In an article posted on website, the North of England P&I Club notes that the private maritime security industry has consolidated significantly, but remains fluid, and underscores a emerging issues with respect to the illegal sharing of weapons by Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP).
In particular, North underlines that, since the hijacking of the MT Smyrni in May 2012, no commercial ship has been successfully attacked by pirates in the north-west Indian Ocean, but this success resulted in the HRA being significantly reduced in size on 1 December 2015. Consequently, naval forces have been significantly reduced under political pressure, and the application of BMP has relaxed.
North club notes that providing an effective and efficient maritime armed guard service is a muti-factored condition, combining administration and logistics, correctly vetted and qualified guards in the correct location, at the right time, with the correct equipment and appropriate documentation to be able to embark a ship in transit for the contracted period of providing the service. The challenge, especially for smaller private maritime security companies (PMSCs), is having sufficient weapons, legally owned by that PMSC, at the point of embarkation, with a team, on time, especially if they work on the “spot market”.
For a PMSC, moving personnel around the HRA is relatively easy utilising commercial airlines. However, because many coastal States around the rim of the HRA specifically prohibit the landing of weapons and ammunition, it is almost impossible to move them unless they are being used by a PCASP on task. Consequently, the management of weapons is very challenging and many companies hold up to twice the number of sets of equipment that are used on a regular basis, in order to ensure they can meet the demand.
North explains that increasing competition, caused by consolidation in the private maritime security industry, has led to an emerging practice of borrowing and renting of weapons illegally by some PMSCs, which is snowballing. Illegal use of weapons by PCASP could breach contracts and may affect a vessel’s insurance policies. Furthermore without weapon ownership verification conducted effectively ships may be detained in ports.
The proof of weapon ownership comprises three elements: the owner (PMSC), the weapon’s serial number and the end user certificate (EUC). The EUC for each weapon, (specified by weapon serial number), will name the PMSC as owner. However, not all EUCs are the same (there is no standard international format), some EUCs list multiple weapons and some countries do not issue them.
This complex system is prone to abuse and some PMSCs have overcome the logistical challenges of providing PCASP and equipment by the “renting” and “borrowing” of weapons from other PMSCs, which is mostly illegal. An additional factor which potentially exacerbates the problem is the use of Floating Armouries (FA), some of which are managed more effectively and efficiently than others, leading to inconsistencies, confusion and an ideal opportunity for the illegal “borrowing” and “renting” of weapons by PMSCs so inclined.
Source: North of England P&I Club
