Marshal Shaposhnikov conducts anti-piracy drill in the Arabian Sea

The Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov recently completed a piracy interdiction drill during a long voyage through the Arabian Sea. The exercise was reported by the Pacific Fleet press service and verified by Interfax. In the opening phase, the crew identified a suspicious vessel that ignored radio calls from the frigate. A boarding team boarded the ship, and the vessel’s mock crew resisted briefly before being detained, demonstrating standard procedures for handling suspected pirate craft. The second phase focused on countering small, fast attack craft—armed pirates attempting to threaten and seize a foreign merchant vessel. The frigate’s artillery teams practiced coordinated fire and effective dissuasion against the simulated threat, echoing real-world counter-piracy tactics used in busy sea lanes. In the third phase, the Ka-27PS helicopter from the Pacific Fleet naval aviation conducted airborne patrols to monitor the area, extending the ship’s surveillance reach and quick-response capability. At the time of reporting, Marshal Shaposhnikov remained on station in the Arabian Sea, maintaining security presence and ongoing vigilance. The broader theater had already seen allied and coalition activity in the region, including reports of U.S. aircraft and a coalition warship operating in nearby air and sea spaces. Additionally, five drones from Yemen’s Ansarullah movement were shot down in the Red Sea, an incident that underscored ongoing regional security concerns. Earlier operations in the Indian Ocean had seen the cruiser Varyag completing its own training and combat readiness routines, contributing to a broader pattern of continuous maritime deterrence and preparedness across the fleet. The day’s events illustrate how multi-domain assets—surface ships, air assets, and coordinated command-and-control—work together to deter piracy and safeguard international shipping lanes in a volatile sea region. The exercise emphasized rapid identification, lawful boarding procedures, defensive countermeasures against small fast craft, and integrated aerial surveillance to extend maritime domain awareness. Fleet press service.