The Development of the Navy for Irregular Warfare

World trade by water ways has been the most efficient way of transporting abundant cargoes over long distances for centuries. Ships often carried valuable merchandise in vast quantities, attractive targets for hostile states, pirates, and common criminals. Piracy is an ancient phenomenon throughout history which spread to all oceans and seas of the world. Conflicts between sea merchants and pirates often threatened commercial interests. Consequently leading to city-states developing powerful naval vessels to subdue the threat on the open sea creating an advanced type of warfare; naval. As ocean trade expanded for countries like Britain, Spain, and Portugal their commercial interests of the open water did as well. By the 16trh century these states established a principle of freedom of the seas regularly clashing with pirates, but joined together to combat the threat to their nations wealth and security. By the passing years these countries began to fight amongst each other rather than pirates because those who controlled the seas could harvest the riches of the world. However, recently the rise of Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin threaten economical interests of world trade. Their primary goals are attacking a capturing vessels ran-sacking the cargo, and holding the ships personnel for ransom. Resulting in a new strategic and tactical adaptation of cargo ships and naval forces in order to prevent an attack or if needed infiltrate and suppress the threat when an attack is conducted.

Tactics can be described as a method of using armed forces to combat hostiles or combat-like conflicts which vary over time, both short and long term. Only with a clear objective and opponent can tactical activit...

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...waters since 2011 at the peek of the Somaila Basin deliemma. This is the result of a proactive counterpiracy operations by many national navies and missions, and better self-protection by commercial ships, including the use of onboard armed security teams. However, the fundamental conditions along the Somali coast have not changed, and if the international community drops its guard, piracy will return. Therefore headed by the United Staes the international community is partnering with the new Somali government in Mogadishu as they grapple to rebuild their state. Trying to provide alternative forms of employment for people who otherwise would be attracted to the relatively profitable business of piracy. Economic and social development is critcal for the reconstruction and redevelopment of Somalia, but in the meantime, the IC can not become complacent regarding piracy.