The Red Sea situation is getting deeply worrying

Maersk’s container ship Maersk Gibraltar was en route from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, when it was targeted by a missile, and both the crew and the ship have been reported safe. Meanwhile, Hapag-Lloyd’s vessel Al Jasrah was damaged after being shot at by an unknown projectile. Luckily, no injuries were reported on the Al Jasrah either.

Maersk is deeply concerned about the incident involving the MAERSK GIBRALTAR while the vessel was traveling from Salalah, Oman to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The crew & vessel are reported safe. We are currently working to ascertain the full details of the incident. Vessel was not hit

— Maersk (@Maersk) December 15, 2023

This issue cannot be addressed by the global shipping industry alone, and we urge the international society to come together to find a swift resolution to bring the situation under control.

… said Maersk 

An escalating situation 

The two container ships were one of many under attack in the area, just this week. On Tuesday, Norwegian tanker gets struck by missile, while on Wednesday two vessels were targeted by the Houthis. 

In retaliation to Israel’s attacks on Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack, the Houthis in Yemen have been targeting ships navigating through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Since then, fears of a further escalation in the Middle East have been troubling the global community. 

Meanwhile, the attacks in the area also have a financial impact on shipping, in the sense that war risk insurance premiums for Red Sea voyages have increased after the multiple attacks. 

According to Dryad Global,  despite calls for measures akin to those used to Somali piracy (e.g. an International Naval Presence, armed security teams on vessels, and Coordination and Information Sharing: International organizations, such as the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia) being deployed in the Red Sea, the appetite for a large-scale intervention in the Red Sea remains uncertain unless the threat continues a drastic escalation.

Reportedly, the US is working with allies to create a multinational effort to protect ships passing through the Red Sea. Alas, the situation is not at all simple. Iran’s Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has warned that a planned United States-backed multinational task force to protect shipping in the Red Sea would face “extraordinary problems”.

Risk mitigation 

Industry associations BIMCO, ICS, CLIA, IMCA, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO and OCIMF have come together to publish security guidance applicable to navigating in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The guidance emphasises the importance of conducting a thorough ship and voyage-specific threat and risk assessment considering any additional advice from the ship’s flag state before passing through the area in question.

The guidance also highlights that the maritime threat from the Houthi forces is greater in the vicinity of the Yemeni Red Sea coastline, where they are occasionally present. More information can be found here.

Furthermore, according to Gard P&I Club, Ambrey advises to:

• Assess the vessel’s route, particularly proximity to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian Navy assets, and Houthi-controlled sites. It is advised to consider the predictability of the route.
• Identify the vessel’s planned ETA to those sites, and the position relative to other potential targets. A schedule adjustment might be recommended.
• It is advised to consider the electronic signals policy, including information and minimisation days before entry to the Red Sea, the Bab el Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden.
• Bridge teams must be briefed and practiced on how to handle maritime harassment, including pre-prepared responses.
• Evasive manoeuvres and propulsion should be tested before entering the Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden.
• The merchant vessel is hardened according to Best Management Practices to delay boarding and slow access to crew areas and control systems onboard the vessel.
• Crew members should be briefed on what to do in the event of boarding, including a policy on whether to disable the vessel’s navigation in busy shipping areas and the designation of a hardened citadel/safe muster point with control of fire suppression systems and independent communications systems.
• Crew are advised to adopt ballistic protection measures. Stand-off bar/cage/slat solutions are available and could help mitigate risk to key areas. Other measures include the designation of safe muster points, and the minimisation of crew movements on deck, and in areas with external walls.
• Emergency communications in the event of harassment, boarding, or an attack are documented and practiced. These should include military liaison, and designated crisis response coordinators. These can be added to the Ship Security Alert System emergency broadcast recipients.
• Vessels should proceed with increased awareness of military asset communications, including UKMTO, IMSC, EUNAVFOR, and independently deployed.
• Private Maritime Security Teams are advised to not escalate RUF, but they are advised to enhance Best Management Practices, by improvising measures, running drills and supporting with lookouts and advice to the bridge team.

Additionally, the Panama Maritime Administration has issued guidelines for risk mitigation, which can be found here.