The French Navy Doesn’t Just Capture Pirates — They Crush Them!

Between 2009 and 2010, Somali piracy off the coast of Somalia reached unprecedented levels, threatening global shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Pirate gangs, heavily armed with AK-47 assault rifles, PKM machine guns, and RPG-7 rocket launchers, operated in fast skiffs and mother ships, hijacking cargo vessels, oil tankers, and even luxury yachts for ransom. During this period, one of the most extraordinary and unusual events in modern naval history occurred: pirates attacked a French warship not once, but twice. In October 2009, a group of Somali pirates mistook the FS Nivôse (also referred to as FS Nivas), a heavily armed French frigate, for a civilian cargo vessel. Armed with small arms and RPGs, they attempted a bold assault, only to be met with immediate, overwhelming firepower, including warning shots from 20mm automatic cannons and rapid deployment of a Panther helicopter. Within minutes, the pirates were disarmed, captured, and taken into custody, suffering no casualties on the French side.

Six months later, in April 2010, another group of Somali pirates launched a second attack against the same French warship, operating from a mother ship hundreds of nautical miles offshore. Confident and heavily armed, they again misjudged their target. The French Navy responded with precise fire from the frigate’s 100mm naval gun and helicopter support, disabling skiffs, forcing pirates into the sea, and capturing 35 individuals along with dozens of weapons. The incidents highlighted not only the risks pirates faced when confronting modern naval vessels but also the effectiveness of the French Navy’s anti-piracy operations under multinational missions such as Operation Atlanta and EU anti-piracy initiatives.

These encounters also illustrate the evolution of Somali piracy during the late 2000s, when pirate networks became increasingly organized, financed by local warlords, and emboldened by high ransom payouts. Yet, even the most daring pirate groups were no match for the capabilities, training, and strategic coordination of naval forces. The October 2009 and April 2010 attacks remain infamous examples of pirate overconfidence and recklessness, showing how lawless actors can dramatically miscalculate against professional militaries. Beyond the immediate captures, the operations served as a deterrent, signaling to other pirate networks that attacking well-armed naval vessels carried near-certain consequences.

This video explores the full story of pirates who attacked the French Navy twice, detailing the tactics used, the weapons involved, the scale of the pirate operations, and the strategic response by the French warship and its crew. It also examines the broader context of piracy in the Indian Ocean during this era, including ransom economics, international naval coordination, and the eventual decline of Somali pirate activity by 2012 due to increased patrols, armed security on merchant vessels, and coordinated global efforts. These incidents provide a unique window into the dangers of maritime crime, the evolution of modern piracy, and the critical role of naval forces in securing international shipping lanes.

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