Indian media reports ‘pirate’ incident

The Times of India carried an article on Dec. 8th, which stated that Kandla Marine Police had opened a case against three unknown suspects who carried out ‘mid-sea piracy’ against the MV Jeetsagar on November 13th.

According to the report, three ‘pirates’ boarded the cargo ship off the Indian cosat, between Kandla and Navlakhi ports during the night.

“They boarded the ship and looted barrels containing 190 litres of diesel and a cellphone,” according to the paper, as well as threatening crew. Given the location and apparent threats made to the vessel before the incident, it would appear that this was the work of opportunists rather than a concerted piracy effort. The incident does not appear to have been reported to the IMB.

Japan plans to deploy escort ship, patrol aircraft in Arabian Sea in 2020

Nathan Gain

Japan plans to send one escort ship, one patrol aircraft and 270 sailors from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to the northern part of the Arabian Sea to protect international merchant vessels, the Nikkei business daily said yesterday.

The Japanese government is expected to green light the deployment plan by the end of this year. The JMSDF assets will be deployed on a one-year mission that could be renewed on an annual basis. Japan said it would not join the U.S.-led coalition Sentinel the Pentagon is forming in the region with countries such as Australia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

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Source: navalnews.com

UN adopts resolution renewing authorization for Somalia anti-piracy measures

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted Resolution 2500 renewing the authorization for Somalia anti-piracy measures to December of 2020.

The United States-drafted resolution has decided to renew for 12 months the authorization for states and regional organizations cooperating with Somalia to enter into Somali territorial waters and use all necessary means for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.

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Source: xinhuanet.com

US warship in the Gulf seizes alleged Iranian missile parts

A US Navy warship seized advanced missile parts believed to be linked to Iran from a boat it had stopped in the Arabian Sea as the Trump administration pressures Tehran to curb its activities in the region.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed that, on November 25, a US warship found “advanced missile components” on a stateless vessel and an initial investigation indicated the parts were of Iranian origin.

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Source: aljazeera.com

Iranian navy announces enhanced presence in Red Sea to protect navigation

Iranian Navy ships in Velayat-90 military exercise, by Mohammad Sadegh Heydari via Wikipedia

Iran’s Navy commander, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, said on Wednesday that the presence of his country’s troops in the Red Sea would be reinforced to protect navigation routes.

Khanzadi indicated, in a press statement issued by Fars News Agency today, that “the Red Sea’s maritime security has been undermined, as several oil tankers have been targeted in recent months, which requires further strengthening the presence of our troops in this zone.”

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Source: middleeastmonitor.com

Iran plans to raise Hormuz peace initiative at IMO summit in London

The managing director of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, has said that the Iranian delegation plans to put forward the Hormuz peace initiative at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) summit in London.

In an interview with the IRIB on Monday, Mohammad Rastad said that security in the region must be maintained by the regional countries.

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Source: hellenicshippingnews.com

Mysteries of the Middle East Gulf: proxies, drones and spoofing

by Craig Jallal

New Coalition In Gulf May Not Fare As Well As Old One – Analysis

By YaleGlobal Online

Operational Sentinel patrols the Strait of Hormuz, yet regional rivalries and the international coalition’s makeup could escalate tensions.

By Gregory Clough and Morgan D. Bazilian*

Renewed conflict in the Strait of Hormuz pushed the United States to establish an international coalition for maritime security to ensure safe passage of shipping traffic and guarding against further disruption in oil supplies. While such security coalitions have been successful in the past, applying the same approach in the Middle East may not improve conditions and may even exacerbate tensions.

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Source: eurasiareview.com

Exercise Naseem Bahr: Joint naval drill between India and Oman to focus on maritime security and anti-piracy

By: Huma Siddiqui

India and Oman will conduct the 12th edition of bilateral maritime exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ in the Arabian Sea next month, as both countries are aiming to further increase interoperability between the two navies and enhance maritime security.

The scope of Naseem Al Bahr this year will include besides professional interactions, operational activities at sea across the spectrum of maritime operations.

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Source: financialexpress.com

Kenya committed to meeting maritime framework expectations

His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta the President and Commander-in -Chief of the the Kenya Defence Forces at the officiall launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) in 2018

Multi agency cooperation remains the only way to address maritime crimes as it sends a strong and unified message to pirates and other organized criminals to cease their illegal trade.

Speaking during a Regional meeting on “Capacity Building Coordination for Enhanced Maritime Security in the West Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden and Donor Forum”at a Mombasa hotel, defense Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo said progress has been made to enhance Maritime domain awareness through multi agency collaboration.

“I have observed directly the benefits that have accrued from the Maritime code of conduct appended in Djibouti by member states geared towards near eradication of piracy,” said Omamo.

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Source: kbc.co.ke