The project, first discussed more than a year ago, experienced some delays in getting a state jurisdiction to register its vessels. Cyprus agreed to add the ships last month, following a U.S. State Department veto for registration in the Marshall Islands, Campbell said.
This is really the only quote I was interested in with this article. Of course JLT and these security contractors have been promising this private navy concept for awhile now, and it all revolves around getting backing from a country and from investors.
What I am interested in though, is Cyprus allowing these vessels to be state registered? That seems pretty close to issuing a Letter of Marque if you ask me? Especially if Cyprus registers these vessels, knowing full well that they will be purposely used for anti-piracy operations and escort duty. That they are endorsing a ‘private navy’. Even if they have not issued a LoM, they might as well do so anyways, because in effect, Cyprus is blessing a privateer force. (mind you, historically speaking, LoM’s have been issued to early privateers to do exactly what these guys will be doing–escorting commerce through pirate infested waters)
The other thing to bring up here is that there just isn’t enough naval assets out there to cover all of the transits. The reason for this is the poor economy and a reduction in naval forces and their missions. Especially missions protecting commerce in such a vast operational area. So enter private industry to fill in the void….. But it is all still all talk, and when this private navy actually gets some investors, and we see video of them doing their thing, then I will truly be impressed. –Matt
Somalia Piracy Spurs Private Navy to Start Within Five Months
November 07, 2011
By Michelle Wiese Bockmann
The company behind the world’s first private navy to protect merchant ships against Somali pirates plans to start armed escorts through the Gulf of Aden within five months after attacks rose to a record this year.
Convoy Escort Programme Ltd., backed by the marine insurance industry, will initially deploy seven former naval patrol boats, each with armed security teams of eight people on board, Angus Campbell, chief executive officer, said by phone from Swarland, England today. The bullet-proofed boats will charge about $30,000 per ship traveling in a convoy of around four vessels over three to four days, he said.
“We are going to be a deterrent,” Campbell said. “We are not in the business of looking for trouble but if anybody tries to attack a vessel we are escorting, our security teams will deploy force if they have to act in self defence.”
Attacks reached a record this year and cost the global economy an estimated $7 billion to $12 billion annually, according to the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization. About 23,000 vessels carrying $1 trillion of trade pass through the Gulf of Aden every year, the U.K. government estimates.
