China may have to pick up the slack on piracy

China and other nations operating independent naval patrols to combat Somali pirates may have to send extra warships next year to make up for a shortfall in patrolling vessels as Western navies are struggling with tighter budgets.

The European Union estimated that the number of warships its members provided, along with Nato and the Combined Maritime Forces task forces, would vary between 13 and 18 during the peak piracy season next year. The EU naval force's chief of staff, Captain Keith Blount, said about 23 warships would be needed to maintain the counter-piracy operation from January to May and September to December.

At present, 30 warships from the task forces, plus those from nations including China, Russia and India, are providing escorts and patrols in an area that covers the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, head of European forces, said it was like patrolling an area of the size of Western Europe with 30 police cars that can go no faster than 40km/h.

The situation will worsen next year as it is expected the number of warships maintained by Western countries in the area will drop due to economic difficulties in Europe.

Blount said Nato would provide three or four ships and the European Union navies no more than eight in 2012. He said several European countries, including Britain, were under pressure to tighten defence budgets and cut back naval fleets.