For the first time ever has Danish TV been
granted access to a NATO warship out on live operations. For three months will the 150 men and women on board
Absalon fight pirates in the waters outside Somalia. For the Danish soldiers it will be 3 months of
action, hardships and unique solidarity. And we are along at the frontline
when Denmark goes pirate hunting. Pirate Hunt At the Danish Navy's closed facilities at
Korsør there's a very special morning. The families to the Danish soldiers have
come to say goodbye - - to their men, fathers, girlfriends,
sons and daughters. The 150 Danish soldiers are going
to spend the next 3 months - - where they are going to play a central part in NATO's
large-scale operation Ocean Shield. Daddy's just going sailing a trip. -Take good care of mom.
-Say Merry Christmas to daddy. Merry Christmas. For Ensign Rudi it's a tough farewell
for his 2 and 4 year old children. As you step onboard and know you will
be there 3 months. It's fucking tough. -And good luck with your birthday.
-Merry Christmas. The worst is when they say "No papa, you're not going,
you're staying here with us". "We don't want want you to leave". -Are you sad papa?
-No I'm not, honey. See you. For Rudi and the rest of the crew on Absalon it will be
3 months in the world's most pirate infested waters. An experience that is far away from
their safe presence in Denmark. And one thing's sure.
They will not be bored. Fire! One man is appointed as chief responsible
for the ship and it's 150 man crew. Carsten Fjord-Larsen comes from the fishing village
Hvide Sande on the Danish west coast. And is now Commander Captain
and Chief on the warship Absalon. We're going to be a part of the NATO forces
and NATO uses the term "Piracy Disruption". And that can be translated into three words in Danish;
Deter pirates. Avert pirate attacks. Disarm Pirates. That's our task.
The mission. Also have to keep in mind that we are set to solve
police tasks, so it's we who have the right on our side. And we will at all times try to plan our operations
so that we don't come into those situations, - - because it's not a goal in itself to fight pirates. But of course if that means killed pirates,
it's unfortunate but sometimes that's how it must be. We will of course solve the task,
but the ship and crew are going home as well. In the first month Carsten and his crew will patrol
the internationally protected corridor - - where more than 35,000
merchant ships pass every year. The massive presence of warships has made it much
more difficult for pirates to hijack the vulnerable ships. So hard in fact that it's now been 1,5 years since the
pirates last hijacked a ship in the corridor. The treatment actually works because the number of attacks
has increased but successful hijackings has declined dramatically. Yes it' symptom treatment, but it works. Suez channel.
The mood is focused. Months of planning and preparations
are finally over with. Absalon has heightened its readiness.
This is it. Absalon has now a mission area outside
Somalia's coast. The Gulf of Aden. Commander Captain Carsten Fjord-Larsen and his 150 man crew
are no more than a few nautical miles from the Gulf of Aden, - - when they suddenly receive an emergency call. What are they saying? It turns out to be the captain on the gas tanker
Liquid Velvet who's desperately trying to get help. Pirates are apparently boarding his ship,
and without any armed guards - - the captain's only options is to send out an
emergency call and hope a warship is close. It's a pirate attack. Right now I don't know the details.
But I assume it's Skiff's (small fast boats) attacking him. They have probably laid still in the Gulf of Aden
where they are very hard to spot. Then they have boarded with
either ladders or grappling hooks. If the pirates succeed in hijacking the gas tanker
there's a great risk for the crew. The innocent sailors can expect month's imprisonment,
and great uncertainty if the ship-owners - - can come to an agreement with the pirates
for a ransom in the million dollar class. For radio operator
Jacob the day - - takes a dramatic turn as the call from
Liquid Velvet's desperate captain ticks in. The distances on the ocean are enormous. But with direct contact to a human
in distress it all comes very close. Your neck hair raises a bit. Because you know it's not a drill. I only heard the one call, then it
was complete silence from Liquid Velvet. Fortunately Absalon is not the only
hope for the distressed gas tanker. Closer by lies the American
warship USS Carney. They will also prepare to handle the situation so NATO
can decide who will go to the rescue of the Liquid Velvet. One tries as fast as possible to get the
helicopter up to fly over and observe. And do everything we can to establish
communications with the crew, - - to find out if they are all in the
protected room, the Citadel. As a result of the widespread piracy most
ships today are equipped with a safe room. The so-called Citadel. In case of pirate attack the
crew can entrench themselves - - and from there steer the ship towards
pirate free waters or warships. Where is the interpreter? Need you here. If anything comes in Somali. Or Arabic. There are pirates onboard so we are interested in if
you can hear anything in Somali or Arabic. Do you hear what language that is? The fact that they don't have physical control over the crew
means they still don't have the money in their hands so to speak. It means we can do something without
putting the crews lives at risk. If they aren't in the safe room or have any armed
guards onboard then the race is over for them. 100% taken by the pirates. The only thing Carsten and his
crew now can do is wait - - for the message that Liquid Velvet's
crew hopefully is in the Citadel. The wait is interrupted by a
message that is hard to decipher. It's another ship nearby.
A merchant ship. A civilian merchant ship close to Liquid Velvet
tries repeatedly to contact the now silent ship. But there's no response. "Come out to scene of action" We'll continue with high speed
toward Liquid Velvet. There are pirates onboard. Your neck hair raises a bit. Because you know it's not a drill. They have control over the ship. Pirate Hunt Liquid Velvet and the
sailor's faith is still uncertain. Is that Liquid Velvet? Carsten has tasked his crew with finding all
possible information about the ship they can. Yes it's exactly the kind
of high-risk ship. Picture of the pirate's ship is of
great importance to Carsten. They can show what situation the Special Forces Frogmen
will encounter if they are going to free the crew. Suddenly there's news from Liquid Velvet. He's now at 2-6-4, Liquid Velvet.
Turned around and going west. -They still have control over the Citadel.
-So they have control over the ship? -At the moment they still retain control.
-Yes. As long as Liquid Velvet's captain still has
control over the ship from the safe room. There's hope for the ship and its crew. While Carsten Fjord-Larsen controls Absalon, the Danish
ship is only a piece in NATO's overall operation in the area. NATO's force chief for operation Ocean Shield
resides at the Italian ship Andrea Doria, - - and it's he who decides what role
Absalon will play in the operation. Right now the American destroyer
USS Carney is closest, - - but it's Absalon that got the Special Forces
that can enter and free the crew. Therefore it's about reaching and storming the ship
before the pirates penetrate the protected Citadel room, - - and thus take the crew hostage. But against all expectations Absalon receives a message
from the NATO forces ship to continue its course towards Djibouti. We'll await now and see
how the situation develops. It's not something that suits the Danish
Commander Captain, - - because he knows that Absalon's Frogman Corps
is specially trained to solve just this kind of task. Klaus, notify me when we know more about
the situation and have a clear picture of the facts. Carsten continues towards Djibouti, - - but slows the speed so that Absalon still
has the option of reaching the distressed tanker. Meanwhile he calls his Danish contact to
put pressure on NATO's decision. They said we should head on to Djibouti
but I think they should reconsider. At the same time he tells the Helicopter and
Frogman Corps to prepare for a possible operation. We still have six hours to
spare if there's something. We can of course do the most basic
preparations because you never know. So we can at least be prepared. Without setting all the men at full swing. The most important weapon against the pirates
that Absalon carries is the Danish Frogman Corps. The members of the Frogman Corps
are top trained elite soldiers. Equipped with the most high tech weapon arsenal
that takes account for all situations. Here's my pistol mags.
Bulletproof helmet. USP 9mm. My C8. Emergency flares. Helmet mounted Night Vision. While the Frogman Corps is
specially trained for hostage operations - - can rescue operations like Liquid Velvet
result in wounded or dead hostages, - - and it's one of the things the Frogmen
always have in the back of their mind. As the Frogmen also participate in secret missions
we have to censor their identities because of security. One of the dilemmas can be a hostage
situation where you don't want people hurt. But with skill and competence,
we do everything to keep up to date. It shouldn't happen,
but of course there's no guarantee. But it's not only dangerous
for the hostages and the pirates. The job as frontline frogman
involves a great risk. Of course you put your life on the line. You of course think
about that. But the training,
it does so that you... What you learn...
You feel pretty confident in that. Even with all weapons at disposal to fight the pirates Carsten
Fjord-Larsen can't do anything without a decision from NATO. Chief to operations room. But finally there's news. NATO has suddenly changed its mind. Absalon has just received
orders to change course. This is the chief, we have been requested by our
force chief to come out to the scene of action. We'll continue now high speed
out towards Liquid Velvet. Out. A fight against the clock has started. Can Absalon reach the gas tanker before
the pirates blast their way to the crew? You should know,
do not approach this ship. It's been mined and we
are indifferent to our lives. Danish Carsten Fjord-Larsen and his crew on Absalon
have received a disturbing message from Liquid Velvet. The pirates have seemingly blown their way
into the Citadel and the crew. Their lives now lie in the hands of
a group of armed Somali pirates - - who might kill them if they do not receive
a ransom from the shipping company. So its been confirmed. But there was a crew of 23. Ok, if it's a hostage situation we'll
turn around, nothing we can do. For us the situation changed completely 180 degrees. It's turned on its head,
now we are locked. We can't move in and board a ship where
the hostages are in the hands of the pirates. The risk for the hostages on the merchant ship
being killed or injured is too great. This is the chief. We have unfortunately received
message from USS Carney - - that the pirates have broken into
the Citadel onboard Liquid Velvet. It's of course the worst feeling
you can be left with. So close but not close enough. The damned feeling over not being precisely close
enough to reach there is strong at the moment. But unfortunately for the crew on Liquid Velvet
they have broken through and taken hostages. And there's nothing
more for us to do. 10 out of 10 times they
anchor up off Somalia's coast. So...
they're probably there now. I feel sorry for them but
there is nothing more to be done. This just stresses the fact, high readiness, focus on the task.
And we're still needed in that degree in the Gulf of Aden. Out. The pirates are now sailing Liquid Velvet to
Somalia's coast where the hijacked ships lie anchored. Here they and their crew lie for months and
several have now been hostages for more than a year. Many of the negotiations have broken down because
the pirate's demands are getting higher and higher. Among the hijacked ships there are
two Danes from the ship Leopard. They have been held hostage for more than a year According to the shipping company the pirates are
demanding more than 35 Million dollars for the crew. The crew on Liquid Velvet and their relatives can
also not know how long they will be held hostage. The crew on Absalon have come to a
clearly worsened situation. The area where the pirates operate have become
much larger than just a few year ago. Formerly the area was limited to a couple
of hundred kilometers off Africa's Horn, - - but now the pirates operate up to
2000 kilometers from the coast. This makes the area Absalon is
going to patrol the size of Europe. And finding a small fast boat with pirates is
literally like searching for a needle in a haystack. To lighten the colossal task the fleet forces
have several surveillance aircrafts - - that every day fly the enormous sea areas. If they see anything suspicious they report
the information to the closest warship. The crew on Absalon have already indirectly
said yes by coming on the mission - - come to terms with the risks involved with being out
on live missions in the world's most pirate infested waters. For family father and helicopter observer
Lars it's in that degree very serious. It's of course if we are injured
one way or another, and don't come home. That's of course the price you pay for this,
and I personally can't help sometimes - - stop thinking that I have a family
back home that I must return home to. Special Forces soldier T is a
part of the Danish Frogman Corps. But even for frogmen that are
trained to put their lives at risk - - there lies heavy consideration
behind the deployment on Absalon. And for both the frogmen and soldiers it gets really close
when they have to write their will for their relatives. I've written a goodbye letter to all
the persons I really care about. And I have written how I shall be buried. How my
tombstone will look. Who needs to be contacted. So it's simpler for the bereaved,
if that situation should come. The last will is something all soldiers
being deployed are required to write. You write where you would like to... Where you
take position to your death and the funeral. It's hard to write a letter like that. Especially with two children at home. That's probably the worst. When I had to write... When I had to write. The last farewell, the last memory. To two small girls. It's tough as a 21 year old to say; Ok!
What flowers would I like in my funeral, - - who should carry my chest in the church and...
should there be played any special songs and... It's tough to decide. It's the middle of the day in the Gulf of Aden. The temperature is high and on the bridge
they have just spotted an unknown boat. As a principle nothing is taken for granted in
the pirate filled waters outside Somalia's coast. Carsten and his closest advisor decides
to take a closer look at the boat. Lower the boats and send them in. He asks if there are weapons left over. Even if it looks like just a normal fishing boat at distance
can Carsten and the crew on Absalon never be sure. Typically pirates are disguised as ordinary fishers,
with ladders and weapons hidden under deck. We have contact with someone,
there are six POB's, People on Board. You are cleared to go in. Understood. Out. Please show my team your engine. We have sent one man into the hull. We have one talking English,
I will be talking to him. Copy that.
Confirm no threat? It doesn't take long to determine that this is
just on an ordinary harmless fishing boat. Then the task is suddenly completely
different for the crew on Absalon. We're returning Little Sister with a filter
to see if we have a spare one. The fishing boat from Yemen has troubles with its engine and
without a radio they have no way of sending a distress signal. If they hadn't encountered us or someone else
they would have been drifting here waiting. This isn't something they
can fix without new parts. Otherwise they would be fucked. Meanwhile the boarding party uses their interpreter
to ask the harmless fishers some questions - - that could make the Danes a bit
wiser on the situation in the area. The captain from Yemen has understood that
Martin and his people doesn't want to harm his crew - - and tells a surprising story. They were attacked by international forces 2 years ago
because they were suspected to be pirates, - - which was not the case, they were fishers leaving Somalia
during the night and a patrol stopped them and opened fire - - and injured the captain and killed two,
but they weren't pirates. I can't understand reacting like that,
it's far away from our way of thinking. It's a police task using military means. And in that frame it's necessary that we
understand to use force only when needed - - and in appropriate size
towards the appropriate people. Not against fishers like these that don't
stand a chance at defending themselves. Five days ago a Sambuk was captured by pirates
and it is circulating the seas now. And the name of it is Naharashisalipeninsulanepilla
President Number 2. The captain's saying there is a Sambuk Dhow (large Arab ship)
down here captured by pirates 5 days ago. And it's white like this Dhow here. Copy that. That's a good payback
already for this visit. -TA to Bo.
-Bo. Since they first are willing to share info
ask them as much as possible. We have already started, standing in the
wheelhouse with the captain asking him questions. Copy that, confirm it's a Sambut that's been
hijacked and not a Yemeni type. Will do. Did you know anyone onboard? -No.
-Where did he hear it from? His brother. His brother called and said "Hey Pirates". Yeah yeah sure, just the
information makes it all worth it. Back on Absalon they have found
a couple of different oil filters. And now everyone's fingers are crossed
that one will fit the Yemenites engine. They can certainly change it themselves,
it's not technically difficult. While the oil filter is being changed tries
Carsten and the second in command - - on Absalon to find the ship
type that was hijacked earlier. That must be it.
Probably this kind. No matter what we have to take this intelligence very seriously,
and we know now to keep an extra look out for a Sambuk Dhow type. With some white signs
indicating it's a mothership. It's an incredibly good deal from that visit,
because that's actually something we can use. And it's something we can share
with the other forces in the area. Come on, come on. The engine starts and the filter works. But before the boarding party leaves the boat,
there's still something that needs to be handed over. We have a first-aid package for you in case
you start throwing fish after your men again. And gloves in here. And some knives. It's yours. I'll call you in three days! -Telling him I'll call in three days.
-Good. -Did we get the phone back?
-Yeah. Another unexpected situation is well over with. And Absalon's boarding team can get their well earned
rest and while docking in Somalia's neighbor state Djibouti. Besides fishers, pirates and merchant ships,
the Gulf of Aden also plays another fatal human role, - - smugglers and refugees cross
the waters every year by the thousands. And soon the crew on Absalon will receive
their baptism of fire with that kind of problem. Hi Klaus, we have informed the staff-guard that we have a
Yemeni Skiff with human smugglers. There are 50 onboard. A Japanese warship asks Absalon to take a closer look
if there are human smugglers in distress. The report suggests that a boat is drifting around with
people way too close to the dangerous corridor. Giant tankers sail the corridor at full speed and have no way
to dodge if sudden unforeseen situations occur. We received a message from a Japanese warship that
a small boat was drifting with 30-40 people onboard. There's a UN convention called SOLAS convention that says
you have a duty to help people on the ocean in distress. We're sending the helicopter Brumbass
because the Japanese reported them drifting. It's not a particularly good situation. Because you never quite know
how they will react out on the vessel. Pirate Hunt We received a message from a Japanese warship that
a small boat was drifting with 30-40 people onboard. There's a UN convention called SOLAS convention that says
you have a duty to help people on the ocean in distress. And he asked us to take a look at it. He was actually closer by so we
suggested he could do it himself. But he declined.
It's almost like looking another way. We're sending the helicopter Brumbass out to take
a look because the Japanese reported him drifting. Could we get a threat assessment over there?
Any visible weapons? Does he agree it's a possible human smuggler? If the boat can't sail it's just a question of time before
the refugees are rammed or die of thirst out on the open sea. The report from Brumbass confirms
that the boat is in distress. So he decides that Absalon must go in. Now we have seen with our helicopter that
they are in distress, they stand and wave to us. Now to find out what their distress situation is, if it's just
their engine that doesn't work then we can probably fix it. Do they lack water? We don't know
how many days they have been there. So there are several things we need to find out. What we want is basically
just to help them on their way. Usually in distress situations there is risk for human life,
but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case here. But you can also say that if you
look away and just let time go - - then it's just a question of time
before it becomes a distress situation. It's Absalon's boarding party that will solve the task and
assure the passengers don't panic when the help arrives. The young officer Martin has been
selected as boarding party leader. -Are you going to unlock the weapons after?
-I'll do that. And it's the first time he'll solve
such a serious task. It's not a particularly good situation. Because you never quite know
how they will react out on the vessel. We had a similar situation last year where
the boat capsized and half the crew drowned. So...
Rather avoid that. There are children and women out there.
We can't know if they are in imminent threat - - but as we can see on the boat there
and they are so close on the traffic corridor. And if they don't have any water it's just a question of
time before we have a distress situation and a duty to act. What we at all costs must avoid is going too close so
they all go over to one side and the boat rolls over. Then we're left with 20 bodies and 20 living.
As said worst case scenario. The objective is helping them on their way. And make sure they can get on their way,
because they have paid money for this trip to Yemen - - because they hope for a better life in Yemen. So we won't stand in the way for that. To help alleviate the life-threatening situation Absalon's
boarding party brings all the drinking water they can transport. Just one at a time so people don't
flock and the boat tips over. Come up with us on each side so we approach
the Skiff with Little Brother on the Port side - - and Little Sister on Starboard side. Confirmed bearing 3-2-1
1,4 miles. Bearing 3-2-1, 1,4 miles, copy that. The last meters before Martin and his
crew reaches the boat are crucial. It's now that everything could go wrong. Can you hear me?
Wave with your arms if you can hear me. We have come to help you.
Stay where you are. Bo, we've got low threat so we
approach with both our vessels. When we came to them they were calm. Which means we rather swiftly got our boats
over and create a steady platform. Tell them to remain calm,
there's water for everyone. The refugees on the little boat are physically weakened. They have been drifting for two days without
any supplies for fundamental survival. The explanation is that they're on the way to Yemen
refugee camps where the UN is ready to take care of them. Absalon's machine crew goes to work
trying to find the problem with the engine. The Gulf is passed every year by a large amount of refugees
from Somalia looking for a better life on the other side. This trip became critical as it turns out
the engine can't be repaired. The crew on Absalon therefore decides to give them
a brand new engine and save their lives that way. Is it fixed in position? If they hadn't received help from us
they would be on the lord's fields. It's a nice feeling having helped them, the
alternative is them dying of thirst or being rammed. So it really gave purpose today. -Now they're good.
-So happy. Become so fucking proud
after having been out. An eventful day in the Gulf of Aden
is over for Martin and his colleagues. The 40 Somali boat refugees are still fragile, and the
dangerous trip towards a better life is far from over. The hijacked Liquid Velvet that Absalon never got the
chance to help has now been anchored up by Somalia's coast. The shipping firm has been faced with a
8 million dollar ransom for the ship and its 23 man crew. But the fight against piracy
is far from over. For the next few months continue Commander Captain
Carsten Fjord-Larsen and his Danish crew on pirate hunt. And if necessary, follow up with warning shots. Yes we're both locked and loaded. It's not the scenarion we've prepared for back home.
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoLqaETiz88
Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAbZw8KVLbE
Part 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlIkknGy3-Q
Part 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbhmo1NHiV4
Part 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LByf929hyGo
Vikings on the sea, just like old days ;)