An Insurance Company Report on Pirates

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty on sea piracy:

1. Currently many vessels are insured for piracy as part of their standard ‘hull and machinery’ insurance policies, which are not specifically designed to address security-related risks such as piracy. This means that some ship-owners are paying for piracy coverage when they do not need it because they are not sailing through piracy zones. So-called ‘war’ insurance provides special cover for ships exposed to piracy risks on a ‘per transit’ basis, meaning that it can be specifically underwritten to handle various exposures besides damage to the vessel and therefore can be priced more flexibly.

   “There are a lot of shipping companies out there that are paying for piracy cover that do not need it as part of their hull and machinery policies,” explains Dr. Sven Gerhard, Global Hull and Liabilities Product Leader at AGCS. “Conversely, there are a lot of vessels that are exposed to high levels of piracy risk because of the routes they travel that – under current underwriting – cannot arrange more flexible, individually suited piracy coverage because it could be part of their general hull and machinery policies.”

2. § Most of the attention today is on the rise of piracy off the coast of Somalia and around the Gulf of Aden. 102 pirate attacks were reported here in the first quarter of 2009, compared to 53 in 2008. Somalia and the Gulf of Aden accounted for 61 of the total – up from 6 in 2008. Somalia is suffering from nearly 20 years of violent civil war, and its people live on an average of less than $2 a day. The causes of piracy there are so complex that the current problem is likely to continue for some time, and it is critical that ships passing through the region are well prepared and properly insured.

3. § The region is ideal for piracy because the Gulf of Aden is the gateway to the Suez Canal, and some 20,000 tankers, freighters and merchant ships pass through it every year. Pirates are now ranging farther and farther out to sea, attacking ships off the coast of neighboring countries such as Yemen, and their impact on global shipping is growing.

4. § The waters off Nigeria have also shown an increase in recent years, especially in the region off Lagos and the Bonny River, with 40 reported attacks in 2008 (Source: ICC – International Maritime Bureau). It is one of a few regions which are in danger of becoming a larger piracy hotspot.

5. § Piracy has generally shown a declining trend in other areas such as Southeast Asia, often due to a concentrated international response.

6. § The identification of pirates is often difficult, due to their use of small motor skiffs, which are hard to see on radar and can be mistaken for fishing craft. Therefore, reported data on piracy may be less than in reality.

7. § What works to reduce piracy in one region may not work in others. An international patrol effort has done a great deal to reduce attacks in the Malacca Straits. In the Indian Ocean off Somalia, however, the area of water is simply too vast to police, so military patrols only help a little and may even escalate violence. Therefore, a solution to the current wave of piracy will need a more integrated military, political and economic effort.

8. § The paper calls for a larger international effort to tackle the root causes of the current wave of piracy off the coast of Somalia and around the Gulf of Aden: poverty and violence on the mainland.

Sunday Ship History: Books

Some, perhaps belated, Father's Day book recommendations related to nautical matters:

Samuel Eliot Morison,The Two-Ocean War: A shortened version of his longer 15 volume History of United States Naval Operations in World War II and WWII naval history for people who don't much like history. Morison did not mince words about most events and he clearly did not have much use for a few admirals. Most of the time he was there in person.

U. S. Grant, The Autobiography of General Ulysses S Grant: Memoirs of the Civil War by Ulysses S Grant: Mark Twain played a
hand in publishing what may be one of the great tales of all time - Grant was broke, working for poverty wages, when he was called to lead some other volunteers in the early days of the Civil War - and, well, the rest of the story is well known. Naval connection? Grant used amphibious operations in his war to control the rivers that were the great highways of the time. He also used Union gunboats as floating artillery in support of shore operations . . .

Barbara W. Tuchman, The Zimmermann Telegram: Among other things, a great introduction to international political scheming. If you thought the code breakers of WWII saved the U.S. bacon at Midway, you need to read about how Royal Navy code breakers uncovered a WWI plot by Germany, which was planning to return to unrestricted submarine warfare, to forge an alliance with Mexico in which Mexico might get Texas, New Mexico and Arizona back and to arrange for Japan to join forces against the U.S. so the U.S. would be distracted and unable to support the Allies.

Barbara W. Tuchman, The Guns of August: WWI, again, when the German battle cruiser Goeben, the subject of a chapter in the book, changed history. The author noted: "No other single exploit of the war cast so long a shadow upon the world as the voyage accomplished by their commander during the next seven days."

Rick Atkinson, An Army at Dawn: About the American introduction of troops into North Africa and lays out the steep learning curve required by the Army-Navy team in working on amphibious operations. I think it is safe to say that without those lessons, the eventual landings in Normandy would not have gone as smoothly as they did - and we all know that part of the Normandy landings at Omaha Beach weren't all that smooth. Out of the fire of North Africa came a core of battle-hardened troops and generals like Patton and Bradley; admirals like Kent Hewitt. Eisenhower learned how to command a coalition in which none of the "allies" seem to have liked each other.

Francis Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe: Recounts the English victory on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River that decided the future of North America as an
English territory (until the American revolution, 17 years later). Lakes, rivers and access to the sea meant everything and a daring amphibious landing decided the fate of Quebec City and of Canada. George Washington got much of his military training during the French and Indian War (Seven Years War). Parkman has fallen out of favor with many historians but some also consider him the first great American historian.

Happy Father's Day!

Somali Pirates: Recent Reports of Attacks

From the NATO Shipping Center ATTEMPTED PIRACY ATTACK ON 18 JUNE:

A. VESSEL PARTCULARS/DETAILS:

1. NAME OF SHIP: KANG LONG

2. FLAG: HONG KONG OF CHINA

3. TYPE OF SHIP: BULK OF CARRIER

4. LAST PORT: SUEZ CANAL, NEXT PORT: DJIBOUTI

B. DETAILS OF INCIDENT:

5. INCIDENT DATE/TIME:18TH,JUN.2009/1800LT(1500GMT)

6. POSITION:LAT/16-00N,LONG/041-24.7E.

7. NEAREST LAND MARK:JAZIRAT AT TAIR ISLAND BEARING 318,DIST.40NM

8. COUNTRY/NEAREST COUNTRY: YEMEN.

9. STATUS: STEAMING.

10. OWN SHIP'S SPEED:13.0 KTS.

11. SHIIP'S FREE BOARD DURING ATTACK:6.50M 12. WEATHER DURING ATTACK:VERY CALM SEA, LIGHT AIR, VIS.ABT 6NM (SMALL BOAT 2NM IN SIGHT).

13. TYPES OF ATTACK:ATTEMPTED.

C. DETAILS OF RAIDING PARITY:

14. NUMBER OF PIRATES/ROBBERS: ABT 30 PIRATES IN THREE SPEED BOATS.

15. DRESS/PYSICAL APPERANCE:WHITE AND BLACK CLOTHES/BLACK MEN.

16. WEAPONS USED: MACHINE GUNS AND ROCKET AT SHOULDER.

17. CRAFT USED: THREE SPEED SKIFFS(ONE BLACK,TWO WHITE HULL)

18. METHOD OF APPROACHING: TWO SPEED SKIFFS FROM PORT BOW AND CROSS HEAD THEN APPROACHING S'SIDE, ONE SKIFF APPROACHING PORT SIDE, CLEARLY SEE 9 PIRATES IN BOAT WITH MACHINE GUN IN HANDS AND ONE ROCKET ON THE SHOULDER.

19. DURATION OF ATTACK: ABT 15MIN.

20. AGGRESSIVE/VIOLENT: ATTEMPT TO CLOSING.

C.FURTHER DETAILS:

21. ACTION TAKEN BY MASTER AND CREW: DUTY OFFICER SOUNDED ALARM AND ADDRESSED CREW, MASTER ATTENDED BRIDGE SOUNDED WHISTLE AND CHANGED HAND STEERING AND ENGINE STAND-BY, AND NAVIGATED WITH EVASIVE ACTION AND CREW MUSTERED AT MAINDECK AND BRIDGE WINGS AND FIRE HOSES JETTING SEA WATER.

22. ATTACHMENT WITH SHIP PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHICH DESIGNED BY CREW
(CABLES LAID BOTH SIDES EXACT VOLTAGE 220 ONLY SWITCHED ON WHEN PIRATES ATTEMPT BOARDING)

I corrected some typos.

Photo by Geert van Kesteren from ShipSpotting.com and used in accord with ShipSpotting requirements. GoogleEarth is my guess.

UPDATE: From the ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 19 June 2009):

1. SOMALIA: International Maritime Bureau urges 'citadel space' anti-piracy technique, 10 Jun 09. The IMB is urging shipping to adopt the ‘citadel space’ concept if their vessels are boarded by Somali pirates as it is proven to thwart hijackings. Both the IMB and EU NAVFOR have advised ship owners to establish a piracy attack muster point or ‘citadel space’. However, Noel Choong, head of IMB’s piracy reporting center, said many in the industry, including private security services, remain unaware of the concept or how it works. The citadel space should be located in an inside location without portholes, such as the steering space gear area, where all crew can retreat to after they have disabled the vessel, should pirates have managed to board. With the ship disabled and the crew secure behind watertight doors, Mr. Choong said this should allow enough time for naval patrols to be alerted and a helicopter sent to the rescue. The pirates would be “helpless”, unable to even start the vessel’s engines without the crew’s help and also aware military assistance would be on its way. Mr. Choong said naval response times have grown quicker and a helicopter could be on the scene within 20-30 minutes. Ship owners have expressed some reservations over the citadel space idea concerned that it puts all the crew at risk in a single location. “We have past cases that show this is successful,” Mr Choong said. The defense technique was successfully used both in the attack on the (MAERSK ALABAMA) and on the Chinese vessel (ZHEN HUA 4) last year (LL).
.
2. BAHRAIN: Combined Maritime Forces issues new update for mariners, 9 Jun 09.
Following observed changes in the pattern of attacks by Somali pirates, the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) issued an updated Special Maritime Advisory message. The advisory provides several new recommendations in light of recent changes in tactics used by pirates operating in the region and reiterates fundamental lessons learned as a result of the CMF’s counter-piracy efforts. Merchants are urged to use the weather to their advantage, planning new routing off the east coast of Somalia due to the start of the southwest monsoon season. The message further details the pirates’ extended range of operations off the Eastern Somali coast, stretching all the way to and beyond The Seychelles, with the use of “mother ships.” These larger vessels allow them to operate further out from shore, providing an afloat staging platform for their attacks. Another new tactic highlighted in the advisory is the potential move into the southern Red Sea. Finally, pirates have also recently increased their number of attacks during the hours of darkness,highlighting the need for heightened vigilance of merchant mariners during both day and night time transits through the high risk areas. The majority of attacks during 2008 and early 2009 took place during the day time in the Gulf of Aden. Recently pirates have attacked vessels at night and have conducted attacks far off the eastern coast of Somalia. However, a combination of adverse weather conditions in the Somali Basin, coupled with increased presence by international navies has led to the aforementioned observed changes in the pirates’ tactics. The advisory provides routing advice to minimize the risk of attack during the southwest monsoon,
noting that the sea conditions off the East coast of Africa during the period from end of May to early September will reduce the likelihood of successful attack. Mariners are encouraged to take advantage of areas of heightened sea state but should continue to remain at a high state of alert. In addition to the tactical changes and expansion of the “traditional” pirate hunting grounds, the message also highlights a new area of potential risk following a confirmed pirate attack in the Southern Red Sea. The attack took place in late May, at the Northern end of the Bab el Mandeb. As a result, all vessels transiting the Red Sea approaching or departing the Gulf of Aden should continue to employ the recommended actions to deter and evade attack (USCENTCOM Press Release).
***
1. GULF OF ADEN: Tanker fired upon 15 June 09 at 1305 local time while underway in position 12:58N – 048:27E. One skiff approached the vessel to within about ten meters and fired with gun and RPG rounds. The vessel conducted evasive maneuvers and the skiff eventually broke away and fled the scene. An Iranian warship arrived on scene in about 20 minutes followed by a coalition helicopter later (Operator, IMB).

2. GULF OF ADEN: Tanker fired upon 14 June 09 at 1700 local time while underway in position 12:33N – 043:29E, near Bab el Mandeb. Several speed boats approached the vessel, crossed its bow, and opened fire with automatic weapons. The tanker performed evasive maneuvers to prevent the men from boarding (Operator, IMB).

3. GULF OF ADEN: Tanker reported suspicious approach 14 June 09 at 1740 local time while underway in position 12:58N – 043: 09E. Four speed boats with five to six persons in each armed with automatic weapons approached the vessel. The tanker performed evasive maneuvers and activated fire hoses on deck. The speed boats later aborted the pursuit (Operator, IMB).

4. GULF OF ADEN: Tanker reported suspicious approach 14 June 09 at 1435 UTC while underway in position 12:25N – 043:28E. Several skiffs chased the vessel but aborted after the tanker applied anti-piracy measures to prevent boarding (Operator, IMB).

5. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier reported suspicious approach 14 June 09 at 1453 UTC while underway in position 12:59N – 043:09E. Vessel took evasive maneuvers to prevent possible boarding (Operator, IMB).

6. GULF OF ADEN: Chemical tanker reported suspicious approach 13 June 09 at 0110 local time while underway in position 12:36N – 043: 25E. Vessel performed evasive maneuvers and contacted coalition warships via VHF channel 16. The skiffs later aborted the pursuit(Operator, IMB).

Having the crew gathered in a known, secure location opens up a world of possibilities for anti-piracy units.

Shipping - Economic Indicator

In a post from December 2008, here, I noted an expert reporting the decline in shipping as an economic predictor that boded ill for 2009, which, as we all know now, was pretty accurate.

Now, trends in shipping may be signaling a shift toward an end to the current economic mess.

First, a headline from Lloydslist - China ore demand ties up one fifth of capesize fleet. China is spending money and boosting shipping. That's a good thing.

Then, some thoughts from Time:

. . . Never before have so many experts and ordinary folk been so busy trying to gauge the timing and strength of the eventual worldwide economic rebound. One of the best indicators is found in the shipping industry. It's global in scope and ever more indispensable in an economy so reliant on international commerce. Not surprisingly, perhaps, there is new evidence out on the open seas that both the bears and bulls can flag to help make their respective cases.
***
The Baltic Dry Index is the worldwide benchmark for shipping rates of raw materials, and it has registered some eye-popping gains over the past month. The London-based index registered its 23rd straight daily gain on Wednesday, closing at 4,291, its highest mark since September and the longest streak of gains since July 2006. Daily rates for the largest Capesize ships, which typically carry iron ore, rose 6.8% on Wednesday to $93,197. Just five months ago, daily ship-rental rates were hovering just above $2,000 . . .

As to why the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) works as an indicator, see here:

The BDI is one of the purest leading indicators of economic activity. It measures the demand to move raw materials and precursors to production, as well as the supply of ships available to move this cargo. Consumer spending and other economic indicators are backward looking, meaning they examine what has already occurred. The BDI offers a real time glimpse at global raw material and infrastructure demand. Unlike stock and commodities markets, the Baltic Dry Index is totally devoid of speculative players. The trading is limited only to the member companies, and the only relevant parties securing contracts are those who have actual cargo to move and those who have the ships to move it.

Flash Player 9 or higher is required to view the chart
Click here to download Flash Player now

View the full BALDRY chart at Wikinvest

Light. Tunnel. Keep an eye out to see it they can get together.

Somali Pirate Loot? Phishing for Fools

A Somali Pirate-themed variation on the "Nigerian emails" sent along by reader Paul (whose other identification is being withheld for his protection for reasons that will become apparent later in this post):

Subject: My Buddy….

From: “Major Clarence Eugene”

Date: Wed, June 17, 2009 5:39 pm

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Priority: Normal

Hello, I am Major Clarence Eugene, citizen of the USA, with the US Navy Joint Special Op, USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden,we have $30 Million US Dollars in our possession,which was seized from pirate between Yemen and Somalia in Gulf of Aden, we want to move the funds out of theUSS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden.My partner and I need someone we can trust to actualize this venture, you will be entitled to 12Million USD and our share of 18 Million should be kept for us safely until we are discharge of our duties here in USS COLORADO around Gulf of Aden.Please respond for complete detailed information if interested,please do response using this email: (deleted)

Among the many amusing aspects of this phishing expedition is that the last "USS Colorado" - BB-45- was scrapped in 1959 after a long career. When I pointed this out to Paul, he responded
(and here's the real reason for the shielding of his identity):

I always thought that Colorado was on par with California for the Gold Rush, ( American history is not one of my strong points) so that was my first association, but why not use USS California? “There’s gold in them thar Hulls”

North Korea: U.S. Tracking Weapons Ship and Setting Up Missile Defense

The Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea is testing the waters of international sanctions as it sends forth a possible weapons carrying ship and also is reported to be preparing a long range missile firing to the central Pacific. The U.S. military is tracking and setting up missile defense systems in Hawaii, which - in case you forgot, is located out there in the Pacific Ocean.

With respect to the weapons ship, apparently the plan is to politely ask to board the ship and when rejected, turn to Plan B or C. One of those plans involves going to the U.N. and whining or getting more resolutions to wave in the NORK direction.

As for the missile launch, the theory seems to be to be prepared in case the thing actually works better than anticipated. Shooting it down in boost phase might be an option though no one on the allied side seems to want to do anything that might trigger artillery shells raining down on Seoul. So, that leaves the wait and see option.

Most of this, without my thoughts, is reported here:

The U.S. military is tracking a North Korean ship that is thought to be carrying prohibited weapons, the first test of sanctions approved by the U.N. Security Council in response to last month's nuclear test and missile launches by the belligerent communist state.
***
But a senior Pentagon official confirmed that the U.S. is monitoring the North Korean ship Kang Nam, which it suspects is carrying weapons that the United Nations prohibits the North from exporting.

Mr. Gates also said he had sent a mobile missile defense system to Hawaii amid reports that the North is preparing another test of its long-range multistage rocket, the Taepodong 2. Its last test in April flopped.

The U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in the final stages of their descent.

"We are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect Americans and American territory," Mr. Gates said.

The U.S. Navy has been tracking the ship since it left a North Korean port on Wednesday, and will attempt to hail the ship and seek permission to board for inspection, the official said on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.

"The U.N. resolution does not include an option for an opposed boarding or a noncompliant boarding," Adm. Mullen said. "If we get to that point with a vessel we suspect has material which is unauthorized -- that's a report that goes back to the U.N."

Security Council sanctions approved June 12 sharply restrict North Korea's arms trade and authorize U.N. members to stop, inspect, seize and destroy prohibited items. The measure followed nuclear and missile tests by the North.

If the Kang Nam refuses to be boarded and inspected, the U.S. plans to track the vessel and press the country at its first port call to enforce the U.N. sanctions.

North Korea has said forced inspections on the high seas would be an act of war.

I guess THAAD is not one of the missile defense systems that Mr. Obama was referring to when he said, "I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems."

"No to arming merchant crew" - Maritime Safety Committee

International Maritime Organization's Maritime Safety Committee "Revised guidance on combating piracy and armed robbery against ships" from earlier this month:

The MSC reviewed the latest statistics on piracy and armed robbery against ships, in particular off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, where ships continue to be attacked and hijacked, despite the concerted efforts of the international community, spearheaded by IMO, navies and the industry, to protect shipping. The number of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported to the Organization to have occurred in 2008 was 306, against 282 during 2007, representing an increase of 8.5 per cent. In the first four months of 2009, 157 incidents were reported to IMO.

The MSC agreed updated Recommendations to Governments for preventing and suppressing piracy and armed robbery against ships; and Guidance to shipowners and ship operators, shipmasters and crews on preventing and suppressing acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships. The guidance to shipmasters and crew includes a new annex aimed at seafarers, fishermen and other mariners who may be kidnapped or held hostage for ransom, based on the current United Nations guidance on "surviving as a hostage".

An MSC circular on Piracy and armed robbery against ships in waters off the coast of Somalia was agreed, to include Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia, which have been developed by industry organizations, and additional guidance to vessels engaged in fishing, identified as being particularly vulnerable to attack.

The MSC agreed that flag States should strongly discourage the carrying and use of firearms by seafarers for personal protection or for the protection of a ship. Seafarers, it was agreed, are civilians and the use of firearms requires special training and aptitudes and the risk of accidents with firearms carried on board ship is great. Carriage of arms on board ship may encourage attackers to carry firearms or even more dangerous weapons, thereby escalating an already dangerous situation. Any firearm on board may itself become an attractive target for an attacker. Carriage of firearms may pose an even greater danger if the ship is carrying flammable cargo or similar types of dangerous goods.

It was agreed that the use of unarmed security personnel is a matter for individual shipowners, companies, and ship operators to decide. The carriage of armed security personnel, or the use of military or law-enforcement officers (duly authorized by the Government of the flag State to carry firearms for the security of the ship) should be subject to flag State legislation and policies and is a matter for the flag State to authorize, in consultation with ship owners, companies and ship operators.

Somali Pirates: NATO Will Come Back for More

After the expected two month monsoon slowdown in Somali piracy, NATO will come back to the seas off Somalia, as reported here, in a commitment from NATO to have warships patrolling off Somalia to slow down the Somali pirates:

NATO will retain a long-term naval presence off the Horn of Africa, where its anti-piracy flotilla has been key to the international patrols preventing attacks on merchant shipping in one of the world's busiest sea lanes, ministers said Friday.

The alliance flotilla operating in the region will sail home at the end of the month. But ministers said they decided to dispatch a follow-on force known as Standing Maritime Force 2.

"Permanent groups from NATO are going to continue to be present ... in this complex challenge to eradicate piracy," Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon said.

A NATO flotilla has been stationed off Somalia since November. It was joined by an EU squadron, a U.S.-led task force, and ships from a number of other nations including China, India, Malaysia and Russia.

Russia has already announced it will be sending ships back to the piracy risk area:

Russia's Pacific Fleet will send a third task force later this month to protect shipping routes from Somali pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden, a fleet commander said on Tuesday.

"Preparations are underway, and the task force will be dispatched later this month," said Viktor Sokolov.

The task force consists of a warship with two helicopters, a salvage tug, a tanker, and a naval infantry unit. The previous Pacific Fleet taskforce was led by the Admiral Panteleyev, an Udaloy-class destroyer.

The U.S. will undoubtedly maintain a force in the area, too.

Tuesday Reading

Fred Fry's Maritime Monday 166 with photos of indoor ship berths for cargo offloads/onloads in bad weather areas, I suppose. And a whole lot more.

You could work in an office . . . or not

Anything worth doing is worth doing to the "ultimate" and the NMLBS Surfman Program can get you to the top:

Surfmen are trusted to operate the most seaworthy craft in the Coast Guard inventory in extreme weather conditions. Their motto, coined at the turn of the twentieth century underscores their commitment: "The book says that you've got to go out, but it doesn't say a word about coming back."

Of course, it's like rodeo bull riding -

Well first you gotta want to get off,
Bad enough to want to get on in the first place
And you better trust in your lady luck
Pray to God that she don’t give up on you right now

More videos here.

Somali Pirates: Going for Calmer Seas

The Somali pirates appear to be seeking calmer waters, both in the weather sense and in the sense of areas where merchant shipping has not been provided with escorts - reports of new attacks in the Red Sea:
Tanker attacked in the Red Sea:

A Yemeni oil tanker was attacked off the port of Makha at the south-eastern tip of Yemen in the Red Sea.

Somali pirates were reported by the local SABA news agency to have intercepted the tanker in a hijack attempt, but the crew managed to escape as it sent out a distress call to Coast Guards in the area who offered immediate assistance.
****
The 33,209 dwt chemical tanker Stolt Strength for example, came under attack again from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden on May 31, at the southern end of the Red Sea, near the port of Makha.

See here for report on a successful hijacking off Oman and here for a report on the latest Stolt Strength attack.

Here's a recent warning message for the mouth of the Red Sea:

14/06/2009 17.03 GMT
Attempted Attack
Bab El Mandeb (1235N,04328E)
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
Between 1435 and 1550 UTC 3 merchant vessels came under attack by between 5 and 10 skiffs in the vicinity of the Bab El Mandeb no damage or injury sustained vessels now safe and skiffs have departed.

Two warships in the area.

I am reminded of that old bit of baseball wisdom on how to be a good hitter: "Hit 'em where they ain't"

The pirates are inside the counter-piracy OODA loop.

Good Answer: "What would you tell the parents...."

The Commandant of the Marines talks about the Future of Marine Corps Operations. Worth watching for that, of course, but the last question and answer were a hoot:

Q: What would tell the parents of an 18-year old who wants to be a Marine?

A. I would look the mother in the eye and say "Don't worry, the safest place in the world is somewhere inside a battalion of Marines."

Sunday Ship History: Airports at Sea

While the commercial potential of aircraft travel across wide oceans first was being explored, a few visionaries, aware of the constraints put on air travel by the need to refuel transoceanic aircraft began to think of ways of placing airports in the middle of the ocean for fueling and other purposes.

In the case of Tom Swift, such a project turned on the procuring of a special wood . . . and a dispute with the only country from which that wood could come.

In other case, visionaries like a former du Pont engineer named Robert Armstrong worked on a concept very similar to today's offshore oil rigs - only bigger.
As set out here, Armstrong's vision included what to modern eyes appears to be the flight deck of a modern aircraft carrier - mounted on a complex system of floatation "legs." Eight of these "seadromes" were to be anchored at regular intervals across the Atlantic. Each would have fuel, hotels and restaurants.

The idea was similar to what happened in the planning of air routes across the Pacific, except that remote islands (Midway and Wake, for example) replaced the man-made structure proposed by Mr. Armstrong. Armstrong was not alone in his planning- as noted here:

But even a giant "air express" couldn't stay aloft long enough to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the 1920s. So aviation visionaries started dreaming of creating stepping stones from the United States to Europe and Asia. Beginning in 1925 and continuing for years afterwards, magazine writers and artists forecast the construction of giant mid-ocean airports where planes could land and refuel while passengers stretched their legs.

One German scientist proposed giant "ice" ships be used for mid-ocean airports - a concept that seems to have inspired the British during WWII to look into ice ship aircraft carriers (see here).

Though the concept might seem a little too "out there" for the 1930's, Armstrong actually built scaled down models of his "seadrome" and tested them - see here for the source of the testing photo nearby.

Armstrong's vision of these floating runways was interesting:

A seadrome would be a “floating landing deck,” essentially an anchored, stormproof airport and refueling station. It would ride high above the waves, moored at one end so as to trail the wind (thus always staying in the best position for landings), and be big enough to permit the landing and takeoff of most planes. It would be supported 70 feet or more above the surface by tubular columns that would allow waves to pass through underneath. The columns would terminate in ballast tanks 100 feet below the surface, where they would be stable, since waves are surface disturbances only. Armstrong said eight of them, “anchored to the bottom of the Atlantic, at intervals of approximately 350 miles,” would be enough to reach Europe.

He had begun exploring the idea in 1913. Two years later, he had completed the first design, and in 1922 he built a 1/300 scale model. French investors showed moderate interest but declined to finance the venture, so Armstrong set to work refining his plans.

There were several false starts and the project got a name for the first flight deck:

He "sold" his idea to the eminently practical duPont and General Motors financiers. They have provided him one and three quarters million dollars to build his first seadrome. Construction has already started on it. It will be called the Langley after the late Samuel Pierpont Langley, designer of the plane which, except for accidents, might have flown before the Wrights' plane did in 1903.

The Langley will have an unobstructed airplane runway 1,200 ft. long by 200 ft. wide. At the mid-sides the platform will project to give room for a hotel (with restaurant and bar), hangars, storage sheds, weather bureau, offices, hospital wards, lighthouse. Platform and buildings will be 80 ft. above calm water level. Because no Atlantic waves have ever been seen more than 45 ft. high, it is improbable that the runway ever will be awash. The buoyancy columns with their stabilizing disks will reach 160 ft. below water level. That is considerably deeper than any wave action has ever been noted.

As these efforts (and funding) vanished, Armstrong kept plugging away - even though the projected cost of his eight seadromes mounted to $32 million dollars in 1920's dollars (about $390 million in 2009 dollars)- and so he tested:

In the summer of 1929, Armstrong assembled a 1/32 scale model, 35 feet long, 10½ feet wide, and with a draft of about 6 feet. He made it of sheet steel and anchored it in the Choptauk River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay, near Cambridge, Maryland. Over six weeks, he tested it against a variety of wind, wave, and current conditions. The results, Armstrong said, indicated that a full-scale seadrome in the open ocean could survive 280-mile-per-hour winds and waves to 144 feet high.

Much of Armstrong's project was based in his thinking that the range of aircraft would not be able to be extended to "ocean-hopping" distances. As longer ranged airplanes were developed it did not spell the end of his seadrome dream, though. Promises of government funding appeared into the early 1930's (see here and here).

Armstrong faced alternatives and competition (not including the development of long range aircraft). See here for the story of the German mid-ocean commercial seaplane tender Westfalen, which serviced seaplanes enroute from Africa to South America and included a catapult shot to get the planes back into the air. Another form of seaplane handling man-made island can be seen here, which used a rail system for aircraft recovery.

As you might have gathered, Armstrong's "seadrome" idea never got off the shore. That's not to say that there aren't modern variation on the same theme - some of them military inspired - like these modern artist renderings of a "seabase" -



Of course, there are variations, like this Chinese designer's semi-submersible "seadrome".

And a proposal for an offshore airport/seaport for San Diego here.

Hey, someday it may be that . . .

Let's give a little salute to the dreamers.

Somali Pirates: Shift Area of Operations, Grab a Ship

Shifting their area of operations again, Somali pirates have nabbed a ship off Oman, as reported in Pirates hijack German-owned ship off Oman-NATO :

Suspected Somali pirates have seized a German-owned cargo ship off the coast of the Gulf Arab state of Oman, the first recorded attack in its territorial waters, NATO alliance staff said on Friday.

The MV Charelle was attacked 60 nautical miles south of Sur on the Omani coast, NATO Lieutenant Commander Alexandre Fernandes said aboard NATO's Portuguese warship Corte-Real, which is on anti-piracy patrol off Somalia.

"The Charelle is now heading southwest towards Somalia," Fernandes said. "This is the first case of armed robbery outside the normal operations area of the pirates."

Photo is of ship when it sailed as Sofrana Bligh by Sinisa Aljinovic from Shipspotting.com and used in accord with the rules set forth therein.

Friday Reading

CDR Salamander: Fullbore Friday in which war gets fought with the aircraft you have.

Steeljaw Scribe remembers Liberty. See also here.

Al Qaeda moving to Yemen and Somalia? Jane flags it with the comment, " Well we knew that was coming." Have you been looking at "sea lines of communication" lately? See here. And this:

The Strait of Bab el-Mandab is a chokepoint between the horn of Africa and the Middle East, and a strategic link between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. It is located between Yemen, Djibouti, and Eritrea, and connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Exports from the Persian Gulf must pass through Bab el-Mandab before entering the Suez Canal. In 2006, an estimated 3.3 million bbl/d flowed through this waterway toward Europe, the United States, and Asia. The majority of traffic, around 2.1 million bbl/d, flows northbound through the Bab el-Mandab to the Suez/Sumed complex.

Bab el-Mandab is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, making tanker traffic difficult and limited to two 2-mile-wide channels for inbound and outbound shipments. Closure of the Strait could keep tankers from the Persian Gulf from reaching the Suez Canal or Sumed Pipeline, diverting them around the southern tip of Africa. This would effectively engage spare tanker capacity, and add to transit time and cost.

The Strait of Bab el-Mandab could be bypassed through the East-West oil pipeline, which crosses Saudi Arabia with a 4.8 million bbl/d capacity. However, southbound oil traffic would still be blocked. In addition, closure of the Bab el-Mandab would block non-oil shipping from using the Suez Canal, except for limited trade within the Red Sea region.

Security remains a concern of foreign firms doing business in the region, after a French tanker was attacked off the coast of Yemen by terrorists in October 2002.

Oh, that Gulf of Aden in between Somalia and Yemen?

Reading battlefield detainees their "rights" granted under the U.S. Constitution? Not favored here. I guess the answer is just to kill them in battle and save on the paperwork. Legally, of course, and, by all means, let's have the ACLU out there giving the enemy fighters legal counsel on the battlefield during firefights. Where's that first ACLU Combat Brigade, anyway? See here where, working off a post by Consul- at- Arms, I wrote:

Consul-at-Arms quotes and briefly discusses some comments on the potential release of Gitmo prisoners here. Taking no live prisoners is mentioned for future operations. I, personally, am holding out for the all-volunteer "Airborne ACLU Corps," who will jump into combat zones and offer legal advice to people who are shooting at our troops in order to protect their clients rights. . . this country has a surplus of liberal lawyers anyway, and way too many law schools. . . this program might help solve one part of the problem. . .and allow lawyers to get credit for community service under the new administration. I have a few "constitutional law" profs in mind who would make a good starting team for the AACLUC, especially those who don't seem to have read the Constitution.

They especially seemed to have missed that part about what country the Constitution applies to. Hey, if you gotta a belief, go out and take action where the action is ...

Spies for Cuba. There are some great lines from the movie Sullivan's Travels that seem relevant here:

Burrows: You see, sir, rich people and theorists - who are usually rich people - think of poverty in the negative, as the lack of riches - as disease might be called the lack of health. But it isn't, sir. Poverty is not the lack of anything, but a positive plague, virulent in itself, contagious as cholera, with filth, criminality, vice and despair as only a few of its symptoms. It is to be stayed away from, even for purposes of study. It is to be shunned.

God save us from dilettante commies.

Can't catch old-fashioned spies, but it is time to work on our "cyberwar" skill set." Galrahn makes points.

UPDATE: You should listen to this interview about Pakistan from NPR's Fresh Air.

Somali Pirates: View of the Attacked

About a month ago, the crew of the tanker Dubai Princess fought off an attack by Somali pirates. As set out here, the ship's captain,took quick action when the threat became apparent:

Captain Syed M. A. Naqvi of the 115,485 dwt (dead weight tonne) tanker increased speed to the maximum and repeatedly changed course when six pirates armed with machine guns and a rocket launcher tried to board the vessel, said Jitendra Misra, Managing Director of the company.

Naqvi also ordered the launch of two rocket parachutes at the pirates as it gained ground. The tanker owners said the pirates made many unsuccessful attempts at boarding the tanker and slipped away as a coalition warship came near.

They said that a second pirate skiff also joined the attack but gave up chase when a coalition helicopter arrived on the scene providing air support.
Emarat also released pictures of the bullet holes after the pirates unleashed machine gun fire at the tanker.

A reliable source has provided me with more details of the defense of Dubai Princess including this section of a log of the attack (I have fixed some spelling for clarity's sake):

1012: Speed boats located port quarter of our vessel only by its wake.

1015 : Vessel altered course by 40° to stbd to confirm if the speed boats were chasing or is it passing by.

1020 : It was confirmed speed boat was chasing, Immediately the Main Engine put on its maximum MCR ( 105 rpm ), by-passing the load programme.

Following authorities were contacted immediately :
1 - UKMTO, Dubai
2 - MSCHOA
3 - Capt. XXXXXX (Eagle1 edit)
4 - Coalition Warship
Speed boat ( skiff ) picked up on the RADAR at 2' and observed speed of the skiff was 20 kts.

1020-1040 : Vessel trying to avoid boarding of the pirates by different evasive maneuvers.During this time period distance of the skiff was continuously decreasing. When skiff was 1-2 cables away it was observed to have 6 persons on-board having weapons.

1045 : Because of the maximum engine engine rpm and hardover rudder position engines slowed down due to overload. Immediately rudder brought to midships and Vessel regained speed and rpm.

Vessel fired Ship's 2 pyrotechnic ( rocket parachute ) towards the skiff.

1048 : With skiff approx 15-20 meters on the port side, RPG and machine gun
fire carried out from the pirates skiff.

1050 : Coalition warship picked up on the RADAR 12' away.

1054 : After making several attempts to board the vessel from port side the skiff gave up the chase.

1100 : Coalition warship No. 03 asked the vessel to directly head towards the Coalition warship.

1110 : Another skiff located on the stbd quarter of the vessel, immediately informed to the Coalition warship.

1115 : Coalition warship informed that the chopper is underway.

1125 : Chopper arrived on-scene and the second chasing skiff gave up the chase.

1130 : The Coalition warship 03 asked the vessel to resume the course.

Attached here please find the following photographs,

a - Skiff
b - Maneuvers
c - Course recorder
d - Bridge Conning display
e - Rudder position from the conning display
f - Coalition warship & Chopper

While all that maneuvering was going on, some brave crewman was out taking pictures of the pirate attack, the arrival of the coalition naval vessel and some of the damage to the tanker, as well as taking photos of the course recorder and conning displays. In a couple of the photos below, consider the photographer as he snaps photos of the RPG armed pirates... click on the photos to enlarge them.






































Now, the attack was also being photographed by members of the Australian Navy as found here on the Australian Defence website:

18 May 2009
HMA Ships SYDNEY & BALLARAT involved in piracy incident

The Royal Australian Navy Frigates, HMA Ships Sydney and Ballarat, last night came to the aid of the merchant vessel MV Dubai Princess, after she raised distress signals in the Gulf of Aden. The MV Dubai Princess claimed it was under attack from pirates, who were reported to be firing rocket propelled grenades and attempting to board the vessel by force.

The incident occurred in international waters at around 6pm Australian time, approximately 170km south of Yemen. Sydney and Ballarat responded to the distress signal while transiting though the Gulf of Aden as part of their Northern Trident 2009 deployment around the world.

As the situation developed, another merchant vessel, MV MSC Stella, was also harassed by small vessels in the same vicinity.

Here are some of the RAN photos with captions:




Captions (top to bottom):

1. Pictured is the suspected pirate skiff.
2. Pictured is Merchant Ship Dubai Princess applying anti-piracy measures while the skiff approaches.
3. Pictured is Merchant Ship Dubai Princess applying anti-piracy measures.
4. Pictured is Merchant Ship Dubai Princess applying anti-piracy measures.
5. Pictured is Merchant Ship Dubai Princess applying anti-piracy measures.

Finally, photos of the two Australian frigates: Ballarat and Sydney: