Somali Pirates: Ukranian Flying Boats to Join Anti-Piracy Force

Ukranian BE-12 (wheels down)

Reported at Bruxelles2 (translation by Google Translate):

Ukraine has announced its intention to send a brigade of a Be-12 aircraft of Saki for maritime surveillance operation in the naval anti-piracy operation EU (Atalanta) beginning in 2012. Military experts from the EU and the Ukrainian navy have discussed preparations for the operation. These include the provision of aircraft equipment (communications, liaison with the headquarters) and logistical support crews. A Ukrainian officer was seconded from November to the General Staff of the Atalanta. The President had signed in February Yanukovic the mission order. Ukrainian participation was announced on several occasions for almost 2 years. And it may seem close to a concrete solution.

Be-12 Waterborne

Be-12's are old Soviet maritime patrol aircraft (NATO name "Mail").

More here:

Ukraine intends to send an amphibious aircraft Be-12 from the Saki marine air brigade of the Armed Forces' Air Force to take part in the European Union naval operation to fight sea piracy, Atalanta, from 2012, reads a statement made by the Defence Ministry press service.

In course of a meeting of the EU and the Ukrainian Naval Air Force military experts in Sevastopol they discussed preparation of the Be-12 aircraft and its crew for participation in this operation.

In particular, they discussed the issues of equipping the plane with state-of-the-art navigation and communication means, and also all-out logistic support to the Ukrainian marine aircraft pilots.

Foreign military experts also got a possibility to learn about technical and combat capabilities of Be-12 aircraft in service at the Saki marine air brigade.