The bandits seized three ships in the last 10 days, and officials say attacks will rise.
U.S. military officials say unmanned drones called Reapers are patrolling the Indian Ocean. Small drones were previously launched from American warships off Somalia but the larger and more advanced Reapers are the first drones to be operated in the area by the U.S. military's Africa Command.
Vice Adm. Robert Moeller, deputy commander of Germany-based Africom, says pirates remain "a pretty significant challenge."
Somalia has been ravaged by violence and anarchy since 1991 and piracy has flourished off its coast.
