Somalia…..the perfect storm! July 20, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Somalia
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For the number one failed state in the world, things just got a whole lot worse. According to Mark Bowden, the U.N.’s top official in charge of humanitarian aid to Somalia, “the U.N. needs $300 million in humanitarian aid in Somalia over the next two months.”
The last time conditions were this bad was in 1992, when hundreds of thousands of Somalis starved to death. That famine prompted intervention by an international peacekeeping force, but it eventually pulled out after two American Black Hawk helicopters were shot down in 1993.
This problem, along with all the other problems the entire region is facing, will provide an abundant supply of Somali men who will resort to piracy as a means to an end. The weak, U.N.-backed Somali government regularly comes last in the world in the annual corruption rating by watchdog Transparency International. With ransoms for pirated vessels reaching record levels, attacks occurring during monsoon season, and pirate groups operating further out at sea and with greater sophistication; the commercial shipping industry must take pro active steps to protect its interests when operating in the region.
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome! July 15, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Armed escort, Chris Mark, gulf of aden, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security
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The pirates are clearly applying all three tactics. While the problem won’t be solved on the high seas alone, right now this is where the rubber is meeting the road. That said, recent intelligence indicates that pirates are purchasing information from operatives in London and the Persian Gulf, which provides precise information where the most lucrative and vulnerable ships will be.
In asymmetric warfare, intelligence becomes a key aspect in defeating practices being used against your tactics. British police recently detected efforts to obtain information for pirates, and believe these efforts are becoming more intense.
Having transited the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean personally on clients’ vessels no less than six times, I can tell you first hand that this modus operandi has been occurring for well over a year, yet the industry is only now acknowledging this fact.
Pirates are equipping mother ships with GPS, radar and satellite phones, which enables them to direct skiffs to actual latitude/longitude positions. A recently pirated vessel that was released reported that when pirates boarded the vessel, they asked the crew “where they had been,” and that they were waiting for them for two hours.
Pirates are actively seeking information on shipping companies’ plans in general. Pirates are beginning to equip boarding parties with explosives and welding equipment to give them a chance of breaching citadels; this will keep warships away because now they have hostages.
Pirates Sieze Vessel Carrying Livestock July 15, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security
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The end of the claims that no ships have been hijacked since April has officially ended. On July 15th, Pirates hijacked a vessel carrying livestock bound for the UAE. The vessel was sailing from Bosasso to UAE and was hijacked just outside of Puntland. Considering it is still monsoon season, this suggests that the impending pirate season will be another record breaker.
False Sense of Security! July 13, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: gulf of aden, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security
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I recently read a request that came across my desk from a shipping company that demanded we only provide a two man security team for a vessel transiting the Gulf of Aden. The ship was over 180 meters in length, had a crew of over 20 and was a “low and slow.” After pondering over this request for a minute I thought of the message this dangerous type of situation sends. Frankly, the industry is exposing itself to far greater risk by cutting down on the requisite number of men that can effectively defend a “sustained attack.” By most accounts anyone reading the live piracy report posted on the IMB’s website has seen attacks lasting as long as an hour, with pirates chasing vessels in multiple skiffs. A four man team provides barely enough coverage, and I’d caution companies who are engaged by security specialists that purport two or three men, with a couple of ineffective weapons such as a shotgun and an old bolt action rifle will be enough of a deterrent to thwart an attack. We have actually seen pictures of three man teams with one vintage rifle from the 1800’s and 11 bullets total tasked to defend a ship.
Think of it this way, if a potential client approached you as a ship owner with a request for just the captain and chief engineer to operate a vessel you owned, would you expose yourself to that type of risk for the sake of making money?
Iranian Navy Foils Pirate Attack July 13, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security
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According to reports, the Iranian Navy and Iranian Marines have prevented a pirate attack against an Iranian cargo ship in the Indian Ocean. Read the report here.
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