What ships are the pirates grabbing? Low, slow and unarmed, that's what. Sidebar Update: Nice BBC piece on the air war against the pirates - featuring a look at an Australian aircrew and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) here.Maritime security officials have confirmed that MV Leila, built in 1973, was hijacked by Somali pirates last week. The International Maritime Bureau reports that the vessel was captured off Oman. [See here]
MV Leila (Neptune Marine Security photo)
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It is also being reported that the pirates may have just needed help repairing their own ship, resulting in this hijacking. {Ship reportedly is now in in a Puntland, Somalia port]
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A second ship owned by a UAE-based firm, the MV Savina-Fahad, is also said to have been hijacked this week. According to the Somalia Report {here, the vessel was seized in the Indian Ocean while carrying charcoal from the Somali town of Kismaayo.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Somali Pirates: Disposable Vessels Prompt Hijacking?
Maritime Executive Magazine says "UAE Cargo Ship Hijacked Off Oman, Somali Pirates May Have Needed Ship Repair and Parts" :
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Headline Asks the Right Question
My question is: "Before they lay claim to my wallet, exactly how are the Somalis trying to help themselves?"
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Armed Guards on Merchant Ships: The "Flag-State Endorsement"
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| Who will be responsible for Barney? |
India's maritime administration may make ‘flag-state endorsement' mandatory for foreign merchant ships entering Indian waters with armed security guards on board. The idea is to make the Government of the country in which the ship is registered (flag-state) also responsible for any action on the part of the armed guards deployed on the vessel.Of course, there are problems with such an "endorsement," too. What if the foreign merchant ship is not in "Indian waters?" In fact, what if the entire act complained of occurs on the "high seas?" How do you hold the government of some "flag of convenience" state like Tuvalu responsible? Somewhere I once dug up the info that about 35% of shipping sails under a "flag of convenience." Is India going to forbid entry to its waters for such ships - not that it may matter all that much because many of those ships can't afford or won't hire armed security guards. UPDATE 22 Feb 12: "It was an accident, not manslaughter" - an opinion piece.
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Currently, flag-states give a general approval for shipping companies to engage private security guards. The contract is between the ship owners and the security agency which provides the armed men. With rising incidents of attacks on cargo ships by Somali pirates, many countries, including India and Italy, have allowed their merchant ships to have armed guards on board. Ships have to follow the policy (on deployment of guards) of the country in which they are registered. The policy is based on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) guidelines.
Problems can arise when the ship is owned, managed and operated by people of different nationalities. Typically, a ship may be registered in one country and its owner based in another. Further, the private security agency that provides the guards could be operating from a third country. Adding to this, there is every possibility of the security men belonging to different nationalities. Given such complexities, Government officials here said it needs to be made mandatory that flag states should shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that any liability arising out of reckless acts by armed men on board are honoured.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Midrats Sunday 5pm Easter: Episode 111 Returning to a Constitutional Military
The large standing Army and active duty military we have known in our lifetime may seem the norm - but it isn't. Is there a way to maintain a strong military capability - available and scaleable if needed - without the structure we have become accustomed to? Is there a better way to balance our Reserve and National Guard forces that is better in line with our economic, national security, and yes - Constitutional requirements? This Sunday, 19 FEB from 5-6pm EST, join us with our guest, General Ron Fogleman, USAF (Ret) for the full hour. Using his recent article in Defense News, Going Back to the Future: Militia Model Could Cut U.S. Expenditures as a starting point, we will discuss these ideas and more as we look for a way to maintain strength and options as the budget crunch starts.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Indian Ocean Mistake: Armed Guards on Italian Cargo Ship Shoot at Fishermen, Kill 2
An Italian cargo ship fired at an Indian fishing boat that it mistook for a pirate vessel, killing two fishermen, India’s navy said Thursday.The incident reportedly occurred 40 miles off the Indian coast.
The ship identified as the Enrica Lexie fired at the fishermen in waters off India’s southern Kerala state on Wednesday, a navy statement said.
The Indian coast guard and navy vessels escorted the Italian ship to the nearby port city of Kochi and were questioning the captain and crew.
The owner of the fishing vessel, who goes by the single name Freddy, said Thursday the firing was unprovoked. The boat was fishing when the ship opened fire, killing the two fishermen instantly, he said.
More from here:
India on Thursday summoned the Italian envoy and voiced concern over the killing of two fishermen by security officials of the Italian cargo vessel and underlined that the captain of the ship should cooperate with local authorities.One report has the armed guards as being "Italian navy personnel."
M Ganapathi, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, met Italian ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Montefort and told him that the captain has to cooperate with Indian officials probing the incident.
The captain of Enrica Lexie, who has been ordered to anchor near a local port, told officials the fishermen were mistaken for pirates after they sailed close to the tanker in a motorised boat, navy spokesman Roy Francis said.
"The security wing fired at the fishermen and the captain has alerted the coast guard about the firing. We are making a detailed investigation," the naval spokesman said.
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Freddie Louis, who owns the Indian fishing vessel, said gunmen on board the tanker fired at the boat "without provocation," killing the two unarmed men aged 50 and 21.
The boat with 11 men had sailed out to trawl for tuna fish on February 7.
"We were returning after the fishing and all of us were were sleeping except Valentine and Pinki," Louis told AFP, identifying the victims by their first names.
| ShipSpotting.com | ||
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| © Nathan |
UPDATE: An interesting legal question arises about what law will apply to this shooting and that may turn on the location ship when the shooting occurred. Did this incident occur in Indian waters or on the "high seas?"
UPDATE2 (19 Feb 12): Italian guards now in Indian custody as reported here. India has has custody of the guards, the Italian government asserts that a trial, if any, should occur in Italy:
The Italian government maintains the case should be handled by its own judicial authorities “since the deeds happened in international waters on an Italian-flagged ship,” the statement said. The Italians contend that the presence of military personnel aboard the cargo ship is governed by an Italian law conforming to U.N. anti-piracy resolutions, and that such personnel are part of the Italian state and thus immune to the jurisdiction of foreign states.The law on this is unclear - and this aspect of the matter properly is now less a legal issue than a diplomatic one.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Ship's Captain and Officer Killed
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| IMB Map of attack area |
Pirates attacked a cargo ship 110 nautical miles off the Nigerian coast in the Gulf of Guinea this morning killing the ship's captain and another officer, the International Maritime Office reports. Two other reports of piracy were reported in past few days without causing casualties or taking over any ships. The first incident took place on Saturday about 80 nautical miles off Lagos and the second took place off the coast of Benin, which borders Nigeria. Shipping companies raised the threat level last August, and with it the value of ships' cargos to pirates, for vessels transiting the Gulf of Guinea, bringing them up to the level of ships traveling near Somalia.More detail here:
Cyrus Mody, a manager at the IMB, said the vessel's captain and chief engineer "were killed in the shooting." . . . The group [IMB} believes the attackers were "Nigerian pirates" said Noel Choong, head of the IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre. *** Unlike the explosion of piracy off the coast of Somalia on the eastern side of the continent in recent years, those involved in the recent west African attacks have so far not appeared to be after ransom payments.
Fuel or oil cargo has been stolen for sale on the region's lucrative black market, while robberies have also occurred. Crew members have been beaten and the pirates tend to be heavily armed.
The theft of such cargo tends to be relatively sophisticated, with tankers often being directed to another pirate-controlled ship, where the fuel is transferred and then taken elsewhere for sale.
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| IMB Map of other Gulf of Guinea 2012 attacks |
Around 110nm south of Lagos, Nigeria.
Armed pirates chased and fired upon a drifting bulk carrier. Vessel raised alarm and headed towards Lagos. All crew except the bridge team took shelter in the citadel. Due to the continuous firing the Captain and the C/E were shot. The IMB Piracy Reporting Center immediately informed the Nigerian authorities who sent out a rescue team. Due to rough seas the Nigerian naval team could not reach the location. A French Warship in the area which received the warning broadcast went to the aid of the distress vessel and despatched a helicopter. A boarding team boarded the vessel and escorted the vessel to Lagos port. The vessel is presently at Inner anchorage Lagos port. The authorities boarded the vessel and a medical team gave medical assistance to the crew. Later all crew members and the two bodies were taken ashore.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Swarming Tactics: Some views on fighting the "swarm"
Some older thoughts on resisting the sort of "swarm attack" being threatened by Iran in the Persian Gulf from the Canadian Naval Review: "Swarming Tactics". First, from Ken Hansen, referring to the incident in which several British sailors were captured by Iran -
Another thought from Eric Lerhe:
And, you know, carrier air, ship weapons and the use of UAVs to track the swarm.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Real armaments are good too.
One advantage of not using one way suicide weapons is that you can reload and shoot again and again.
Ships that are employed in these inshore waters should be small and manoeuvrable (and expendable, if need be), armed with close-range weapons capable of generating devastating stopping power in all four quadrants, and equipped with at least a couple of types of boats. One of these should be a remotely-controlled and armed robotic vehicle, akin to the Protector (built by BAE, Lockheed Martin, and Rafael), or an unmanned but unarmed vehicle of which there are now several types available. Air support should come from a 'mother ship' that will have to stand off in order to avoid unnecessary risk (and embarrassment).
USV Protector
The age of robotics is upon us. If Canadian naval vessels are to be deployed into coastal areas plagued by instability, the threats they will face will look a lot like those in the northern Arabian Gulf. The 'answers' about how to deal with these threats should provoke significant changes in force structure, operating concepts and equipment.
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| Armed H-60 (hey, look -Marine Mavericks!) |
Helicopters provide a way of giving transiting warships maximum warning against small boat forays.Of course,as I have said before, I prefer standoff, massive firepower in layered defenses including something like:
Forewarned is forearmed.
Real armaments are good too.
One advantage of not using one way suicide weapons is that you can reload and shoot again and again.
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