Spike TV to chase pirates with US Navy

Spike TV is jumping into the pirate-chasing business with a new reality series covering the US Navy's ongoing operation to end the threat of hijacking off the African coast.

The US Navy is allowing Spike and production company 44 Blue in-depth access as they embark on their mission from a military base in the seaside nation of Djibouti (bordering Somalia and Ethiopia) and on the open water.

Cameras will capture life aboard two US warships (the USS San Antonio and USS Boxer), as they patrol the Gulf of Aden for pirates who hijack commercial transport vessels.

The show, titled Pirate Hunters: USN, is produced by 44 Blue Productions (The True Story of Black Hawk Down, Lockup) and Adam Friedman (Vertical Ascent). 

“Piracy off the coast of Africa is a real and deadly threat,” said Rasha Drachkovitch, president and founder of 44 Blue. “With Pirate Hunters: USN, our goal is to capture that drama for the TV audience in order to highlight the heroic work undertaken by the US Navy every day in this fight against terrorism.”

The announcement comes right after a dramatic five-day standoff where Navy Seal snipers rescued an American cargo ship captain and killed three Somali pirates in a rescue operation.

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