The Royal Malaysian Navy has set up a special squad code-named the “Quick Reaction Force” (QRF) to combat piracy.
The 14-man squad comprises two teams, namely the sharpshooters and a strike force, based in Tanjung Pengelih in the state of Johor, Malaysia.
“For the time being, the teams are stationed in southern Johor waters as it is a hotspot for pirates,” said Rear Admiral Mior Rosdi Mior Mohd Jaafar, assistant chief of staff exercise operations in the Anti-Sea Robbery Cooperation Working Group held in Malaysia on 6 October 2015.
According to Rear Adm Jaafar, the team can respond within 15 minutes upon receiving a report, deploying assets like helicopters and an assault vessel to the vicinity of the incident.
“I hope with the establishment of QRF, we will manage to combat piracy effectively. It is impossible to have zero robberies, but we will work hard to reduce the figure. To do that, we have to be fast.” concluded Rear Adm Jaafar.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
