Contact

Training

For the conduct of Maritime Anti-Piracy training we have identified instructors that not only have the operational skills and experience to provide top quality training, but who are also highly committed, and have the communication skills and personality to excel in working with the foreign personnel. They are tactical operators, with extensive experience in teaching these skills to foreign military and police forces.

There are now a number of conventions that are really being enforced by most governments around the world. (ISPS Code - See explanation below) These all impact on any potential government or none government ports, maritime or shipping line client and what can be offered to them.

There are number of areas that we can focus on to assist any government or none government maritime or ports user:


· Security assets to 'ships underway' and 'alongside'
· Port security assets and advice on security infrastructure and S.O.P's
· Surveillance and counter surveillance
· Threat counter measures and S.O.P's
· Intelligence and threat analysis
· Route planning
· Communications
· Emergency response and Crisis Management
· Security assessment of ports and client flagged ship
· Security plans and training to mitigate threats
· Audits of current security plans and S.O.P's
· Conducting desktop and physical exercises of all ports and client flagged ships

International Trends

The Asian Regional Forum on Capacity Building of Maritime Security held in Tokyo in December 2005, highlighted the different approaches that nations take to maritime security and which national government organisation coordinates and takes responsibility for maritime security. Amongst countries that are signatories to SOLAS and have ratified and implemented the ISPS Code, the national legislative frameworks vary from country to country.

A number of countries, particularly in the Asia- Pacific region and the Indian sub continent, are primarily focused on the response side of maritime security threats. This in most cases involves a very heavily Defence-orientated national structure, and is in contrast with other countries which focus on risk identification and mitigation.

The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) also use maritime security provisions to incorporate the risks associated with drug smuggling, piracy and armed robbery against ship, stowaways, migrant smuggling and the threat of terrorism.

Another issue that is receiving a lot of international scrutiny is the importance of the primacy of sovereignty of states in relation to the security of sea-lanes. Nevertheless, to tackle newly emerging maritime security threats there is a role for the user states and for private companies (both shipping and insurance) to ensure that sea-lanes remain secure. Malaysia and Singapore have indicated in a number of international forums that there is a responsibility of all users of the Malacca Straights to implement stringent security arrangements. However tying in with these governments and shipping companies is not easy. Usually those tied in with Lloyds or other insurance companies that cover shipping get this work referred to them.

ISPS Code

The International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code is an international initiative to mitigate risks to shipping from the worldwide escalation of terrorism that were manifested in the events of September 11, 2001. The Code requires governments to implement and administer a ship and port facility security regime. Of special importance is the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation 1988 (SUA Convention). This Convention was developed in response to growing concerns during the 1980s about unlawful acts which threaten the safety of ships and the security of their passengers and crews, with reports of crew being kidnapped, ships being hi-jacked, deliberately run aground or blown up by explosives. The SUA Convention:

· establishes a legal regime applicable to acts against international maritime navigation that is similar to the regimes established against international aviation; and

· makes it an offence for a person unlawfully and intentionally to seize or exercise control over a ship by force, threat, or intimidation; to perform an act of violence against a person on board a ship if that act is likely to endanger the safe navigation of the ship; to place a destructive device or substance aboard a ship; and other acts against the safety of ships.