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British high commissioner Matthew Forbes announced yesterday that the two Swearingen Merlin III aircraft will be deployed by the EU’s Naval Force in time for an expected surge in pirate activity as the south-east monsoon draws to a close.

He was speaking after discussing the piracy issue with President James Michel at State House, along with officers from the Italian ship Maestrale which forms part of the naval force’s Operation Atalanta (see separate story).

The agreement to station the two planes in Seychelles comes after talks between the British High Commission and the French Embassy, representing the EU, and the Seychelles High-Level Committee on Piracy. Discussions on further cooperation are continuing.

Mr Forbes said: “The risk of further piracy attacks close to Seychelles is real, and the use of maritime patrol aircraft is an important tool to counter this threat.

“This deployment is an important signal of the EU’s commitment to working with the Seychelles government to deter pirates from threatening our joint interests.” 

The two planes are provided by the Luxembourg government and come from CAE Aviation, a company specialising in airborne observation work. 

They are equipped with search radar and an Electro Optic turret, which means they can detect and image pirate craft by day and night. With the ability to cruise at a higher speed to the search area and loiter there for prolonged periods (three to four hours), the aircraft will prove a valuable tool in the fight against piracy. A team of aircrew and technicians will deploy with the planes.

The air wing of the Seychelles Coast Guard will continue to patrol Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone and will work closely with the EU Naval Force team.

During the deployment, coast guard personnel will be given some training in the operation of the Electro Optic system. It is hoped they will also, on an occasional basis, conduct flights with the EU aircraft, thus improving the working relationship between the EU and the coast guard still further.

Operation Atalanta is the first ever EU-commanded naval force and was deployed last November to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia.

It has its strategic command based at Northwood in the UK and has units from Holland, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Norway and Sweden. Ships from Belgium and Spain will be joining the force in the next few weeks.