Pirate Attacks

Yes, Oceanographers Can Help Predict Piracy Attacks

The US Naval Meteorology & Oceanography Command named a 2013 Computerworld Honors Laureate for its counter-piracy predictive modelling. The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) received the award for a modeling capability developed by Naval oceanographers at Stennis Space Center that predicts the likelihood of pirate attacks.

IDG's Computerworld Honors Program selected NAVMETOCCOM as a 2013 Laureate in the field of Safety and Security for its development of its Pirate Attack Risk Surface (PARS). The PARS model produces a forecast of shipping vulnerability due to piracy at a certain latitude, longitude, and time. A few short months before Somali pirates hijacked the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama in 2009, NAVMETOCCOM operators were asked to assist in the fight against piracy, which had been on the rise in the Somali Basin due to government instability in the region. Pirate attacks are a threat to the United States' national security and foreign policy, and they impact maritime safety, disrupt shipping and ultimately cost the world's economy billions of dollars annually. 

 Within two weeks, the command had developed the framework of the first-generation Piracy Performance Surface (PPS) model, which produced maps of probability of attack based on how environmental conditions influenced pirate small boat operations.

Pirate Attacks at its Lowest Since 1999

According to the Hartford Courant, pirate attacks on ships fell last year to their lowest since 1999 as incidents declined off Indonesia, the world's most dangerous area for piracy. Attacks off Somalia and Iraq surged. Attacks dropped 16 percent, to 276. About 440 crewmembers were taken hostage last year, the highest since data has been compiled in 1992. Indonesia, whose oil-rich Aceh province has been struck by a separatist rebellion, accounted for almost a third of the attacks

Piracy: Attacks Getting Bigger, Bolder

According to data released July 14, 2011, by the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks off Somalia and in the GoA/Indian Ocean region climbed dramatically in the first six months of this year. Figures reveal that there were 266 attacks on vessels in this period compared with 196 attacks in 2010. “In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they’re taking higher risks,” IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said

Somali Piracy Contact Group: UN Plenary Meeting

The United States will join partners from over 85 countries, international organizations, & the private sector at the United Nations in New York on 1st May, 2013. The Contact Group is a growing diplomatic effort that is taking action against criminal activity that threatens commerce and humanitarian aid deliveries along one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors. On May 2, the Contact Group will hold a symposium, “Creating Economic Opportunities for Somalis

This Day in Naval History – July 21

1823 - After pirate attack, LT David G. Farragut leads landing party to destroy pirate stronghold in Cuba. 1944 - Invasion and recapture of Guam begins. 1946 - In first U.S. test of adaptability of jet aircraft to shipboard operations, XFD-1 Phantom makes landings and takeoffs without catapults from Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1987 - Navy escorts first Earnest Will Convoy in the Persian Gulf. (Source: Navy News

Danish Navy Foils Pirate Attack off Somali Coast

According to a report from AFP, a helicopter from a Danish warship under NATO operational control foiled a pirate attack August 28 on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The Danish ship Esbern Snare launched a helicopter in response to a call for help from a merchant vessel, the Danish Navy told AFP. According to the report, a statement from NATO's maritime command said the attacked merchant ship was the Panamanian flagged MV Caribbean Carrier.

Dryad Maritime Welcomes Japanese Plans

Dryad Maritime, a U.K. commercial maritime intelligence company, welcomed the Japanese government’s plans to submit a bill to the National Diet which will permit the carriage of armed guards on Japanese-flagged vessels but advise that a number of other precautions must also be taken. The Japan Times last week reported on Japanese government plans to submit a bill to the National Diet that would permit armed guards to operate on Japanese ships given the view that their presence on

Super Tanker Attacked in Arabian Sea

A Liberian-flagged very large crude tanker, Sirius Star, was attacked more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya, Nov. 15. The ship is owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco and is operated by Vela International. The crew of 25 includes citizens of: Croatia, Great Britain, Republic of the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. This attack comes amid a decrease in the rate of successful pirate attacks on merchant vessels off the coast of Somalia

India Wants UN in Gulf of Aden

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, APVN Sarma, secretary (shipping), who is heading an Indian delegation to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London, has asked the IMO to recommend to the UN to constitute a peacekeeping force under a unified command to keep a check on pirate attacks. (Source: Hindustan Times)

Danger on the High Seas

A tale of survival could best describe John S. Burnett's experience onboard his sloop Unicorn in January 1992. Sailing solo across the South China Sea to Singapore - one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world - Burnett was attacked by pirates. However, with luck on his side, Burnett, who is a journalist and professional seaman, survived. Following this harrowing experience, Burnett was prompted to investigate further the world of modern-day piracy - world that is as shocking as it is