Tanzania asks SA for anti-pirate help

Tanzania has requested South Africa to assist it in fighting piracy, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu says. 

“I am informed that the Government has received a request from Tanzania, through the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, which has been forwarded to the Department of Defence,” she said in an oral reply to a question by National Council of Provinces member RA Lees.

“The matter has subsequently been referred to the acting Chief of the National Defence Force so that he may advice the Minister, and the Minister may advice the Cabinet. Currently the matter is under consideration.”

Cabinet last month tasked Sisulu with developing a strategy to address the threat of piracy in Southern African waters. Government spokesman Jimmy Manyi at a post-Cabinet media briefing said the executive had “noted the increasing threat of piracy in South African waters and agreed to explore initiatives aimed at assisting Somalia to counter some of the root causes of piracy.” Government also “further supported the implementation of the Eastern and Southern African-Indian Ocean (EAS-IO) strategy to combat piracy along the coast of Somalia and the greater Southern African waters.” 

Manyi said the strategy, once completed, would be put to Cabinet for consideration. He noted the “strategy that will focus on South Africa’s stance in relation to stabilising the political situation in Somalia; the legislative framework dealing with criminals involved in piracy; the positioning and strengthening of South African naval forces’ capacity in relation to the continent and other countries; and co-opting assistance from neighbouring countries.” 

Sisulu told a media briefing on February 25 the Valour-class frigate SAS Mendi was already off Mozambique informally collecting information on piracy and cooperating with authorities there “to ensure maritime security in Southern African waters. 

“We experienced an intrusion into the waters of SADC around the 28th of December with the hijacking of a Mozambican vessel that contained 28 Mozambicans and two Spanish sailors,” Sisulu said. “The Mozambicans requested of us to assist them because they don’t have the necessary equipment and in terms of a memorandum of understanding we have with Mozambique we responded to this. 

“We have now gone back to Cabinet in line with the developments and the trend that we see on the matter of piracy to say it is important that we look at this matter and devise strategies to deal with it so that we don’t have a once off response to this problem. We do know that the African Union is committed to ensuring that if we are going to deal with the matter of Somalia piracy we have got to attend to the matter of the transitional Government in Somalia,” she said.

“You will remember that the President indicated that we are doing all we can as South Africa to ensure that we can assist the fragile transitional Government of Somalia so that we have institutions on Somalia that can hold and that can impose some form of law and order. On the other hand it is not possible for us to sit back when we have incursion on waters that we are responsible for so we deployed the SAS Mendi to patrol the borders so that it can bring us a little more information and actually indicate to anybody out there that South African waters is protected. We have not yet formally deployed and when we do first Cabinet will be informed, Parliament will be informed and the public will be informed however we remain very concerned about the intrusion of piracy into our space and we remain determined that we will not allow it to continue.”

SAMSA talks jobs

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has forecast that it will be able to create 1800 jobs in the sector over the next year.

Critical to meeting that target was a cadet training programme, which would be done through the South African Maritime Training Academy in partnership with the private sector. The announcement was made in Cape Town this week by Samsa chief executive, Tsietsi Mokhele, who highlighted that they were responding to the government's focus on job creation.

Mokhele said that as part of a mandate from government, they had developed a strategy to improve the country's maritime economy, but a major drawback had been the lack of skills in the sector in both sea and shore based human resources, the state BuaNews agency says. This, he said, had contributed to the drop in active shipping companies in South Africa. Mokhele said the training programme had the potential "to double or triple job creation in the sector."

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IMT gets R2.5m for AUV

The South African Navy has awarded Armscor Defence Institutes subsidiary Institute for Maritime Technology a R2.582 million contract to develop autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) technology “as per the approved project definition.” The work was awarded last Thursday. 

The SA Navy has a requirement for a number of AUV, including for four offboard minehunting systems in term of Project Mapantsula. It is not clear from the information available what the purpose of the work is. 

German firm Atlas Elektronik, meanwhile, used Africa Aerospace & Defence 2010 in September last year to again showcase its range of AUV such as the SeaOtter MkII (pictured) and the SeaFox mine disposal systems. The joint ThyssenKrupp and EADS subsidiary also displayed its Mine Countermeasure Container that allows any vessel that can carry the ISO-container to become a minehunter. The container can also be deployed ashore or in harbours, allowing mine countermeasure (MCM) forces to operate off a pier. 

In her budget vote in May last year, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu said the Navy had also acquired a R38.7 million shallow water route survey system to help secure the 2010 soccer World Cup. The system, consisting of an Edge Tech 4200 towed side scan sonar system and a SB 424 towfish, is deployed aboard the SAS Protea, the South African Navy's now-aged Hecla-class hydrographic vessel.

“To support SA’s hosting of the … World Cup, a Shallow Water Route Survey capability for the SA Navy was procured and established as a short term solution to a perceived shortfall in the Soccer World Cup 2010 security-planning milieu,” Sisulu told Parliament in her second annual defence budget vote address. “The new system will be used to conduct route surveys in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town harbours and contribute towards underwater security in the respective ports. 

“The system uses new Multi Beam Echo Sounder technology which will provide a full seafloor search of the seabed and provides accurate and precise data during a Shallow Water Route Survey for the provision of safe navigation and underwater security,” Sisulu added.

The R37 225 653 contract (EMTM/2009/19) for the system was awarded to Underwater Surveys (Pty) Ltd located at the Steenberg Office Park near Tokai, Cape Town, on August 5 last year. A follow-on contract was awarded last week (May 13) for R1 485 231, taking the total contract value to R38 710 884.

Navy issues R208m in contracts

The South African Navy has awarded contracts worth R208.3 million to various concerns to upgrade its capabilities. This includes a R27.5 million contract for Reutech Solutions to maintain and support tracker systems aboard the Valour-class MEKO A200SAN frigates. 

Also awarded Thursday was a maintenance and support services contract for electronic warfare systems for “all vessels”, worth R58.8 million to SAAB Grintek Defence; and a maintenance and support services deal for exterior and interior communication systems for the Navy. The latter, awarded to Reutech Solutions, Thursday, is worth a further R57 million. The fourth of the four contracts awarded is for the maintenance and support “of the propulsion plant general propulsion units for the SA Navy”. This was awarded to MTU in February and is worth R65 million to the German company's local operation. 

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Science and technology are the solutions to Africa’s maritime security shortcomings - report

Africa’s long coastline and strategic location on the borders of the world’s major sea lanes pose a challenge to maritime security efforts. A new report issued by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies outlines some of the maritime threats challenging Africa as well as the global community, from smuggling to piracy, and suggests that science and technology can help solve these problems.

Security, economic and humanitarian interests, including long-term access to energy, are all at risk from Africa’s lack of adequate maritime security. “The threats coming up the West African coast really have an enormous potential for huge instability,” General James Jones (ret.) told IPS News late last year. Jones served as US President Barack Obama's national security adviser.

The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) report says there are a number of main reasons why Africa struggles to meet its maritime security challenges. Exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which reach out 200 nautical miles from a coastline, are difficult to monitor because of their size and a lack of resources. For instance, off West and Central Africa, there are less than 25 medium sized vessels available for maritime patrol. Another problem is that many African countries invest heavily in land-based forces and neglect maritime units. Other serious problems are a lack of funding, poor political will and corruption.

The ACSS suggests that science and technology solutions can overcome many of the problems related to African maritime security. For instance, the report suggests that relatively low cost sensor networks and ocean drogues be used instead of patrol boats and research vessels to monitor coastal activity relating to illegal fishing, gun running, drug smuggling, oil spills and so forth. It notes that 115 data-collecting ocean drogues supplied by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been deployed around Africa since 2008 and that a related deployment of meteorological sensors across the coasts of West and Central Africa will be completed by 2011.

The report cites the use of cell phones in Africa as an example of how the continent can successfully use technology to rapidly develop. In most of Africa, cell phone technology leapfrogged landline development, giving phone access to entire populations within a matter of years.

“Strategic investment in science and technology offers a solution to overcome resource constraints,” the report notes. However, it adds that science and technology in Africa is worthless unless proper training and maintenance is put in place, as a lack of support often renders much technology useless after a short period.

The Centre suggests that one way for African governments to enhance maritime security is to work in conjunction with their universities and research institutions. Ghana, Senegal, Mauritius and Nigeria are just some countries that have higher education institutions that conduct oceanographic research. Meanwhile, South Africa conducts research on surveillance and ship identification through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). 

However, South Africa is the only country in Africa that has successfully developed a dedicated government institution for funding research, the report says. “South Africa has the most sophisticated program for leveraging civilian research to the benefit of national security.” The CSIR in particular is capable of supporting research that benefits both civilian and military interests. Some of the maritime security initiatives at the CSIR include its Earth Observation department, research on optics for naval patrol vessels and the development of sensor networks and unmanned vehicles.

“Instead of leaving operational security forces to deal with technology on their own, CSIR is providing the scientific partnership needed to comprehensively and efficiently monitor South Africa’s waters,” the report says.

The report goes on to recommend several ways in which science and technology can be used to improve Africa’s maritime security, including the creation of a feasibility study on maritime security; including research institutions and initiatives in maritime security efforts, and investing in areas of science and technology where African research expertise already exists.

"We must always remember this is an African problem that will require African solutions and the will of governments to solve," said Admiral Henry Ulrich (ret), who commanded US naval forces in Europe and Africa from 2005 to 2007. "It's not one size fits all; it has to be tailored to (each) country," he told ISP News. He added that equipment, science, technology and other resources are necessary for maritime security but that efforts also need to be made to curb corruption, provide better governance and promote economic development.

As the backbone of international commerce, oceans and seas are vital to African peace, security, economic development, transportation, trade and environmental and scientific research. More than 92% of global trade and 70% of global crude oil is moved by sea, according to the African Union, while about 90% of Africa’s trade is conducted via the sea.

The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) report notes that there are many threats to maritime security. Piracy is a big issue, with the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reporting that over a thousand hostages were captured in 218 attacks of the East African coast in 2010, which is double the number of incidents in 2008. Furthermore, experts anticipate an increasing number of kidnappings at sea this year.

Although Somalia gets most of the publicity regarding piracy, armed robberies of local and international vessels in Nigerian waters remains a serious challenge. A report by the Washington-based Atlantic Council released in December last year said that the Gulf of Guinea has become second only to Somali waters in term of the number of attacks against ships. The report, entitled Advancing US, African, and Global Interests: Security and Stability in the West African Maritime Domain, warned that the Gulf of Guinea may even exceed the number of attacks off Somalia’s coast.

Illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing by mostly European and Asian fishing fleets is estimated to cost sub-Saharan Africa bout US$1 billion every year, according to the ACSS report. It adds that the catch from IUU fishing deprives locals of food, floods international markets, depresses prices and discourages legal and environmentally sustainable fishing practices around the world. Furthermore, some Somali fishermen resorted to piracy to keep unauthorised fishing vessels out of their waters as well as vessels dumping toxic waste off their coast. Toxic waste dumping remains a problem in Africa as governments are either paid to accept toxic waste from foreign countries or are unable to stop illegal toxic waste dumping.

The ACSS says that Africa’s $1 trillion per annum maritime economy (representing 90 percent of African commerce) is hampered by illicit trafficking, including a multibillion dollar black market in weapons. It estimates that illegal logging accounts for up to 70% of Africa’s timber harvest and that counterfeit medications make up half of all medicine sales in Africa. In addition, narcotics traffickers are now moving an estimated 50 to 60 tons of cocaine through West Africa to Europe every year.

Other security threats that are detrimental to the African economy include attacks on the oil sector in Nigeria that have cost billions of dollars in lost revenue and damage to infrastructure. The attacks have helped destabilize prices globally and environmentalists estimate that as many as 546 million gallons of oil have been spilled since oil exploration began in Nigeria in 1966 – the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez spill every year. Many of the spills can be traced to oil thieves and sabotage, according to Foreign Policy magazine.

The instability in Nigeria, the region’s most important oil producer, has caused concern around the world, ISP News reports. As most oil and gas in the area is produced along the coastline or, increasingly, offshore, maritime security is especially important. While securing the flow of energy resources is vital to world interests, enhancing maritime security in the area is also very much in the interests of local populations on a range of fronts, according to the Atlantic Council report.

The report said that international governments should give much more attention and resources to strengthen the weak West African governments along the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea in order to protect their territory and coasts from drug and human traffickers, terrorists and other threats. The report warned that current economic and political conditions were creating a “fertile environment where illicit groups including acolytes of radical Islam can readily win new adherents”.

Naval acquisitions to start in 2013

The National Treasury will fund the acquisition of new ships for the South African Navy from the 2013/14 financial ycar. The parsimonious keeper of the national purse says in its Estimates of National Expenditure, released last month, pencilled in a 52.3% increase in the Maritime Combat Capability subprogramme for the year starting April 2013.

The budget boost will provide “for the replacement of the offshore and inshore patrol vessels [Project Biro], procurement of new harbour tugs and the replacement of small boats. This is also the reason for the increase of 73.9% in “transfers and subsidies” in 2013/14.” The latter will spike from R406.5 million in the April 2011 year to R603.7 million in April 2013 and the former to R803.9 million from R570.9 million. 

Overall, naval expenditure is has decreased from R2.4 billion in 2007/08 to R2.3 billion in 2010/11, due to the commissioning of the Valour-class frigates and Heroine-class submarines between 2006 and 2009. Because of Biro expenditure is expected to increase to R2.919 billion over the medium term, at an average annual rate of 7.4%. Defence and Military Veterans minister Lindiwe Sisulu last week said “we discussed it [Biro] sometime last year and shelved it because it was not such an immediate option for us. But we might be getting back to that depending on the outcome of the strategy that we will be presenting to Cabinet,” she said in reference to the body's directive to her ministry last month to develop a strategy to address the threat of piracy in Southern African waters. 

“We would be considering re-energising Project Biro because as you well know some of our frigates are too big to move around the coast...”

The task of the navy is to defend and protect South Africa and its maritime zones by providing:

– a surface combat capability of four frigates, one combat support vessel, two offshore patrol vessels, three inshore patrol vessels and a maritime reaction squadron in each annual operational cycle– a sub-surface combat capability of two submarines in each annual operational cycle

– two mine countermeasures systems in each annual operational cycle to ensure safe access to South African

harbours and where mine clearance may be required

– an ongoing hydrographic survey capability to ensure safe navigation in charting areas and to meet

international obligations.

Per programme, Maritime Direction provides strategic direction by formulating and controlling strategies, policies, plans and advice to prepare and provide the maritime capabilities required to defend and protect South Africa. The subprogramme has a staff complement of 1166, and a total budget of R472.2 million, of which 87.1% will be used for compensation of employees. In 2010/11, the Chief of the Navy visited and hosted various international countries and guests.

The Maritime Combat Capability provides mission ready and supported maritime combat capabilities in line with the approved force design of the department. The subprogramme has a staff complement of 692, and a total budget of R570.9 million, of which 50.2% will be used for compensation of employees and 33.9% for capital acquisitions. In 2010/11, maritime security was provided for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and multinational exercises involving the navies of Brazil, India and South Africa were prepared and executed. 8286 sea hours for patrolling South African maritime zones were recorded in the first six months.

The Maritime Logistic Support Capability sustains the availability of the force structure elements in the naval force design to ensure compliance with ordered operational commitments. The subprogramme has a staff complement of 1762, and a total budget of R724.3 million, of which 25% will be used for repairs and maintenance of equipment, 16.9% for compensation of employees and 16% for a transfer to the Armaments Corporation of South Africa. In 2010/11, a clearly formulated user asset management plan will guide infrastructure development and renewal. The Maritime Human Resources and Training Capability ensures that maritime combat capability requirements

are met in terms of qualified regular and reserve force members. The subprogramme has a staff complement of 2601, and a total budget of R240.6 million, of which 83.3% will be used for compensation of employees. In 2010/11, the subprogramme participated in the South African National Defence Force’s marketing and recruitment drive, during which 6 provinces were visited and 29 800 people were reached.

The Base Support Capability provides a general base support capability to ships and submarines, shore units, and other identified clients to ensure that the fleet complies with specified operational readiness levels. The subprogramme has a staff complement of 1324, and a total budget of R493 million, of which 84.4% will be used for compensation of employees. 

SAS Assegaai exhibit opened at Naval Museum

Flag Officer Fleet Rear Admiral Philip Schöultz will tomorrow officially open the SA Naval Museum Submarine SAS Assegaai. 

The SAS Assegaai (formerly SAS Johanna van der Merwe), the third of three Daphne Class submarine built in France for the SA Navy, was commissioned in 1971. She served her country well and with the acquisition of three new Type 209 submarines, decommissioned in November 2003. Unlike her two sisters which were cut up for scrap, she was retained for preservation as a museum exhibit at the SA Naval Museum.

As the first complete naval vessel to be preserved at the Naval Museum “she will continue to serve as a reminder of our rich naval heritage and as a centre of technology for the youth, promoting the sciences,” Naval Base Simon's Town said in a statement. 

The formal opening marks the first step in her eventual placing ashore at the museum. She is currently afloat in the East Yard ahead of the Cable Restorer. The ceremony will be attended by the Naval Command Council, Directors of Fleet Command, local dignitaries and retired officers who served in submarines. The guest of honour will be Rear Admiral (JG) Theo Honiball (Ret) who as a Lieutenant Commander was her first officer commanding. 

SA to join counter-piracy fight

Cabinet has tasked Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu with developing a strategy to address the threat of piracy in Southern African waters. Sisulu told a media briefing his morning the Valour-class frigate SAS Mendi was already off Mozambique informally collecting information on piracy and cooperating with authorities there “to ensure maritime security in Southern African waters. 

Government spokesman Jimmy Manyi at a post-Cabinet media briefing earlier said the executive had “noted the increasing threat of piracy in South African waters and agreed to explore initiatives aimed at assisting Somalia to counter some of the root causes of piracy.” Government also “further supported the implementation of the Eastern and Southern African-Indian Ocean (EAS-IO) strategy to combat piracy along the coast of Somalia and the greater Southern African waters.” 

Manyi said the strategy, once completed, would be put to Cabinet for consideration. He noted the “strategy that will focus on South Africa’s stance in relation to stabilising the political situation in Somalia; the legislative framework dealing with criminals involved in piracy; the positioning and strengthening of South African naval forces’ capacity in relation to the continent and other countries; and co-opting assistance from neighbouring countries.”

Sisulu added at a Cabinet cluster briefing afterwards that South Africa's “main priority is the continuity of trade and the smooth movement of cargo within the SADC (Southern African Development Community) maritime zone.” She said the Cabinet decision follows a pirate attack on a Mozambican vessel in that country's territorial waters on December 28. Maputo afterwards asked South Africa's assistance in combating the scourge under an existing Memorandum of Understanding. 

SA sub exercises with US frigate

The Heroine-class submarine SAS Charlotte Maxeke (S-102) has exercises with the US Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29) off the South African coast. 

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) says on its website the exercise, last week, was part of a series of joint-training operations between South African and US navies. Commander Matthew Rick, commanding officer of the Stephen W. Groves, told the AFRICOM news service that the exercise allowed his crew to test their ability to deal with real-life situations they might face during their military career.

"Training with another nation's vessel allows the crew to execute in real time," said Rick. "We train constantly using simulations, but having an actual submarine to train with provides hands-on experience that is unmatched in anything we can do while independent steaming. Combine that with the chance to work with the South African Navy and it was a win-win situation for both crews and nations."

The exercise focused on close quarters maneuvering which allowed watch standers to train in vessel avoidance and contact management. "It is extremely rare to have the opportunity to train with a foreign navy's warship," said South African Navy Commander Darren White, commanding officer Charlotte Maxeke. "We met every objective, and were impressed with the precision with which the crew of Stephen W. Groves handled this exercise." 

Two Stephen W. Groves sailors, Lieutenant Shane Collins and Ensign Daniel Stayton, had the unique opportunity to spend two days embarked aboard Charlotte Maxeke. "It was really impressive to see the professionalism and efficiency with which Commander White's crew went about their operations," said Collins. "They were great hosts, and the whole experience is one I will treasure."

"The crew of the Charlotte Maxeke brought us on board and helped us feel right at home," said Stayton. "I had a great time and walked away immensely impressed with the type of operational tempo and command climate they have aboard." Stephen W. Groves also hosted numerous ship riders from the Charlotte Maxeke. This training was part of the US Navy's initiative to strengthen military partnership nations throughout the continent of Africa, AFRICOM added.

Republic of South Africa dispatched first ship to fight piracy

Republic of South Africa sent the first warship to counter piracy in the Mozambique Channel, reported broadcasting corporation SABC on Feb 13. 

Frigate Mendi will join other 5 frigates and 18 smaller warships in the anti-piracy campaign. 

In Dec 2010 Somali pirates failed to capture two vessels in the Mozambique Channel which was their southernmost assault. 

According to International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates currently hold 31 vessels and 700 hostages.

Military mum on Mendi

The military is remaining mum on the deployment of the Valour-class frigate SAS Mendi to Durban for operational training in reported anticipation of an anti-pirate patrol in the Mozambique channel. 

Th Afrikaans daily Beeld this week reported the deployment was being held up by the absence of a signed Memorandum of Understaning setting out rules of engagement. Minister of Defence and Military Veterans last year July told a small group of journalists, including defenceWeb, that her deputy, Thabang Makwetla, had that month attended a Southern African Development Community (SADC) conference in the Seychelles. There “we did commit ourselves to protecting the waters around SADC from piracy.” She added: “We are ready to deploy in SADC waters because it is part of our responsibility.”

Business Day also reported this week the SADC meeting was followed by a ministerial antipiracy conference in Mauritius in October last year. South Africa’s delegation was led by the ambassador to Mauritius, Madumane Matabane. The Pretoria News, meanwhile, quoted defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman as saying that the deployments should have happened years ago. “We should have done this years ago when we first received requests for help from the European Union, who warned us of the threat not only to shipping off the East coast of Africa, but also to shipping travelling through our waters,” he said. Heitman said the threats were real and serious. “Not only are they threatening the country’s economy, but they could also lead to an ecological disaster should the pirates successfully attack and possibly sink an oil tanker.” 

“Pirates see areas such as the Mozambican Channel as untapped gold mines. With the knowledge that there are very few African countries who can respond to attacks, the pirates know that they can operate without fear.” The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in its annual report last month said pirates murdered eight seafarers and seized a record 1181 hostages as well 53 ships last year, a new lowpoint. According to the IMB, the number of pirate attacks on ships around the world has risen every year for the past four years, with 445 incidents in 2010, which is an increase of 10% over 2009. 1050 crewmembers were taken hostage in 2009 compared with just 188 crew in 2006. 293 incidents were reported in 2008 compared to 263 in 2007. The 2010 attacks included two confirmed cases of piracy in the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar near the Comoros in late December and two failed attempts some 200 kilometres east of Quelimane, capital of the central Mozambican province of Zambezia. The city is about halfway up the Mozambican coast and some 300km north of Beira. 

Heitman added the attacks could be dealt with, although “it would be difficult given the Navy’s limited logistical capabilities.” Institute of Security Studies military analyst Henri Boshoff told the Pretoria News the response was not only South African but also “part of a larger SADC military response” to piracy. “The government is keeping a tight lid on how it is going to respond to these latest attacks.” Boshoff said while South Africa’s navy had conducted operations in the Mozambican Channel area and off the country’s East Coast, the latest attacks had triggered a strong response from South Africa. 

Attempts to get comment from government were unsuccessful. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation referred queries to the Department of Defence, where a spokesman said the matter was “sensitive”. 

The IMB last month also warned that some pirate groups were now using large hijacked vessels as “motherships” to extend their reach. “At least five large hijacked cargo ships and three fishing vessels have acted as mother ships in the last couple of months, posing a new and significant threat to the safety of shipping. The five cargo vessels range in size from 5000 to 72 000 metric tons in deadweight - or cargo carrying capacity - and include four tankers and a general cargo vessel,” the IMB said in a statement. “More than 100 crew members from these hijacked cargo vessels, are being forced to facilitate the attacks and in effect provide a human shield to any potential naval intervention.” Hijacked vessels have previously been used by the pirates, enabling a greater range and capability- meaning they can operate further into the Indian Ocean and with no interference by naval forces. IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “Whilst the use of hijacked vessels as mother ships is not a new phenomenon, the abduction of crew members could signal a significant new development.”