Feral Jundi

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Maritime Security: Tanker Attacks Spark Call-Ups For Guards

Filed under: Iran,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 11:49 PM

I haven’t posted a MarSec deal in awhile, and I thought this was relevant. Basically tankers have been getting attacked in the Gulf of Oman, and this is really freaking out the shipping industry. The various MarSec companies are getting bombarded with calls for security, and it is reminiscent of the days when the Somali Pirates was the big problem. The difference here is Iran, and/or it’s proxies are the attackers. So this is a case of private security defending vessels against state sponsored actions. Crazy…. Kind of like defending merchant ships against Germany’s U-boats during WW 1 and 2.

The article also delves into what has happened to the MarSec industry over the years. Salaries have decreased, and cheaper guards have been used to fill the need for armed guards on boats. The problem with this is that they may be cheap, but you get what you pay for. Some Indian or Eastern European guard is definitely not the equivalent to a highly trained Royal Marine or Navy SEAL… Just saying. But that is where the industry has gone over the years. There have also been incidents where guards have been imprisoned by states, which is an interesting thought for this deal with Iran.

Iran might view the ships as targets to not only blow up, but to also take hostages. You never know with this stuff and everything has to be considered with this type of enemy. Just look at the historic examples of what Iran has done. 52 American hostages were held for 444 days back in the late seventies as a means of attacking the west. So a guard force is definitely important for these vessels.

In the case of these recent attacks, limpet mines were attached to the vessels. Any guard force assigned to a vessel will have to have the means to look for these things. I would say SEALs or similar former military types, with a diving background and naval special warfare experience would be the optimum resource for this type of threat.

Other types of attacks might include missiles or armed UAVs, like what the Houthis have been using in Yemen. Do shipping companies have a counter-UAV capability? Or a counter-missile battery? Good question, but if munitions like this are launched at ships, shipping companies will have to re-calibrate.

The other thought is fire fighting and mass casualty on a tanker. To have to evacuate and abandon ship, as well as deal with casualties from something like this, requires some squared away folks. And all of this could be going on while under attack! For shipping companies that are trying to think this through, this reality must be considered. This isn’t pirates trying to steal your vessel, this is combatants trying to take your ship down or take hostages or just kill everyone onboard. Choose your guard force wisely.

Another factor is all out war. If war breaks out between the US and Iran, western shipping will be just one target of many that would be on the table for opponents like Iran. We have troops and contractors stationed in Iraq, as well as western oil companies. Iran could definitely make that a target. Rockets and mortars have been launched at US troops and oil companies recently in Iraq, and that might be a sign of things to come as this escalates. Contractors will definitely be called upon for evacuation missions and protecting the embassy in Baghdad. We will see how this develops. –Matt

Edit: 06/24/2019 More articles have come out about the increased demand for guards. This particular interview was between German newspaper Deutsche Welle and a Greek PMSC. The individual they talked to was Dimitris Maniatis, chief commercial officer of Diaplous Group. Here is the quote that was of interest to me. They have to use unarmed teams, which is problematic. I have written about this in the past when it came to dealing with Somali Pirates.
Quote: DW: How have the recent events in the Middle East impacted demand for security in the region? Dimitris Maniatis: After the May 12 attacks on the four tankers anchored off Fujairah, we saw an increased concern from the international maritime community about the safety and security of their vessels in the region. However, after the attack on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman, there has been an intensification of the interests of all the stakeholders in the maritime industry for the security of their crews and vessels. We’ve have seen about a 12% to 17% rise in the actual requests that we receive for security in that particular region.

The locations where the June 13 attacks took place are not within the designated high-risk area of the Indian Ocean. So we cannot operate with weapons in those areas. Now, the concern from vessel operators is for ships going into the Persian Gulf, trading within the Persian Gulf, and then exiting the Persian Gulf. So if we are to provide security services to those vessels we cannot embark weapons, which can only exist where there is a mandate for an armed response.

Tanker attacks spark call-ups for ships’ guards
David Sheppard and Harry Dempsey
June 19, 2019
It is one thing to ward off Somali pirates. It is another to tackle the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The maritime security industry has experienced a flood of demand from shippers spooked by last week’s attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, which the US and UK have blamed on Iran.
“We have been flat out and have deployed an additional 70 guards in the Gulf since the attacks last week,” said John Thompson, co-founder of UK-based Ambrey, which over the past decade has become the largest provider of security personnel to ships.
Mr Thompson expects the number of security guards deployed on vessels to increase by approximately 25 per cent in the coming weeks, based on the number of inquiries Ambrey has received.
Dimitris Maniatis, chief operating officer at Diaplous, said his Cyprus-based security firm had witnessed a “12 per cent rise in requests” for placing guards on ships in the Gulf.
It represents a welcome boost for the industry, which has experienced a lean period as piracy off the Horn of Africa diminished over the past few years just as an influx of cheap labour drove down costs.
The cost of hiring a team of three or four guards for a 12-day journey has dropped from the industry peak of $40,000 to well less than half that level. One executive said that previous pricing “wasn’t sustainable”. Now guards on ships have become a “commoditised service”.
“It’s not the rock star days that it used to be,” said Patrick Rogers at S-RM, a risk consultancy that advises a number of major shipping companies
When pirate attacks off Somalia became commonplace last decade — inspiring a Tom Hanks film detailing the capture of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship — the number of security firms offering guards proliferated, often founded by ex-special forces or other elite military personnel.
Guards were generally drawn from the ranks of elite military units in the UK — usually former Royal Marines, Parachute Regiment, or ex-special forces soldiers such as those that have served in the SAS or SBS.
(more…)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Maritime Security: Sea Transport Firm May Drop Dutch Flag Over Piracy Rules

Filed under: Maritime Security,Netherlands — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:07 PM

Wow, this is quite the story.  Here is a Dutch company pleading with their government for them to authorize the use of private armed security on their ships. We are talking about the basic right of self defense here, and their government does not support this.

It also shows the kind of urgency that companies are experiencing. As more shipping companies contract armed security for their vessels, the pirates will be forced to focus their attention on unarmed or minimally armed vessels. If they know that certain flagged vessels are not allowed to have armed guards, well then guess who the pirates will attack?

Now I also wanted to mention another trend that is going on out there that must be looked at.  If you are the owner of a shipping company and are wanting to contract the services of a PSC or PNC, then you need to make sure that this team is in fact armed sufficiently to defend your vessel. Shotguns loaded with bird shot or old bolt action rifles are not sufficient weapons to defeat PKM’s, AK 47’s, or RPG’s–the preferred weapons of today’s pirates.

The reason why I mention this is that I am hearing reports from security contractors that are actually armed with such pathetic weapons, all because the company does not want to invest in sufficient fire power or are unwilling to go through the hoops to get that stuff.  To top it off, the companies are just throwing the weapons overboard before they come into port to avoid any legal problems. That has got to change, because if the ‘armed’ maritime security industry wants to maintain it’s excellent protection record on this seaborne battlefield, it must have sufficient weapons and arming authority.

Nor is having a couple of Glocks on a boat sufficient.(I am still shaking my head on that one, yet they still repelled the assault) Nor is having a total dependence on less than lethal munitions as a deterrence the right strategy. In this arms race on the sea, a team must have the tools necessary to repel an enemy assault. Current reports suggest that pirates are not using shotguns loaded with bird shot, bolt action rifles, or pistols. They are using the big stuff, and they have plenty of money to buy the big stuff.(thanks to all of these ransoms that are paid out)

I have also heard of companies poorly treating their security guards, or paying them a wage that is not the industry standard. What kind of folks do you think a company attracts when they pay so poorly? You be the judge, and I wouldn’t want that kind of force protecting a natural gas tanker/chemical tanker, or millions of dollars in boat and cargo. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Basically, there are companies out there that are providing guard forces that are low paid and insufficiently armed and equipped. A shipping company that is shopping around for a guard force must really get into the details of what a sufficient guard force is.  They need to look at the operational history of that company, they need to look at the weapons and equipment used, the strategies and tactics used, and most importantly, they need to look at the reputation of that company.  A great way to shop is to actually ask the contracted guard force what they think of their company or their operational capabilities. Or you can ask some of the larger trade groups that deal with security contractors, and get some suggestions that way. Do not trust the slick sales tactics of shady companies who do not have the courage or desire to do things right.

The point is, you get what you pay for.  If you picked a security company because they were the cheapest, then doom on you.  If your vessel gets taken by pirates, or your crew is hurt/killed because of a poorly armed, poorly paid and poorly organized guard force, then that is your fault!  Of course you want to look at pricing for this stuff, but you also want the best value guard force that money can buy. Do the research and find the companies that are capable.

There are also no CORS or contracting officers overseeing your decisions. There is nothing to force you to use a capable guard force.  Although you are private industry, and should care about money well spent.

Oh, and you can certainly bet that the pirates will judge your choices and make you pay in blood and treasure for your poor investment in security…. –Matt

Sea transport firm may drop Dutch flag over piracy rules
June 8, 2011
Dual Dutch-Norwegian listed ocean transport company Dockwise has warned the Netherlands it will sail its vessels under a different flag unless it is allowed private guards to fend off pirates.
The company said in a statement on Tuesday it was making an urgent appeal to the Dutch government to remove some legal barriers to allow for armed private protection to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Piracy has emerged as a major security risk for maritime firms, with the European Union saying the first three months of 2011 were the worst on record with 77 attacks and hijackings, up from 36 in the same period of 2010.
But the use of defensive military force at sea remains largely the preserve of states which are often reluctant to allow modern-day cargo ships, with their often multinational crews and ownership structures, to use weapons.

(more…)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Maritime Security: Asian Shipowner Forum– Use Armed Security, Go After Pirates On Land, Designate Pirates As Terrorists!

Filed under: Letter Of Marque,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 2:27 PM

Another association expressing their displeasure with the whole piracy thing…  What strikes me here is the language being used by this group, and other similar shipping groups. Everyone is frustrated and angry, and they want action.

Worse yet, with certain threats to oil stability and the change of leadership in countries located near key waterways, I predict even more problems for shipping.  Imagine Libya or Yemen completely collapsing, and turning the Gulf of Aden and neighboring water ways a free for all for pirates based in those countries?  And with the price of oil increasing, along with the demand increasing, any shipping companies tasked with transporting that black gold will really want that stuff to be protected.

Now this brings me to a thought that has crossed my mind several times.  The scope and scale of piracy is too large for governments alone to handle.  To me, the only way to really scale up the war against this problem, is to bring in private industry and open the flood gates. To license private industry to do what they have to do to protect these vessels or to go after these thugs and join in the fight. That would require a loosening on the nation-state’s grasp on the monopoly of the use of force, a nullification of treaties and agreements that prohibit such things as the Letter of Marque–yet still allows for the regulation and licensing of effective practices, and the political will to deal with such problems from a pragmatic point of view.

This is also a stark reminder that netwar is a reality, and it is kicking the ass of the slow and inefficient governments. Both John Arquilla and General McChrystal talked about restructuring the military (or parts) to be more responsive to these networks. That in order to defeat a network, you need a network–and a whole bunch of them.  I don’t see it happening with today’s slow and inefficient government sponsored militaries and navies. To me, the one group that can match the ‘decentralized and flexible network structures’ of these actors (pirates, terrorists, cartels), is an industry that profits from the destruction of these folks.

It would also be a self destroying industry, because once there is no more enemy, the industry dries up, and the few folks that continue on to be pirates or criminals, could then be destroyed by all the governments and their might. Hell, governments would use that very industry to destroy itself.  That is how early privateering was dealt with when it had these rogue elements, and that is how it would work today. But of course you see this in any industry.  A computer specialist decides to be an illegal hacker and steal money is one example. A soldier in a war, decides to go home and apply his skills to armored car robberies. A politician goes corrupt in order to make financial gains. There will always be that one percent of one percent of any profession that uses it’s skills and experience for criminal ventures–and that will never change.

But back to the concept. If copying networks like Al Qaeda/Cartels/Piracy (mimicry strategy) is appropriate and works, then private industry will quickly adapt that structure to it’s business model and use it to gain market share.  They will use that, or whatever netwar structure to defeat the enemy, and profit from the venture. They will not only go after the enemy, but compete against other companies and individuals who are doing the same thing–and that competition is what will fuel innovation. It works like that in every industry out there, and it will work violently well in this endeavor. Or at least in my humble opinion.

The ‘profit’ will include the destruction of a reviled enemy, the collection of a bounty, the seizure of an asset, or the collection of money for services rendered.  The more profit motive there is, the better, and it is a system that works. All government needs to do is maintain the machine through regulation and licensing. It worked with our usage of licensed privateers against the British during the Revolutionary War, it is working for the current Somali pirates who are raping the world with their piracy/business model, it worked for Claire Chennault and his Flying Tigers (who collected bounties for every enemy plane shot down), and the Cartel drug war business model works so well that it is defeating both the US and Mexican governments and making war against one another at the same time! Something to think about…. Or we can get continue to think that only governments can win wars and solve problems? –Matt

ASF airs outrage at rising attacks on ships
April 5, 2011
The Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC) of the Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) has expressed outrage at the increasing number of attacks on their ships and the brutality shown by Somali pirates.
“The current situation, where a handful of pirates can hold the world’s economy hostage, is completely unacceptable as responsible owners and managers, we must take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our seafarers,” said Mr. S. S. Teo, SNEC Chairman in a recent meeting of the Asian shipowners’ associations held in Singapore. (more…)

Friday, December 3, 2010

Job Tips: UAE Travel And Shipping Stuff

Filed under: Job Tips,Travel,UAE — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 4:15 AM

     What sucks is; just a few months ago I brought most of my gear through Dubai; and I could have been arested. This was because the US Military P.O. would not let me ship most of my gear from APO in Iraq to APO in Afghanistan. It’s BS man,  and it is going to come down to-we have to risk getting arrested just to get our gear to our work place.-FJ Reader

    I wanted to get this out there for folks to think about and discuss.  Many contractors pass through the UAE for work, and this country keeps changing their laws and rules without getting the word out to the companies or contractors. All I have to say is that they are doing a poor job of strategic communications, and an excellent job of arresting contractors. (perhaps that is the goal? lol)

    If you look at the DoS travel advisory for the UAE, their treatment of the subject is pretty thin.  Do they not understand that thousands of contractors pass through these airports every year, and most of them are doing the good work of protecting folks and things in the war zones? They are putting their lives on the line for the US and it’s allies in the war, and they continue to be treated as a second class citizens.  At the very least, DoS could be a little more responsive to this issue, and maybe even push back. American citizens are getting arrested because they are not getting the word, or they have poor interpretations of the laws, or they are not aware of any new laws the come up out of the UAE, and the US embassy should be out there doing what they can to prevent this type of thing.

    I also put some blame on the companies for not taking care of their people.  You need to be pressing the embassy and the UAE for exactly what is required, and not just ‘ho hum’ your way through the whole thing. Contractors should be considered your most valuable asset, and by not doing everything you can to educate them with the most up to date laws of other countries, just shows a lack of compassion or responsibility on the company’s part.

    Then of course there is personal responsibility.  Guys have to get educated on this stuff, and that is why I constantly tell folks to do your homework about this industry.  Go to the forums and relevant websites out there, read what everyone is talking about, ask your questions if you haven’t found it in a search, and get educated. It is also important to really listen to your company or what the older guys have to say in this industry, because sometimes they do get it right and they do know what is best for travel on that particular contract. Don’t assume anything and get the facts.

    The quote up top was from a reader that was in a sticky situation, and this is a good example of the kind of dilemmas you can get into. In their case, they were traveling from one war zone to the next and their equipment was essential for the job.  They did not have a civilian parcel company at the base to use, and the only means of getting the stuff to their work site was carrying it through checked baggage or sending it APO to APO via military post office. My question here is why is the US military not working with contractors by allowing them to ship APO to APO? And because this contractor had no idea about the new laws or updates to the laws in the UAE, he could have been arrested just like the other guys.

    The other point about this situation was that sometimes at these airports, no one cares and it seems these policies and laws are only enforced by the officers that wish to do their job that day.  Or an officer does their own interpretation of the vague rules, and once they commit to the arrest, of course they are not going to backtrack and admit they were wrong. (unless a higher up that has been pressured diplomatically intervenes-hint, hint to the embassy) Some officers demand a bribe or maybe they have some bias–who knows. But this is the way travel is in some foreign countries and their airports.

     Now looking at all of these scenarios, you would think that companies would provide all the equipment necessary to do the job out there.  The truth is, that they don’t. Most contractors, to include myself, have had the unfortunate experience of being without some essential equipment in war zones, and all because a company made false promises about equipment, or the stuff they had was limited or in poor condition.  As more airports and countries introduce more strict rules on contractor related equipment, and as the enemy continues to conduct system disruption attacks that spawn more idiotic rules in airports, it will be increasingly important for contractors to be aware and/or increasingly depend up the company to provide this stuff. But that would require a company to actually care or cut into their profits to properly outfit their contractors.

    Which brings up another point.  Many companies use contractors because of the tax benefits and the ease of hiring or getting rid of them.  They also like security contractors because we usually have our own ‘tools’, much like a contractor in the building industry. Contractors even write off that equipment on their taxes.  So as more of these airports clamp down on contractors and limit their ability to transport their kit or ‘tools’ to a work site, then companies will be forced to incur more cost and provide those tools for the contractor. That kind of sounds like ’employee’ country, and not contractor stuff now and companies need to be aware of this stuff. (some companies rent the gear to the independent contractor, as an example)

    Now for another issue with shipping. What is with this dumb rule that came out where guys could not send their ACOG scopes home through military PO’s, because of the ‘gas’ that is in the ACOG? I have heard this from several contractors that tried to ship home their ACOG’s and the military told them they couldn’t do it. Luckily, from what I heard on the forums, folks are able to ship home their ACOG’s through a civilian parcel.

    I remember going through the same hassle with body armor or knives, and in my view, a military PO should do all they can to accommodate and work with contractors so that they can get this done.  In my case, I just sent the stuff home through civilian parcel because I was not allowed to send this stuff. But it was also more expensive and I was lucky that I was on a base that had a civilian parcel office. On some of my other contracts, I just had to give my stuff away to someone else that could use it, and eat the loss. This is repeated many times by contractors in the war zones and I guess you could call this the cost of doing business. –Matt

UAE authorities will confiscate any weapons, weapon parts, ammunition, body armor, handcuffs, and/or other military/police equipment transported to or through a civilian airport. U.S. citizens have been arrested and jailed for transporting such weapons and equipment without the express written authorization of the UAE government, even though airline and U.S. authorities allowed shipment on a U.S.-originating flight. – DoS Travel Advisory here.

UAE’s website with travel section here.

Discussion on Lightfighter.net here and here.

Recent Changes In UAE Law For Travelers And Contractors

 … all US personnel – to avoid violation of Emirati laws by the intentional or accidental transport of any arms or items considered as law enforcement equipment or military gear. UAE airport personnel will x-ray all baggage – checked or carry-on – and cargo shipments, including household goods, both incoming and outgoing.  UAE authorities will confiscate any weapons, weapon parts, ammunition, body armour, handcuffs, sensitive electronics, cryptographic devices, and/or other military/police equipment transported to or through a civilian airport. Persons found to be carrying such items will be arrested and face strict criminal penalties, including imprisonment and large monetary fines…  One such incident involved one bullet, found in the bag of a traveler who had unknowingly left the item in his bag.  This individual was detained by the police and now faces a possible jail sentence and large monetary fine.  In other similar incidents, U.S. defense contractors transiting the U.A.E. with weapons were arrested and are now serving jail sentences of several months.The following is a sampling of the types of items that are illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

The list is NOT all inclusive, but does include the following:

• Weapons of any type, to include guns of any type, including simulators, assembled or disassembled, in carry-on or checked baggage.

• Ammunition or pyrotechnics of any type to include spent brass or casings.

• Body armor, including ballistic vests and military/police helmets.

• Police or law enforcement paraphernalia, including; handcuffs, flexi-cuffs, night vision goggles, gun holsters, pepper spray etc.

• Military-style electronics and cryptographic devices.The smallest quantity of any of the above mentioned items can result in detention and prosecution, to include a possible jail sentence, in the United Arab Emirates.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Maritime Security: Anti-piracy Measures For Sale In Hamburg, Germany

Filed under: Germany,Maritime Security,Somalia — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 5:44 PM

     A recent survey of 110 German shipping companies by PWC (formerly PriceWaterhouse Coopers) found that 12 used private security agencies in some capacity. Ruetten believes this is not nearly enough, and that too many companies rely on improvised defense measures like strapping mannequins to strategic positions on deck to make a ship look like it is being guarded. 

     I found this article over at Deutsche Welle. It gave a good run down of the German maritime security market and how they view PSC’s in the Gulf of Aden. The quote up top was really interesting, but as per usual, they have some folks here giving some very bad advice about the realities of the high seas.

    Max Johns, spokesman for the Association of German Ship-owners is wrong on one of his points he brought up as well. The private security team he is referring to, was not armed and had no means of protecting themselves or the boat other than with the pathetic less than lethal crap they had. So his point that PSC’s are a bad idea because they are not dependable is wrong.

     Unarmed PSC’s are a bad idea, and I am sure if these folks had a means to defend themselves and the crew, the outcome would have been far different. It is dorks like this spokesman who continue to promote this myth that less than lethal is an appropriate defense against pirates armed with RPG’s, PKM’s and AK 47’s. It is this same myth that creates this mindset that companies should just roll the dice, or pay the ransom if their vessel is taken. Meanwhile, every ransom paid just increases the size of the piracy problem. It is a simple equation–paying ransoms fuels piracy.

     And those PSC companies that continue to tell shipping companies that being unarmed in those waters is a good idea, are equally to blame. It’s as if you are selling a company on the idea that you can magically protect them without using lethal force.  Your strategies might work for some cases, but they will not cover the instances where a pirate force actually understands how to defeat your less than lethal measures (like using binoculars to tell if you have mannequins on the deck) and/or evasive maneuvers (ransom money allows investments in faster boats).

     Just wait until pirates start coming aboard with cutting torches or shaped charges to open the doors of safe rooms or bridges/engineer rooms? Or when they start contracting captains and crews that know how to command these ships? The pirate is not dumb and they are learning and evolving as their industry is fueled by the profits gained by ransoms.

     The point is, losing control of your ship is ‘losing control of your ship’. Having armed and competent security on a ship will at least give the crew and captain a fighting chance. Having a strong defense is also a crucial element in taking care of your people, which I would certainly hope a captain or the owner of a company would actually care about?

    As for the German company IBS mentioned, I haven’t a clue as to who they are or what they are all about. If any of my German readers have anything to add, feel free to comment below. –Matt

Anti-piracy measures for sale in Hamburg

By Ben Knight

October 25, 2010

The hijacking of two ships over the weekend highlights the difficulties Western navies face combating piracy off the coast of Somalia. Many shipping lines are turning to private security firms for protection.

When it comes to global shipping, there is no avoiding the Gulf of Aden, which leads between the failed state of Somalia and Yemen – a nation security analysts describe as at-risk. These waters carry a significant share of the world’s wealth, including 11 percent of the world’s seaborne oil.

The 25,000 cargo ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden every year are tempting targets for heavily armed groups in Somalia, who claim overfishing by foreign vessels has robbed them of their livelihoods.

Earlier this year the International Maritime Bureau warned that attacks on merchant shipping are on the rise. European defense officials say Somali pirates are currently holding 20 ships and more than 400 crew for ransom off the Horn of Africa.

(more…)

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