Guns at the ready, six Navy commandos abseil from a helicopter onto the deck of a ship as they prepare to come face to face with the armed pirates hiding on board.
These pictures capture the precarious moment the Dutch marines boarded the German merchant ship, the MV Taipan, not knowing the risks that awaited them.
Minutes later they arrested the pirates and freed the ship's 15-strong crew.
Risky: Marines board the German vessel MV Taipan where 10 armed pirates were waiting on board
Hijacked: After arresting the pirates the commandos freed the crew of 15 people, who were locked away
The ten pirates had boarded the container ship - as it sat 500 miles east of Somalia - using a mothership and two attack boats.
Within hours the Dutch frigate Tromp had deployed its Lynx helicopter to the scene, after receiving a distress signal from the Taipan.
As the Tromp neared the hijacked vessel it fired warning shots and sounded alerts, sending the mothership fleeing.
After using a rope to board the ship, the marines turned off the engines and overpowered the pirates while alerting warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden.
Rescue: The Dutch helicopter was deployed after crew on the MV Taipan issued a distress alert
Brave: The marines boarded the ship, turned off engines and overpowered the pirates while alerting warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden
The German ship's crew members had locked themselves into a secure area and were unharmed. One Dutch marine was slightly injured during boarding but no one else was hurt.
The pirates were taken on board the Tromp but German Defence Ministry spokesman Robin Middel said it was not known what would be done with them. He would not reveal their nationality.
The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route off Somalia.
In March alone the mission captured 18 pirate gangs, destroyed 22 skiffs and apprehended 131 pirates for prosecution.
But there are still eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.
The Taipan ship was able to continue its voyage after despite damage to its bridge, according to a statement from the Defence Ministry.
