Maritime Security Review. Published on March 23, 2012 by Mark Lowe · No Comments.
Shipping firms use floating armouries to deter pirates - International. Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armouries in international waters so ships that want armed guards for East Africa’s pirate-infested waters can cut costs and escape laws limiting the import and export of weapons.
Companies and legal experts say the operation of the armouries is a “legal grey area” because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security companies have not informed the governments of the flag their ship is flying. Some members of the private security sector are now urging governments and industry leaders to impose standards on the unchecked practice of storing weapons off-shore to equip anti-pirate forces off Somalia’s coast. Storing guns on boats offshore took off as a business last year. Britain – where many of the operators are from – is investigating the legality of the practice. “Everything has got to be secured correctly, recorded, bonded, the correct locks, and so on. Regulations vary from country to country. SomaliaReport: Maritime Security Industry Under UN Scrutiny. Shipping security firms return fire as UN experts criticise regulation gap. Piracy fighters use floating armouries. 2012-03-23 11:04 Nairobi - Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armouries in international waters so ships that want armed anti-piracy guards can cut costs and circumvent laws limiting the import and export of weapons, industry officials say.
Companies and legal experts described the operation of the armouries as a "legal gray area" because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security companies have simply not informed the governments of the flag their ship is flying, industry officials said. Storing guns on boats offshore really took off as a business last year.
Piracy fears over ships laden with arms in international watersSomali pirates: concern over floating armouries. Private security companies guarding ships against Somali pirates are increasingly storing their weapons on so-called "floating armouries" in international waters, to avoid arms smuggling laws when they dock in ports.
About 20 ships stocked with assault rifles and other small arms as well as ammunition, body armour and night vision goggles are scattered around the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, the EU naval force has confirmed. The legal status of these armouries is unclear, and industry experts are concerned that the absence of regulation leaves the armouries vulnerable to attack from the pirates they are intended to guard against. Peter Cook, of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry, said that "some armouries are effective and some are not" and that the poorly run ones could be at risk of looting.
Floating armouries can lead to 26/11 type attacks: Navy Chief. New Delhi, Dec 3, 2013, (PTI): Unregulated floating private armouries carrying combatants of certain countries are a matter of concern and can have serious security implications for the country including infiltration of terrorists that can lead to 26/11-type attacks, Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi warned today.Addressing the annual Navy Day press conference, he also sought a "reversal" of high risk areas for merchant ships plying in the piracy prone zones, saying such an extension in these zones has resulted in incidents such as the killing of four Indian fishermen by Italian marines near Kerala coast.
"Floating armoury is a matter of very serious concern. This is entirely unregulated... Piracy And Floating Armouries In The Indian Ocean: Risk Or A Solution? - Analysis. The Indian Ocean is bounded by India's Lakshadweep Islands to the north By IPCS By Riddhi K Shah Rising trends in piracy in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Somalia, over the last few years have forced States to adopt innovative and collaborative approaches as effective counter-measures.The once tabooed private military security companies (PMSCs) are an attractive option today, which has triggered a huge demand for it.
As of 2013, close to 140 security firms reportedly operated in the Northern Indian Ocean, the bulk of which were conceived in 2011. The modus operandi is generally to place a team of four armed contractors on each ship for a specific length of the transit; these are generally passages that have been declared as High-Risk Areas (HRA). Regardless of the nation’s preference, carrying arms is accompanied by complex legalities and even high costs.To avoid this, floating armoury ships have sprouted across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). For floating armouries to be effective: