Ch16 Maritime Risk Intelligence

The Ch16 Maritime Risk Blog is your free resource for insights and analysis on maritime risks, safety, and (Cyber) security for the maritime professional.

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4 Min Read

Iran threatens US Army post and top general

Iran has made threats against Fort McNair, an Army post in the U.S. capital, and against the Army’s vice chief of staff, two senior U.S. intelligence officials said.
March 31, 2021

What threat does China pose within the South China Sea?

Dryad Global analysts James Welsh and Dorottya Zsiboracs on China's influence within the South China Sea.
March 31, 2021

Obangame 2021: Nigerian Navy increases security presence in GOG

The Nigerian Navy has deployed six ships, two tugboats, two helicopters and a Nigerian Airforce ATR42 aircraft toward addressing maritime challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
March 30, 2021
1 Min Read

Saudi-led coalition destroys Houthi rigged boats, drones

The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi forces has destroyed two explosive-laden boats that the Iran-aligned group planned to use in an “imminent” attack launched from the Red Sea port of..
March 30, 2021

Saudi minister accuses Iran of being involved in latest Houthi attacks

The Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, accused Iran of being involved in the recent attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities, which were carried out by the Houthi forces on..
March 30, 2021

Mozambique: Volunteer ships evacuate 1,000 from Palma after attack

Jihadist insurgents linked to Islamic State overran the northern Mozambican town of Palma, sparking a Dunkirk-style rescue operation for residents by a flotilla of private vessels.
March 29, 2021

Mozambique: several dead as insurgents seize control of town

At least one foreign worker among those killed after assault on Palma, near a huge gas project
March 29, 2021

Gunmen kill wanted Libyan commander in new sign of instability

Gunmen assassinated an eastern Libyan commander wanted for war crimes on Wednesday, medics said, underscoring the risks of violent escalation on the ground that poses the biggest challenge to Libya’s..
March 29, 2021

Alleged Attack - Israeli Owned Vessel

Reporting indicates that an Israeli owned vessel has suffered an explosion whilst in transit within the Arabian Sea.
March 25, 2021

Stowaway's story raises questions about Nave Andromeda incident

Further questions have arisen over a decision to deploy special forces against a group of seven asylum seekers accused of hijacking an oil tanker after one of them told the Guardian they only..
March 25, 2021

Maritime Law to Give Beijing Edge in South China Sea Disputes

Chinese officials will pass a basic maritime law to formalise their sovereignty claims over the contested, resource-rich South China Sea and defend those claims more effectively in the international..
March 24, 2021

Airstrikes hit Sanaa and Port of Salif

Reporting indicates that Saudi-led Coalition airstrikes against Houthi targets have hit a missile and drone assembly plant Sanaa and the a warehouse and living quarters in the Port of Salif.
March 24, 2021

Dryad Global Security Notice - Increased Congestion in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Reporting indicates that the Panama flagged MV EVER GIVEN (IMO 9811000) has run aground within the Suez Canal causing a temporary blockage of both the northbound and southbound waterways.
March 24, 2021

Panama flagged MV EVER GIVEN runs aground in Suez Canal blocking major oil route

Reporting indicates that the Panama flagged MV EVER GIVEN (IMO 9811000) has run aground within the Suez Canal causing a temporary blockage of both the northbound and southbound waterways.
March 24, 2021

China, Malaysia, Taiwan & Vietnam's 'excessive' South China Sea Claims

China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam have made “excessive maritime claims” over the South China Sea, according to the Annual Freedom of Navigation Report 2020 prepared by the US Department of Defence.
March 23, 2021

Why pirates attack: Geospatial evidence

"I believe the title of pirate should be given to those who come to our waters illegally.”

Approach - 21nm North MINA SAQR

Reporting indicates that a vessel has reported an approach 21nm North of Mina Saqr port.
March 22, 2021

Alleged Tug Boat Hijacked within Persian Gulf

Pirates have hijacked an Iraqi ship that was stranded outside the country’s waters and took it to an unknown location, the MP for the Basra governorate said on Sunday.
March 22, 2021

Singapore Reaffirms Role of ReCAAP and its Efforts to Combat Piracy

Singapore, as one of the 20 Contracting Parties to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP), and host to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), is..
March 22, 2021

Maritime Cyber Security & Threats Feb -March 2021

Dryad and cyber partners RedSkyAlliance continue to monitor attempted attacks within the maritime sector. Here we continue to examine how email is used to deceive the recipient and potentially expose..
March 22, 2021

NIMASA & Nigerian Navy Take Positive Steps to tackle insecurity

The Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have strengthened maritime security with the deployment of hi-tech assets for vessel protection.
March 22, 2021

Denmark to deploy Absalon-class Danish frigate to the Gulf of Guinea

Denmark has announced that it will deploy an Absalon-class Danish frigate equipped with a detachment of Danish Marines and helicopter to the Gulf of Guinea between November 2021 and March 2022.
March 19, 2021

Context en achtergrondinformatie: ontvoerde crew aan boord van de Nederlandse olietanker Davide B

De MV Davide B is op 11 Maart 2021 aangevallen door 9 bewapende individuen 213nm (nautische mijlen) ten Zuiden van Cotonou. 15 van de 21 crewleden zijn ontvoerd, de nationaliteit van deze crewleden..
March 18, 2021

Libyan National Army Grants Turkish vessels access to Eastern Ports

The General Command of the Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced on Wednesday that they have granted permission for commercial ships carrying the Turkish flag to enter..
March 18, 2021

Spanish police seize narco-submarine in Malaga raid

Police in Spain have seized a homemade submarine capable of transporting up to two tonnes of drugs.
March 18, 2021
3 Min Read

Increase in attacks on ships in the Middle East

Recent tensions at sea include allegations by Iran that Israel has carried out an attack on one of its cargo ships in the Mediterranean.
March 17, 2021
12 Min Read

Why Britain is tilting to the Indo-Pacific region

Some will call it a tilt, others a rebalancing and yet others a pivot but, either way, the new big idea due to emerge from the government’s foreign and defence policy review is the importance of the..
March 17, 2021

Why some ships vanish before unloading in the Middle East

On a radar map, the northern mouth of the Suez canal resembles a Bermuda Triangle-sur-Mer: ships have a habit of disappearing. So it was with the Emerald, an oil tanker which went through the canal..
March 17, 2021

Digitalisation: An arrow in shipping’s quiver or hackers’ ace in the hole?

Digitalisation in the maritime sector remains a double-edged sword, because while technology and digital tools support the supply chain significantly, these same tools have opened new vulnerabilities.
March 17, 2021

Will the Biden Presidency lead to greater maritime security in 2021 within the Persian Gulf?

Anticipating the Biden Administration’s Iran strategy is crucial for understanding future risks to maritime operators in the Persian Gulf. Though the new U.S. Administration has officially offered to..
March 16, 2021

Is an unequal balance of rich & poor driving maritime crime within the Straits of Malacca & Singapore?

There is significant wealth disparity between littoral states in the SoM&S - the GDP per capita of Singapore is 6 times greater than Malaysia and more than 15 times greater than Indonesia. The uneven..
March 15, 2021

Boarding - 208nm South Lagos

Reporting indicates that a MV was boarded 208nm South of Lagos.
March 14, 2021

What is the state of Somalia and could the region return to piracy?

Ensuring onshore socioeconomic stability remains key to repressing a resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean.
March 12, 2021

There’s No Margin for Error in Port Cyber Security

With the global shipping industry already under pressure, Joel Snape, Security Researcher at Nettitude, explains why addressing the risk to port infrastructure from cyber-attack has never been more..
March 12, 2021

UPDATE - Kidnapping - 213nm South Cotonou

Reporting indicates that Maltese flagged MT DAVIDE B (IMO9721750) has been boarded by 9 armed individuals 213nm South Cotonou, 15 crew reported kidnapped.
March 11, 2021

Iran-flagged container vessel ‘SHAHR E KORD’ suffers explosion in the Eastern Mediterranean offshore Haifa

Unconfirmed Iranian media reporting indicates that the Iran-flagged container vessel ‘SHAHR E KORD’ has suffered an explosion whilst operating in the Eastern Mediterranean offshore Haifa. Unverified..
March 11, 2021

Video: Pirates board & loot German container ship

Ecuadorian news agency EXPRESO expreso.ec reported a piracy attack in Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador, in the evening Mar 6 local time.
March 11, 2021
1 Min Read

Maiteeq Announces End of Financial Split in Libya

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), Ahmed Maiteeq officially announced the end of the financial split between the two finance ministries in..
March 10, 2021

Singapore’s navy tests a new layer of surveillance: unmanned vessels

Singapore is testing unmanned surface vessels with a locally developed, AI-driven navigation algorithm that could be used for maritime security operations in the congested but strategically important..
March 10, 2021

Police kill four suspected sea robbers in Nigeria

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has said that its men killed four suspected sea robbers terrorising Iwukpom/Opolum water channel in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state.
March 09, 2021

Global Yacht Security Summary - March Update

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 created unprecedented chaos and challenges for super yacht owners and operators.
March 09, 2021

How effective have regional frameworks been in resolving piracy within West Africa to date?

The West African maritime security situation is at breaking point. Seafarer's lives are at risk from ever-increasing violent attacks and Nigerian pirates are operating with increased impunity...
March 09, 2021

Suspicious Approach - 105nm SE Nishtun

UKMTO reporting indicates that that a vessel has reported being approached by four small craft.
March 08, 2021

German warship to cross South China Sea for first time since 2002

US hails plan by NATO ally calling it welcome support for a ‘rules-based international order’ amid tensions in resource-rich waters.
March 08, 2021

International Women’s Day 2021 #ChooseToChallenge

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.
March 08, 2021

Houthis strike Saudi oil giant’s facilities in the kingdom’s east

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed that they hit an Aramco oil facility in eastern Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
March 08, 2021

Chinese hackers are still actively targeting Indian port in shadow war

At least one connection opened by Chinese state-sponsored hackers into the network system of an Indian port is still active, even as authorities block attempts to penetrate the nation’s electrical..
March 05, 2021

What is the nature of risk to commercial operations within the Gulf of Mexico?

The probability of maritime crime and piracy within the Gulf of Mexico negatively impacting commercial operators is low. However, a concerning trend is emerging in the Southern Gulf of Mexico states..
March 04, 2021

France’s forever war in the Sahel

With violence rife across the region, France has few good options to bring back the troops.
March 03, 2021

Nigeria: militants threaten to attack major cities

Militants from Nigeria’s oil-rich region have threatened to attack the country's capital and economic hub for alleged neglect of the Niger-Delta, the nation’s petroleum producing area.
March 01, 2021