U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 17 August - 14 September 2022

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea

Egypt: Naval Vessel Attacked at Sea - Terrorism or Smugglers?

Attack on a Egyptian naval unit reported as "8 navy personnel missing after boat attack":

The Egyptian armed forces destroyed four “hostile” boats containing what the military called “terrorist elements,” and arrested 32 people off the coast of Damietta governorate, the military said in a statement on Wednesday night.

“Hostile vessels” opened fire on an Egypt navy boat while it was on patrol, the military spokesperson’s office said on Wednesday. An exchange of gunfire took place between the “terrorist elements” and the navy, who had called for back-up forces.

According to state-owned media, four of the attackers were killed during the clashes. The military has not yet confirmed.

One navy boat was set on fire, and five navy personnel were injured and taken to a military hospital. The military also stated that eight of its navy personnel are missing and military forces are currently searching for them.

More here:

It was not immediately clear what the naval boat was doing so far offshore, and whether it was on a routine patrol anticipated by fighters.

A military source told the AFP news agency the attackers used "fishing boats" and did not appear to have deployed rocket propelled grenades or heavier weapons.

The Mediterranean Sea is used by drug traffickers and illegal migrant smugglers who have been intercepted by the Egyptian navy in the past.

There have been no recorded attacks at sea by the Sinai-based armed fighters who launched an insurgency after the army overthrew President Mohamed Morsi last year.

And more, including "analysis" at BBC News:

If this was a militant attack in the Mediterranean, as the Egyptian army has said, then it's the opening of a new front.
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The incident happened north of the port of Damietta, where armed people traffickers are known to operate. Did they clash with the navy to protect their lucrative trade?

Map with icon on it is my guess of where the incident occurred. Don't bet on its accuracy.

Egypt: Threat to Suez Canal Raises Concerns

Energy and shipping security issues arise as Egypt's situation muddies - see here:

Crude-oil prices surged 3.4%, to above $89 a barrel.

"That's the most immediate concern, what's happening in Egypt and how that might affect oil prices if the Suez Canal gets closed, which is a real possibility," said Ed Cowart, lead manager of Eagle Asset Management's Large Cap Value and All Cap Value and Equity Income Strategies. He noted if the canal is closed, it could add substantially to the travel time for oil to get from the Middle East to the West.

Shares of tankers and shippers climbed as investors bet on a shutdown of the Suez Canal. Frontline jumped 8.5%, Overseas Shipholding leapt 5.9% and General Maritime advanced 6.9%.

As set out by the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the Suez Canal is a major energy chokepoint:

The Suez Canal is located in Egypt, and connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea, covering 120 miles. Petroleum (both crude oil and refined products) accounted for 16 percent of Suez cargos, measured by cargo tonnage, in 2009. An estimated 1.0 million bbl/d of crude oil and refined petroleum products flowed northbound through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea in 2009, while 0.8 million bbl/d travelled southbound into the Red Sea. This represents a decline from 2008, when 1.6 million bbl/d of oil transited northbound to Europe and other developed economies.

Almost 35,000 ships transited the Suez Canal in 2009, of which about 10 percent were petroleum tankers. With only 1,000 feet at its narrowest point, the Canal is unable to handle the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) and ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carriers) class crude oil tankers. The Suez Canal Authority is continuing enhancement and enlargement projects on the canal, and extended the depth to 66 ft in 2010 to allow over 60 percent of all tankers to use the Canal.
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Closure of the Suez Canal and the SUMED Pipeline would divert tankers around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, adding 6,000 miles to transit.

Additional distance raises shipping costs and slows delivery - possibly leading to temporary shortages.

A graphic presenting the alternative to the Suez Canal from here:

Hat tip: MDB from his comment to a post below.

Somali Pirates: Self Help Rescue - 2 Pirates Dead

Egyptians free, pirates dead.

Egypt nabs Al-Qaida-linked terror cell plotting Suez attacks

Attacks in the Suez Canal? Prospective terrorists caught, as reported in Egypt nabs Al-Qaida-linked terror cell plotting Suez attacks:

Egyptian authorities have arrested 25 al-Qaida-linked terrorists on suspicion of plotting attacks on oil pipelines and ships crossing the Suez Canal.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said the new cell was led by a Palestinian and included 24 Egyptians, mostly engineers and technicians.

They planned to use mobile phones to detonate explosives against ships crossing the Canal, the statement said.

The group learned how to make car bombs through communicating with al-Qaida terrorists on jihadi Web sites, according to an Interior Ministry statement.

Last year it was reported that Egypt was planning to place cameras along the Canal:

The Suez Canal is Egypt’s third largest source of revenue after tourism and remittances. Currently about 7.5 percent of global trade passes through it.

More on the Canal from EIA World Oil Transit Chokepoints:

The Suez Canal is located in Egypt, and connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea. The Canal is one of the world’s greatest engineering feats covering 120 miles. Oil shipments from the Persian Gulf travel through the Canal primarily to European ports, but also to the United States. In 2006, an estimated 3.9 million bbl/d of oil flowed northbound through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, while 0.6 million bbl/d travelled southbound into the Red Sea.

Over 3,000 oil tankers pass through the Suez Canal annually, and represent around 25 percent of the Canal’s total revenues. With only 1,000 feet at its narrowest point, the Canal is unable to handle large tankers. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has discussed widening and deepening the Canal to accommodate VLCCs and Ultra Large Crude Carriers (ULCC).

The 200-mile long Sumed Pipeline, or Suez-Mediterranean Pipeline, also provides a route between the Red and Mediterranean Seas by crossing the northern region of Egypt from the Ain Sukhna to the Sidi Kerir Terminal. The pipeline provides an alternative to the Suez Canal, and can transport 3.1 million bbl/d of crude oil. In 2006, nearly all of Saudi Arabia’s northbound shipments (approximately 2.3 million bbl/d of crude) were transported through the Sumed pipeline. The pipeline is owned by Arab Petroleum Pipeline Co., a joint venture between EGPC, Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC, and Kuwaiti companies.

Closure of the Suez Canal and the Sumed Pipeline would divert tankers around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, adding 6,000 miles to transit time.

Somali Pirates: Happy New Year, Same As Last Year

The pirates of the Gulf of Aden have started off the new year with, naturally, a ship seizure, as reported in Somali pirates seze Egyptian ship, though the good news is that capture of an Indian vessel was thwarted by a helicopter from an Malaysian navy ship:

Somali pirates seized an Egyptian cargo ship and its 28 crewmembers on Thursday while a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian tanker from being hijacked in the new year's first attacks by pirates in the dangerous Gulf of Aden.

Fifteen armed pirates snatched the Egyptian vessel, called Blue Star, after the ship exited the Red Sea and entered the gulf, carrying a cargo of 6,000 tons of fertilizer, according to Egyptian Deputy Foreign minister, Ahmed Rizq.

The pirates then steered the ship toward the coast of Somalia, Rizq said.

He said contacts were under way with "international and regional parties" to get the ship released -- which likely meant there were attempts to negotiate with the pirates.

In the other attack Thursday, a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian tanker carrying a full load of oil when it was attacked by two skiffs, one of which carried seven pirates dressed in military-style uniforms, said Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center.

"They came close to the ship and started firing machine guns, hitting the bridge and the accommodation area," Choong told The Associated Press. The pirates, believed to be Somalis, tried to board the vessel several times while "firing repeatedly" but failed, he said.

The captain increased the ship's speed to maximum, made evasive maneuvers and sent an SOS, which was received by a Malaysian frigate, KD Sri Inderah Sakti, 15 nautical miles away, he said.

The frigate sent a light military helicopter, which arrived within minutes, and the pirates stopped firing and fled, said Choong.

Somali Pirates: A couple of more Russian warships to head to pirate waters

Reported here:

Russia says it will send more warships to combat piracy in the waters off Somalia.

The RIA Novosti news agency quotes the head of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky as saying the ships are needed to fight intensifying pirate activity.

A Russian destroyer, the Neustrashimy, is already patrolling the Gulf of Aden, along with ships from the United States, India, and other countries.

Meanwhile, countries bordering the Red Sea are holding an emergency meeting in Cairo to discuss strategies for fighting the pirates. Egypt is concerned the attacks in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean will stop shipping companies from using the Suez Canal, one of the country's main profit centers.
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Encouraged by millions of dollars in ransom payments, Somali pirates have been hijacking ships at an unprecedented rate. The International Maritime Bureau says more than 90 ships have been attacked this year, and at least 36 hijacked.

The pirates are believed to be holding 17 ships at the moment with some 300 crew members.

Somalia: Pirates Grab an Egyptian Ship

Reported here:

Somali pirates have hijacked yet another ship and are taking it and a French yacht with two French nationals onboard to their remote coastal base, a regional government official said on Thursday.

Gunmen from the Horn of Africa nation are currently holding about 10 vessels for ransom at Eyl, a lawless former fishing outpost now used by gangs behind a sharp rise in attacks at sea.

"The pirates are sailing to Eyl with the French yacht and another Egyptian ship that they hijacked last night," Hassan Muse Alore, the minister for minerals in northern Somalia's Puntland region, told Reuters by telephone from Eyl.

He had no details on the Egyptian ship, but said he was visiting the area to check on reports that another of the hijacked vessels -- an Iranian bulk carrier -- had arms onboard.

Eyl must be getting crowded...

And what does the rumor of "arms" on an Iranian ship mean? Are talking a shotgun or anti-ship missiles or tanks?