Loose Cannons!

A week ago the Indian Navy, struck a body blow for shipping, world wide, by sinking a pirate vessel in the Gulf of Aden and capturing the fleeing pirates.With this amazing operation the Indian Navy has clearly established its reach & prowess.
For me it was a redemption of sorts seeing the INS Khukhri being part of the operation, because in 1971, the INS Khukhri was a ship the Indian Navy lost to the Pakistan Navy, in a sea battle.
In a move to take on piracy, our Defense minister is toying with the idea of having 'Sea Marshals' or armed security men on board, merchant ships to protect them.The issue is, ships unlike organizations cannot have 'matrix organizations', where the reporting structure is loose and not clearly established. The point is, will the 'sea marshal' work under the command of the ships captain or will he/she operate as an independent entity answering only to his/her call? On board an Indian ship the authority of the captain is supreme and is established by the Constitution of India ( Merchant Shipping Act 1958 ). This debate has been raging in western Europe and the USA for a while now and no answer has been found.No ships captain would like to see a loose cannon running around his ship.
Another idea is to have a 'fortified' area on board, where crew can secure themselves under attack from pirates and wait to be rescued by a rescue force. Assume this scenario played out on a crude oil carrier with 100000 Tons of crude oil? What would prevent the pirates from blowing up this floating bomb, before the rescue force arrived?
While the Defense Minister's zest is commendable, his lack of domain knowledge is painfully evident and eventually like all conflicts the solution to this vexed problem as well, will have to be found by diplomats on land rather than by guns at sea!

There are no stupid questions!

As I lecture, to young sparks, in moments of lull, my mind drifts to how safe it is to lecture in a class as against my previous avatar as a sea farer. The reason I make this statement is because the number of seafarers in captivity and held for ransom by Somalian Pirates has crossed the figure of five hundred and has gone largely un-noticed, even as many of us go about our daily business of trying to figure out which restaurant we would like to visit at the weekend or which politician is going to give it to us in the neck, next.

Even as I write this piece, hundreds of seafarers are risking their freedom every day to allow ships to move through the busy international marine corridor linking West with East, called the Gulf of Aden, thereby ensuring that oil, chemicals and gas, food, raw materials and finished products all reach their destinations unhindered. Interestingly it is said that almost everything that floats today has an Indian on board.

But think for a moment of how these seafarers feel as they prepare for a transit of the Gulf of Aden ( How do their families feel? ), studying Best Management Practice specific to their situation, erecting defences such as razor wire and water cannon, practising protective procedures and manoeuvres. Practicing time and again for that one emergency that may surface at short notice.

Over 90% of global trade, including crude oil, goes by sea.Now think for a moment how every one of us would be affected if our seafarers said enough is enough and cargoes were delayed as they were re-routed round South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope or Sea farers demanded increased remuneration as risk and hardship allowance.

A while ago a young gun asked me if pirates really looked like Capt Jack Sparrow, in Pirates of the Caribbean. I said, yes, except that, they had eye patches covering both eyes, instead of one.I did not add that, today, pirates are armed with shoulder fired missiles as against the cutlass that Sparrow, wielded! I was joking, but the sad part is that many of us are operating with blinkers, cloistered in an unreal world, and the description would well suit many who live in a safety that is taken for granted.

Another enterprising youngster asked me, if it was true that a naval man had a wife in every port? While I'm a firm beliver in the dictum, that there are no stupid questions, this one took my breath away and, that is a story that will be reserved for another time...................

Lawless Seas!

The marine fraternity watched with bated breath as a Russian warship, with naval commandos, headed out to the Gulf of Aden, to assist, a sea jacked oil tanker, 'Moscow University'. The tanker was carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil from Sudan to China, valued at over $ 50 million, when it was captured by Somalia pirates on May 5 and rescued by a Russian anti-submarine cruiser the next day in a commando operation. Apparently the tanker carrying crude oil was taken over by heavily armed Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia.In ensuing events the ship was boarded by the Russian commandos & after a firefight, in which one pirate was killed, all the ships crew were saved & moved to safety.The Russian Defense Ministry said, the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the Moscow University.
While the commando operation has been lauded the world over, Russian Prime minister, Putin has praised the ships crew for their fortitude, skill & valor. I think the conduct of the Captain & his crew on the oil tanker was exemplary.They seem to have followed, all security instructions, as drilled into them, created a secure perimeter & taken shelter in the ships Engine Room. Not only did they prevent the pirates at getting at them, but were also prepared for a long siege, with adequate water & food. The Captain had also radioed for help as soon as the pirate attack began & when Russian commandos reached the stricken ship, the pirates were sitting ducks. Contrast this with the Belgian ship, captured a couple of days ago. The pirates have physically taken hostage of the ships crew ( 13 Indians ) & enormously improved their bargaining power.
From an organization point of view, what is to be learnt, from this episode? The Captain of the 'Moscow University', said that he & his crew took their anti piracy drills very seriously, so when the crisis hit, they responded, correctly and effectively.Good planning & preparation does that for you!
The Russians have also captured, ten of the pirates & now seem to have a quandary on their hands, whether to hand the pirates over to the defunct Government of Somalia or try them in Russia.Because international laws are so loose & poorly defined, many fear that the Russians, could take the short route & execute the pirates, to bring closure to the event.Suspected pirates from other cases are in custody and awaiting trial in France, the Netherlands and the United States.Handling of internation disputes, continues to be an area of challenge for most nations!Many countries are keen to hand over, captured pirates for trial to Kenya, but the Kenyans, are not very interested, as of now, due to their own internal issues......

Pirate Medicine!

In this photo released by the Turkish military, seven pirates aboard a skiff, hold up their hands a Turkish commandos approach their boat in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. The Turkish military said Saturday navy commandos aboard the Turkish frigate TCG Gediz, part of a NATO force patrolling the seas, have captured seven pirates. Commandos raided the skiff Saturday morning upon a request to block it before it could attack a ship. It says a navy helicopter aboard a Turkish frigate also took part in the operation.11:10 a.m. ET, 9/26/09

The chickens they say finally come home to roost!

I almost split my sides on reading the following story.

PARIS - Somali pirates in two skiffs fired on a French navy vessel early Wednesday after apparently mistaking it for a commercial boat, the French military said.
The French ship gave chase and captured five suspected pirates.
No one was wounded by the volleys from the Kalashnikov rifles directed at La Somme, a 3,800-ton refueling ship, French military spokesman Rear Adm. Christophe Prazuck said.

I'm glad the lot got a taste of their own medicine.Pirates at sea can be a terrifying experience for unarmed ships making voyages on the high seas.