Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff spoke about the challenges o combating piracy off the Somali coast. Among the topics he addressed were maintaining a significance naval presence in an area greater than 400,000 square nautical miles, the efficacy of ransom payments, and impact of the use of force in hostage situations. Vice Admiral Kevin J. Cosgriff (Ret.) was the former commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) and the U.S. 5th Fleet.