USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1) - Deployment

Deployment

In February 2009 the ship was deployed off the coast of Somalia as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa. The vessel was fitted out to be used as a prison ship for captured pirates until they could be extradited to Kenya for trials. Sixteen pirates have so far been sent to Lewis and Clark after being captured in two different actions by the USS Vella Gulf. On 6 May 2009 USNS Lewis and Clark was approached by suspected pirates off the eastern coast of Somalia and took evasive action to prevent a successful attack. Suspected pirates then fired small arms weapons from approximately two nautical miles toward Lewis and Clark, which fell one nautical mile short of the ship's stern. Lewis and Clark continued to increase speed and the skiffs ceased their pursuit of the U.S. ship. On 20 November 2010 the Lewis and Clark responded to a distress call by the Chinese-flagged cargo ship M/V Tai An Kou which was under attack by Somalian pirates in a dhow and two skiffs. The crew on the Chinese vessel had secured themself in a safe room by the time the Lewis and Clark arrived on the scene. Upon sighting the US naval vessel, the pirates opened fire on her and the Lewis and Clark returned fire in a brief engagement that drove the pirates off without causing any casualties. The destroyer USS Winston Churchill then also arrived on the scene and launched a helicopter to provide additional assistance until the PLAN frigate Xuzhou arrived.