RADM Terry McKnight: Pirate Alley

In 2009, with piracy on the rise and fast becoming a serious global security issue, Rear Adm. Terry McKnight took command of CTF 151, the multinational task force on patrol in the Gulf of Aden.

As task force commander, he directed operations that disrupted several hijackings and resulted in the capture of sixteen Somali pirates. Despite his successes, McKnight realized that there was more to fighting piracy than merely catching khat-fueled youngsters armed with AK-47s and RPGs.

Following his retirement from the Navy, McKnight turned his full attention toward developing a comprehensive strategy to combat the threat and expansion of piracy. This book, co-written with journalist Michael Hirsh, is a very readable yet authoritative introduction to the subject. The authors explore every aspect of Somali piracy, from their operational methods to their impact on the world economy. Together, McKnight and Hirsh offer potential solutions to the problem and highlight the best ways to outfit ships for travel through high-risk areas. But they also warn that one consequence of successfully protecting targets like container ships and crude oil carriers may be that pirates will turn to crime on land, adding an entirely new dimension to their seaborne activities.

Acknowledging the worldwide economic impact of piracy, the authors note that piracy costs as much as $13 billion a year, and in 2011 pirates took 1,000 seafarers into captivity. One shipping company argues, however, that overreaching shipping regulations have a greater negative effect on the economy. The book concludes that in the interest of justice and to protect the free flow of commerce throughout the world, the U.S. government must take additional measures to stop the flow of U.S. dollars for ransom payments, which serve as the only reason for piracy in the region.

RADM Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.) is a thirty-one-year Navy veteran who rose to command the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and served as the first commander of Combined Task Force 151. He lives in Fairfax Station, VA. RADM McKnight is online at admiralandthepirates.com.