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Maritime Security: Tanker Attacks Spark Call-Ups For Guards
The difference here is Iran, and/or it’s proxies are the attackers. So this is a case of private security defending vessels against state sponsored actions. Crazy.... Kind of like defending merchant ships against Germany’s U-boats during WW 1 and 2. The article also delves into what has happened to the MarSec industry over the years. Salaries have decreased, and cheaper guards have been used to fill the need for armed guards on boats. The problem with this is that they may be cheap, but you get what you pay for. Some Indian or Eastern European guard is definitely not the equivalent to a highly trained Royal Marine or Navy SEAL... Just saying. But that is where the industry has gone over the years. There have also been incidents where guards have been imprisoned by states, which is an interesting thought for this deal with Iran. Iran might view the ships as targets to not only blow up, but to also take hostages. You never know with this stuff and everything has to be considered with this type of enemy. Just look at the historic examples of what Iran has done. 52 American hostages were held for 444 days back in the late seventies as a means of attacking the west. So a guard force is definitely important for these vessels. In the case of these recent attacks, limpet mines were attached to the vessels. Any guard force assigned to a vessel will have to have the means to look for these things. I would say SEALs or similar former military types, with a diving background and naval special warfare experience would be the optimum resource for this type of threat. Other types of attacks might include missiles or armed UAVs, like what the Houthis have been using in Yemen. Do shipping companies have a counter-UAV capability? Or a counter-missile battery? Good question, but if munitions like this are launched at ships, shipping companies will have to re-calibrate. Posted by: Besoeker 2019-06-21 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=543890 |