Tag: maritime security

To boost its maritime defence technology by 2015

Says Gray Page Gray Page, the specialist maritime intelligence, investigation and crisis management company, said that laws, regulations and guidelines already exist against which armed maritime security providers (AMSPs) can be scrutinised.The assessment criteria that Gray Page uses in its Armed Maritime Security Provider Vetting Programme incorporates, for example, extant British and EU legislation on the ownership, licensing and control of firearms and ammunition, the compliance requirements enshrined in conventions such as the International Code of Conduct (ICOC) for Private Security Service Providers, and guidance published the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the International Group of P&I Clubs and flag States including the UK Department for Transport.James Wilkes, managing director, Gray Page, commented: "It is a misconception that there are currently no standards against which the legitimacy and competency of AMSPs operations can be measured. There is plethora of criterion that can reasonably be applied in vetting the activities of an AMSP. We support the call for maritime-specific regulation, but on-going industry deliberations in that respect do not obviate the regulations and laws that already exist with which AMSP should comply."Our vetting programme is exposing the fact that a significant majority of AMSPs are not demonstrably operating within existing legal and ...

Cooperation across the Gulf countries The inaugural Maritime Security and Surveillance Conference concluded last week, highlighting several important themes, including the need to continue building cooperation across the Gulf countries in the areas of maritime surveillance and security operations.Lieutenant Commander Sheikh Mubarak Ali Y. Al Sabah, Chief of Maritime Operations, Kuwait Coast Guard, discussed in detail about areas of cooperation, and explained that cooperation is key in tackling the various maritime threats that the region is facing.One of the initiatives taken by the region's maritime authorities is the establishment of a GCC Maritime Centre in Bahrain. This centre aims to boost security in the Gulf, including that of vital shipping lanes for oil exports. Members of the GCC have agreed to share information and contribute assets to the centre."Approval has been given from all GCC leaders," said Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Deputy Commander of the UAE Navy.According to Lieutenant Commander Sheikh Mubarak Ali Y. Al Sabah, a primary problem in the Gulf waters is drug traffickers where a bust is made every two to three weeks. After each bust, the GCC nations share information about the incident and the lessons learnt.Currently, an emerging concern in the region is ...

To ensure the safety of cruise ships arriving in Dubai Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the maritime government entity charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising the maritime sector in Dubai, has announced the establishment of a cruise ship task force in line with its continued efforts to ensure the safety of cruise ships arriving in Dubai and to reinforce Dubai's preparedness to deal with potential maritime accidents.The cruise ship task force has been established in collaboration with Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM).DMCA further revealed that it is intensifying maritime inspections to ensure that cruise ships comply with maritime standards and to create awareness among ship owners and cruise operators about the need to improve the performance of cruise ships according to best practices in the industry.Hamad bin Mejren, DTCM Executive Director for Business Tourism, said:"Dubai is keen to adopt best practices related to the safety of cruise ships, in line with international standards and norms. DTCM has partnered with DMCA as part of our commitment to ensure that cruise trips from Dubai will set a global standard in terms of safety and readiness to handle various eventualities, as well as to provide world-class logistical and technical support to the ...

Maintaining round the clock vigil in the Maritime Zones of India The Indian Coast Guard is celebrating its 35th anniversary tomorrow. Since its inception, the service has grown into a multi-faceted and vibrant force, maintaining 'round the clock' vigil in the Maritime Zones of India, by deploying its multi-role ships and aircraft.Beginning with a modest inventory of two ex-naval frigates, the service today boasts of a force-level of 68 ships and 52 aircraft. During the past year, one ship, four interceptor boats, four Dornier aircraft and two Chetak helicopters have been commissioned into service, in addition to the establishment of six CG Stations and two Air Enclaves.The Indian Coast Guard today, is on a path of rapid expansion, as a large number of state-of-art ships, boats and aircraft are under-construction at various shipyards/PSUs. The service is expected to attain a force-level of 77 surface platforms and 56 aircraft by end 2012. The Coast Guard will also have 42 CG Stations, four Air Stations and 11 Air Enclaves functioning all along the coast, by the end of 2012.On the manpower front, the service has initiated several measures to augment its manpower viz. introduction of short service appointment for women officers and ...

MV Assa is armed with heavy machine guns A mysterious Iranian ship, anchored for close to 30 days near Lakshadweep, has become a major cause of concerns for the government and coastal security agencies.Reports, Tuesday, claimed that government has registered a strong protest with Tehran after the Navy confirmed that Iranian vessel MV Assa is armed with heavy machine guns.The ship has been anchored there for over a month and so far Iran has given no explanation to Indian authorities in this regard. The Iranian Ambassador to India was summoned last week and explicitly told that the vessel MV Assa needs to be shifted from its current location as the country faces grave terrorist threats from the sea.The authorities also told the Iranian Ambassador that a ship armed with machine guns cannot be allowed to halt in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for an indefinite period.To counter India's objections, Iran says that it cannot object to its ship, which is standing in its EEZ. It claimed that India's territorial waters end at 12 nautical miles, beyond which lies the EEZ up to 200 nautical miles. A country has exclusive right to resources in its EEZ, but cannot interfere with commercial ...

Product for port security The company that designed the first portable vehicle barrier and the first barrier using lightweight energy absorbing material instead of heavy steel components, is introducing a new hybrid design unlike any existing anti-terrorism barrier. PRO Barrier Engineering's VolarXTM uses a gravity-propelled roller design to stop vehicle-based attacks and provide explosion protection.The name derives from Latin terms for rolling fortress.According to Dr. Tom Potter, President of PRO Barrier Engineering, "We set out to develop a barrier that addresses common complaints with existing designs, including mechanical complexity, disruptive roadway excavation, high maintenance, the inability to tailor vehicle stopping power, limited resistance to explosives, and high fixed costs. VolarXTM breaks new ground in all these areas.""It's a hybrid design," Potter notes. "It combines the elements of a passive, non-moving barrier such as a concrete wall, with an active, moving barrier that can be opened and closed repeatedly to allow vehicle access."With VolarXTM, if a high-threat situation arises, a guard can quickly release two gravity-propelled cylindrical barriers which roll together to create an impenetrable obstacle capable of withstanding multiple vehicle impacts, as well as IEDs or other explosives.Equally important, once an attack is thwarted the road blockers can be retracted ...

To jointly tackle illicit transnational maritime activity Gambia, US seal deal on maritime security - Gambia and the US have sealed a deal to jointly tackle "illicit transnational maritime activity", PANA reported.According to official sources, Gambia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Momodou Tangara, and the American Ambassador in Banjul, Pamela Ann White, signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of their respective governments.During the signing ceremony, Pamela reiterated the importance of the move, saying illegal maritime activities like drug peddling and "psychotropic substances posed a serious threat to the health and welfare of human beings and adversely affects the economic, cultural and political foundations of a society."She said the US government was forging partnerships with countries towards curbing and tackling illegal maritime activities in line with international laws and regulations.In recent times, Gambia has been among the conduit countries within the sub-region used by drug traffickers and those engage on illegal fishing activities.Source: PANA

Views on piracy in Somalia, climate change and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement Japan and Malaysia agreed to deepen their cooperation in maritime security and trade and investment in a meeting between Japanese foreign minister, Koichiro Gemba and his Malaysian counterpart, Anifah Aman at the latter's office on Thursday.They have also exchanged views on North Korea, the United National Security Council reform, South China Sea, piracy in Somalia, climate change and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, the ministers said at a joint press conference after their meeting."We agreed to cooperate in ensuring the safety of maritime navigation in the Strait of Melaka," Gemba told the press.Gemba is on a four-day visit to Southeast Asian countries including Singapore and Indonesia through Friday.Anifah meanwhile assured Gemba that Malaysia would remain a "reliable friend and partner to Japan in the region and the world."Both ministers also pledged to cooperate further to assist Palestine.Gemba's visit in Malaysia came before the East Asia Summit to be held in Indonesia in November, where Japan plans to call for a multi-lateral negotiation framework in the Association of South East Asian Nation.Source: Xinhua

China has demanded swift action by three Southeast Asian countries after the Mekong River tragedy China has demanded swift action by three Southeast Asian countries to prevent attacks on Chinese nationals on the Mekong River after 12 sailors died near the Thai-Myanmar border last week."The Chinese government values the life and safety of every Chinese citizen and demands a thorough investigation into what happened and that the murderers be brought to justice," Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao told envoys from Thailand, Laos and Myanmar yesterday.He told them their countries should "step up their investigation, get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible, report their findings to China in a timely manner and severely punish the assailants."The safety of Chinese sailors on the river must be assured and China will assist in making that happen, Song said.On October 5, 12 Chinese sailors were confirmed killed and one missing after two cargo ships, the Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8, were attacked and hijacked by an unknown group of armed men on the Mekong River.The ships were in the "Golden Triangle," where the borders of Myanmar,Thailand and Laos meet, a region notorious for drug smuggling.The Chinese government was shocked ...