US-based company Armed Piracy Defense is proposing a centralised approach to ensure that all ships within high risk areas will have anti piracy security teams on board. These security teams would have common protocols and procedures to provide quality armed security service to ships transiting pirate-infested waters.
From its command centre in South Florida, Armed Piracy Defense gives thousands of shipping companies access to 25 maritime security companies and their available teams. These companies have 125 teams in the High Risk Areas at any given time. The plan is to include as many as 400 security teams that will be stocked by floating armouries, to protect vessels in danger zones. These teams will be able to cover all of the 150 ships on the riskiest routes, moving in and out of the Indian Ocean High Risk Areas each day. -From Defence Web
This is cool and thanks to Christopher over at my Feral Jundi Facebook Page for sending me this one. What APD has proposed is a rather innovative business model that could help to reduce costs to shipping and ensure more ships get access to armed security in high risk transit areas.
What I wanted to do is post what the company is proposing, and allow the readership here to saturate/incubate/illuminate this proposal, and share their thoughts. It also sounds like the company is seeking this input as well, which is awesome. They want feedback and they want to improve upon the idea, which is pure Jundism in my book. So definitely let them know by voicing your opinion here. Bravo to the company for daring to be innovative, and open about their idea. –Matt
From the APD website
Armed Piracy Defense: Securing clients fleet any time, any place in 25 HRA ports, with world TOP 50 leading Marsec companies
Armed Piracy Defense is offering an innovative new service that will save you money, time and hassle. We operate in Florida, USA, a command and control center for all Maritime security companies world wide, with over 50 1st class selected companies operating between West Africa and Straits of Malacca.
All of the companies are members of SAMI and other 1st class accredited companies. When your voyage plans change to A NEW destination as you set sail or if your timing changes for mechanical reasons or a deviation from the original route plan, you will still need armed guards to protect your vessel.
We are able to match the needs of ship owners in all HRA with Maritime Security companies. These companies provide us with disembark times and the place of their teams 7 to 8 working days before the completion of a voyage so we can put their team with your vessel when a last minute change occurs.
We periodically send information about the availability of ARMED GUARD teams in real time at 25 HRA ports to 10000 selected Ship owners, Charterers, CSO’s, Fleet managers, Active Captains and Operation officers world wide. Our aim is to secure your ship at any time at any place.
At our Florida World Center, we monitor the traffic of security companies so we are able to ensure that there is a seamless transition from one voyage to the next. The end of one mission will be the start of the next mission.
Many of the teams we deploy are multilingual, all speaking English with a variety of other languages including Italian, Greece, Portuguese, German, French, Russian and Spanish. All team leaders and members of our team are former British, US and 1st class European special forces personnel with combat experience. The standard of training and procedures from the UK, the US and European forces as a whole are higher and industry leading through ongoing personal and team development.
Our teams do have the operational experience and training to combat hostile threats.
All reputable maritime companies are following the IMO and SAMI guidelines to ensure all operatives are of a significantly high standard and proficient in both delivery of BMP and ISPS protocol as well as counter piracy control measures.
Please contact our center and learn more about the professionalism of the available security teams. Keep your Operations manager and CSO in weekly contact with us and inform us of the needs of your fleet for over all security at High Risk Area. You will find our prices fair and reasonable for our high quality service.
Given the dangers facing commercial vessels that travel in that area, we felt it would be beneficial to offer our services. Please contact us to arrange a date and time that we can discuss how we can help you. We will be ready to be on board your vessel within 72 hours.
Cost to join the center: FREE
Service cost only if a transit was contracted $5000 – $6000
If the voyage is short or of low value our service fees would be reduced.
The cost of the loss of your ship, its cargo and ransoms for your crew can
be in the millions of dollars. For as little as $3500-$3800/day for 3 guards, our experienced staff can give you the peace of mind you need to keep your crew and cargo safe.
It is time to talk. Contact Armed Piracy Defense now. We deploy only the best European and US Maritime Security companies. A dedicated team of professionals is waiting for you – Sign up for our easy no cost MOU to become a part of our piracy defense center.————————————————————–
Maritime security company proposes a centralised approach for protecting vessels
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
US-based company Armed Piracy Defence is proposing a centralised approach to ensure that all ships within high risk areas will have anti piracy security teams on board. These security teams would have common protocols and procedures to provide quality armed security service to ships transiting pirate-infested waters.
From its command centre in South Florida, Armed Piracy Defence gives thousands of shipping companies access to 25 maritime security companies and their available teams. These companies have 125 teams in the High Risk Areas at any given time. The plan is to include as many as 400 security teams that will be stocked by floating armouries, to protect vessels in danger zones. These teams will be able to cover all of the 150 ships on the riskiest routes, moving in and out of the Indian Ocean High Risk Areas each day.
Lieutenant (ret) Dave Daniel Rachimi, CEO of Armed Piracy Defence (APD), said that it is imperative to provide armed security for all vessels travelling in the High Risk areas. To date, no ship with armed security personnel on board has been hijacked.
He said that there is no chance of an attack on Somalia to try and stop the pirates so a standardized approach, with private security teams on each vessel is the only way to go. Ship owners would report their entry into the High Risk Area (HRA) and APD would do the rest in a “one stop shop service”.
There are numerous benefits of using this centralised approach. From the command centre of Armed Piracy Defence, the activities of 25 maritime security companies are monitored so that the real time location of security teams, weapons and armoury vessels is known at all times. When there is a change in course, a delay or anything that requires dispatch of a new team or resources, APD can contact a qualified team from any number of authorised companies that are in the HRA already. Teams that are there can be in place within 12 hours. By using teams on a repetitive basis from one port to another, it lowers the costs of bringing a new team into the area, APD said.
Rachimi said that every vessel entering the high risk area should be registered and a security team placed on board. As soon as a team of guards finishes a mission, they will have a new mission sent to them from the centre.
By overseeing many teams from different companies but with one curriculum of training, APD can ensure that all teams adhere to a strict code of conduct in all their dealings with ship crew and captain by issuing tactical and procedural log books and guidelines concerning teams on the ships before, during and after the missions. The drill routines on the ship including the bridge, citadel, weapon safety, viewing and detection and multi skiff attacks adhere to security protocols that are signed as part of the agreement process.
In case of emergency or calamity crews can be pulled from the surrounding area to assist with challenging situations. The teams can count on an alert being sent out to other team at the same area and to naval forces to come and back them up. Any incidents can be analysed and investigated in a standardized manner, with the outcome of the conclusions being spread out to the anti-terror teams that are at sea.
The recent attack of more than 50 pirates on two Iranian ships has brought to light the need for further precautions, Rachimi said. It is no longer multiple skiff attacks but swarm attacks. More ammunition, better sniper equipment, ex-military guards, better protective equipment, hands free radio communication between the team members and officers, drills related to swarm attacks and those related to the citadel and radar detection and better communication between the master/ officers and team leaders are all essential as this pirate tactic presents itself.
Billions of dollars are being spent on the damages from piracy. Rachimi said that with US$20 million dollars, APD could put together an integrated command and control centre and seven armoury vessels and the supplies needed to protect ships entering the high risk area.
Rachimi noted that every year insurance companies pay US$250-280 million to pirates. “It is another type of terror where the whole world economy is in their hands,” Rachimi said of the pirates. If the insurance companies contribute a small fraction of the amount of the ransoms to the creation of this centralized approach, they can help rid the world of piracy as opposed to giving positive reinforcement to pirates.
At the moment, Armed Piracy Defence is using its own resources to pursue the goal of a centralised command centre. Rachimi said he is approaching all the ship owners and maritime security companies in the world. Although he does have the eyes in real time on the ships and maritime security companies in the high risk areas, he still needs to subcontract all aspects of each job. This is time consuming and costly.
He said that the framework for the single umbrella organisation is there already, it is just a matter of getting people to join and companies need to sign on to be a part of it. Ultimately there will be a website for ship owners and maritime security companies to join with a fee for the tactical curriculum and guide, and the access to the security needs of the shipping companies. “It’s mission possible,” he said, as there is sufficient manpower, weaponry and training available. “We have all the ingredients to do it right-and halt piracy from a world problem to a marginal problem”.
Rachimi said that APD is open to ideas and collaboration from shipping, insurance and maritime security companies to improve on the system as it continues to develop.
Story here.