The Maritime Security Alliance

There is an ongoing debate in the Netherlands on the protection of ships under the flag of the Netherlands against maritime piracy. The discussions are mainly concentrated on the issue of protection by the Royal Navy or private armed security guards.

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Sound cannons that produce sounds with the intensity of an F-16 fighter jet with afterburner, disorienting searchlights, blinding lasers and anti-climbing structures to efficiently deter pirates, were just some of the products that were tested and displayed during a testing day for several suppliers of these maritime self-protection systems. Can merchant vessels be safe during their transit in high risk areas without private armed security guards or navy vessel protection detachments?

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Another attempted boarding of a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden shows that pirates are still active in the region, at least off the coast of Yemen.

The International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre shed light into the recent attack, which occurred Monday (May 16). According to the report, five skiffs approached the stern of a containership underway, prompting the Master to raise the alarm, increase speed and muster crew members. As the five skiffs closed to five cables from the ship, a ladder could be seen in one approaching skiffs, the IMB said.

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