Tag: anti piracy measures

Anti-Piracy Operations to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden India, China and Japan have started implementing a new mechanism to coordinate the movement of their warships in the Gulf of Aden to provide protection to cargo vessels from sea brigands. The three countries operate independently in the Gulf of Aden to provide protection to cargo ships from pirates and are not part of the two groupings deployed there-- the European EUNAVFOR and the US-led Task Force 151."Earlier what was happening was that the convoys of all these three countries would be spaced by few hours and there would be long hours in a day when no convoy was available for escorting the vessels," Indian Navy's Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Naval Intelligence) Rear Admiral Monty Khanna told reporters here.The officer was holding a briefing on the 'Milan' naval exercise, which started in Port Blair Wednesday. He said now the three countries have "evolved a mechanism under which it will be ensured that there is enough gap between the Indian, Chinese and the Japanese convoy and they are well-displaced" to be able to escort a greater number of ships in a day. Khanna was replying to a ...

Will Jackson describes his role in operations to capture Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean A Royal Fleet Auxiliary officer from Jersey has been describing his role in operations to capture Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.Will Jackson, has been on a five-month deployment to the Indian Ocean on board the 30,000-tonne Oiler Replenishment vessel, RFA Fort Victoria, as part of a combined force of NATO-led ships on anti-piracy operations.The crew went into action to apprehend a suspected pirate dhow on 13 January.The boat was identified as a known pirate craft operating in the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean.The RFA Fort Victoria and USS Carney worked together on the operation.The Fort Victoria deployed a Royal Navy Lynx mark 8 helicopter with Royal Marine maritime snipers on board who fired flares and shots into an unmanned section of the dhow.'Unlucky' Friday 13 The dhow failed to comply with orders to stop so the Royal Marines boarded and captured 13 Somali pirates who had what has been described as a "selection of weapons".Capt Shaun Jones, commanding officer of RFA Fort Victoria, said: "I am extremely proud of the way in which my crew and helicopter in tandem with embarked Royal Marines ...

To minimize the risk Filipino seafarers face from Somali pirates The Philippines has given Manila-flagged merchant vessels the go-ahead to deploy private security groups to minimize the risk Filipino seafarers face from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.The move, however, is "subject to Philippine shipping companies" adherence to strict guidelines promulgated by the Maritime Industry Authority and the International Maritime Organization," the DFA said Monday."In their participation at meetings to combat piracy in the IMO, the United Nations and other fora, Philippine government officials have been advocating the importance of promoting the safety of Filipino seamen. This advocacy is being supported by other governments," it also said.A total of 26 Filipino seamen on board three foreign-flagged vessels are still being held by pirates in east Africa."The longest one in detention is a crew member of the MV Iceberg 1, which was hijacked by pirates on Jan. 29, 2010 off the Port of Aden in Yemen," the DFA disclosed.Between 2006 and 2011, a total of 769 sailors from the Philippines were seized by pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It is believed that all ...

New system of intelligence sharing planned, Kuwaiti commander says Maritime security in the Gulf region has become a concern today more than ever before which is why the GCC countries are combining efforts to protect their territorial waters and sea lines of communication."Now the threat is coming from the maritime sector," said Lieutenant Commander Mubarak A. Al Sabah, Chief of Maritime Operations at the Kuwait Coast Guard, to Gulf News in an interview yesterday."We are trying our best to secure the Arabian Gulf from terrorist activity, drug trafficking and piracy."Recently, Iran announced that it would block the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Arabian Gulf with the Arabian Sea if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports. The European Union announced in January that it would ban oil imports from Iran starting from July 1 to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.There is a plan in the works to establish a central computer-based program for a comprehensive overlapping surveillance system to share information among the maritime operating centres of the GCC, Al Sabah said.LifelineThe Strait of Hormuz and the sea lines of communication in the Arabian Gulf are the lifeline for many of the economies in the region. ...

Water canon is one of theanti-piracy measures

The SOS SaveOurSeafarers antipiracy campaign is looking for support from business leaders The SOS SaveOurSeafarers antipiracy campaign is looking for support from business leaders to increase international pressure on governments to take tougher action against Somali piracy, which is estimated to be costing the world economy $12 billion a year."These criminal gangs are holding the world economy to ransom," says Campaign Chair Giles Heimann. "The potential economic impact of the crisis is hugely disturbing given the knife edge on which the global economy is currently perched.""Any business or organisation that conducts trade though the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean to the Indian sub-continent and Asia and Australasia is at risk," says Mr. Heimann. "That's about one-fifth of global trade. We feel that businesses which rely on these routes remaining safe will be keen to offer their support. They rely on the movement of manufactured goods, raw materials, food and fuel to operate."Saying that the pirate gangs "have discovered the meaning of scalability" and that their "business model" now extends across an area of ocean twice the size of Europe, Mr. Heimann warns that there is a real risk that the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the ...

Countermeasures to safeguard vessel and crew welfare Cost effective armour protection provides unrivalled countermeasures to safeguard vessel and crew welfare. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), amaritime services provider, and Vessel Protection Solutions (VPS) announced the launch of a new anti-piracy partnership that will provide the ultimate protection for vessels and their crews while operating in known piracy regions. The solutions will provide customers with highly effective fully certified systems that are designed to combat RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) and small arms fire."Time and again we see bullet proof vests issued to crews without hard armour plates, and vessels using 8mm mild steel to protect the bridge, internal doors and citadels, which will do nothing against a round from an AK47," said Edward Unwin, Sales Director Vessel Protection Solutions. "Similarly, using double layers of standard mesh fencing to counter the threat of an RPG attack will actually increase the chance of a lethal detonation," continued Unwin.Following extensive research and live fire testing, as well as years of consultation with the defence industry and associated partners and suppliers, ISS and VPS will provide customers with a comprehensive range of advanced, high-tech protective countermeasures, including:Light Armour System against Shaped Ordnance (LASSO)A high tensile steel ...

Aboard HMAS Parramatta on pirate patrol off the Horn of Africa CHASING pirates and drug smugglers around some of the world's most treacherous waters is all in a day's work for Toowoomba's Tim Naumann.He and his 180 shipmates are aboard HMAS Parramatta on pirate patrol off the Horn of Africa.As a member of the frigate's boarding party, it is Able Seaman Naumann's job to help stop and search suspect vessels or come to the aid of boats in distress.It's a tough job and sometimes a potentially dangerous one."This trip allows me to be part of what's making news," he said.Able Seaman Naumann joined the Royal Australian Navy in 2007 and since training at recruit school at HMAS Cerberus he has been away from family and friends many times.He is a communications information systems specialist and an expert in radios, flags and Morse code. He also fixes computers and manages internet access, controlling the flow of information to and from the ship.His thoughts this holiday season have been with his partner Carly and his parents who still live in Toowoomba."Recently, the ship has had WIFI installed and since then it has been a massive morale boost," he said."I can keep in ...

Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection Singapore and Japan should cooperate in anti-piracy activities off the coast of Somalia.That's the view of Mr Norifumi Idee, the Policy Adviser to Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.He is in Singapore under the Maritime and Port Authority's (MPA) Distinguished Visitors Programme.On Wednesday, Mr Idee called on Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and also met with MPA's senior management.They discussed key maritime issues of mutual interest, such as the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, piracy and armed robbery, as well as matters relating to the International Maritime Organization.CEO of MPA Lam Yi Young said: "Japan is a notable player in the international maritime community and a vital strategic maritime partner to Singapore."Mr. Idee's visit underscores the close bilateral maritime relations that Singapore and Japan enjoy and the good co-operation in maritime matters between the two nations both bilaterally and at the IMO."Mr Idee said he's impressed with the advanced traffic control system and port facilities which supported Singapore's position as the leading global hub port and acknowledged Singapore's leadership in the anti-piracy efforts in the Straits of Malacca ...

The leaders are due to meet next month in Kenya at an anti-piracy conference Marine safety concern, BCB International, has warned world leaders to consider the dangers of using armed guards on board vessels, which may have tragic and unintended consequences.The leaders are due to meet next month in Kenya at an anti-piracy conference.Some commentators believed that the use of armed personnel could spark a dangerous escalation of violence, the company said.BCB International's marine projects manager, Jonathan Delf, said: "We call on world leaders to consider, in detail, the potential dangers associated with the use of armed guards on commercial ships. With lethal armed guards comes increased responsibility for the lives of a ship's crew."Ultimately the use of lethal force should be selected as a 'last resort' because it could lead to an escalation of violence, which can have tragic unintended consequences."Indeed, in his evidence to the Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee the respected Dr McCafferty, head of counter-terrorism and UK operational policy at the UK Ministry of Defence, said; 'Like everywhere else, the more guns there are around, although there is a deterrent effect, you also have the increased opportunity or potential for the wrong people to be shot.'""We ...