Combating the scourge of the sea

With at least 30 warships from an unlikely coalition of nations - 17 at the latest count - patrolling off the Horn of Africa, the maritime industrial sector has witnessed an explosion in the number of companies offering equipment intended to help naval forces, merchant shipping companies and private security firms combat the threat posed by piracy on the high seas.

Most of the surface combatants currently deployed in the region with Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 2, EU Naval Force (NAVFOR) Somalia and the US-led Combined Task Force 151 seem to have been adequately fitted out for the counter-piracy role in any case, as it falls squarely under the umbrella of maritime security operations - an arena that major navies are already very familiar with.

However, a few navies are procuring technologies specifically intended to assist in the identification and interception of vessels that have participated in, or are suspected of involvement in, maritime armed robberies, hijackings and similar criminal activities.

Merchant shipping groups are also being encouraged to invest in an array of devices - including non-lethal weapons - for the purpose of deterrence and self-defence in the event of an attack.

This surge in interest is well founded. In July, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) announced that the number of piracy attacks reported globally had more than doubled in the first six months of this year, rising from 114 in the period January-June 2008 to 240 in the same period in 2009.