraft and special operation forces.
The counter-terrorism drills demonstrated the strength and specialised skills of Pakistan’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) to respond to potential threats such as terrorism, piracy and other crimes threatening maritime security and stability. The demonstration by the Special Forces and thrilling display by Pakistan Navy paratroopers with the flags of the countries participating in the exercise was witnessed by Pakistan’s top military officials as well as foreign navy officials, observers and diplomats.
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This will be the first modern Coast Guard cutter named for an enlisted member of the Revenue Cutter Service. The ship is meant to bring recognition to the sacrifices made by Moulthrope and other sailors who served in this precursor of the U.S. Coast Guard, according to Senior Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir. The first ten revenue cutters were ten oceangoing cutters, Muir said. We re talking about wooden vessels with sails that were built at the behest of the United States Congress in the early 1790s, largely to crack down on smuggling.
Moulthrope is recognized for heroically saving his crewmates, while they were serving off the Oregon coast.