8.15 Armed Private Maritime Security Contactors
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1339 – Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Waters off the Coast of Somalia – (14 September 2011)Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy - Annex 2 - Section 8 Ship Protection Measures - 8.15 Armed Private Maritime Security Contactors

8.15 Armed Private Maritime Security Contactors

 The use, or not, of armed Private Maritime Security Contractors onboard merchant vessels is a matter for individual ship operators to decide following their own voyage risk assessment and approval of respective Flag States. This advice does not constitute a recommendation or an endorsement of the general use of armed Private Maritime Security Contractors.

Subject to risk analysis, careful planning and agreements the provision of Military Vessel Protection Detachments (VPDs) deployed to protect vulnerable shipping is the recommended option when considering armed guards.

If armed Private Maritime Security Contractors are to be used they must be as an additional layer of protection and not as an alternative to BMP.

If armed Private Maritime Security Contractors are present on board a merchant vessel, this fact should be included in reports to UKMTO and MSCHOA.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have produced guidance in the form of IMO Circulars for ship operators and Masters and for Flag States on the use of Private Maritime Security Contractors on board ships in the High Risk Area.

The current IMO Guidance on the use of armed Private Maritime Security Contractors is included on the MSCHOA website. (www.mschoa.org)

Parent topic: Section 8 Ship Protection Measures
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