citadel anti piracy method

8/19/2019 Citadel anti piracy method

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1)

Somali-based piracy continues to pose a significant threat to maritime traffic in the High RiskArea (an area bounded by Suez and the Strait of Hormuz to the North 1!"S and #$"% as defined

in the &est 'anagement ractices) *ith the increasing incidence of attacks there has been a

corresponding increase in defensi+e measures applied by +essels , one of the measures is theretreat to a .itadel/

Since 0anuary !1! there ha+e been 2 cases 3here pirates ha+e actually boarded +essels butha+e been unable to take control because the +essel/s cre3 ha+e all successfully sought refuge in

a pre-planned citadel Ho3e+er there ha+e also been fi+e cases 3here citadels ha+e been

breached , these may be attributed to a number of factors including poor construction and

location of the citadel *ith the use of citadels increasing the pirates ha+e similarly gainede4perience in defeating a citadel , this includes use of 3eapons ship board tools and attempts to

smoke out the cre3 and5or setting fire to the +essel

A .itadel is a designated pre-planned area specifically built into the ship 3here in the e+ent ofimminent boarding by pirates all cre3 3ill seek protection A .itadel is designed and

constructed to resist a determined A6 trying to gain entry for a fi4ed period of time

7he dictionary definition of citadel states that it is ‘A stronghold into which people could go for

shelter during a battle.’ 8n terms of ships a citadel refers to a room 3here the cre3 of the shipcan hide in case there is a pirate attack on the ship or 3hen the pirates are aboard the ship 8n

recent times the usage and incorporation of the citadel method in ships to protect the ship/s cre3

against maritime piracy has increased

A .itadel is a designated pre-planned area specifically built into the ship 3here , in the e+ent of

imminent boarding by pirates , all cre3 can seek refuge 3ith the ob9ecti+e of pre+enting the pirates from gaining control of the +essel 7he .itadel should ha+e control capability of the+essel emergency rations safe air supply ..7: control and good e4ternal communications

.itadels can also impro+e the effecti+eness of na+al forces 8f the cre3 is safely ensconced in the

.itadel it can then allo3 na+al forces 3ho in the past ha+e been hesitant to inter+ene on a +essel

once the pirates are on board for fear of harming the cre3 to engage the pirates kno3ing the

cre3 is safe

8nitially the .itadel concept 3as restricted to the 6ulf of Aden 3here a rapid response by the

'ilitary5Na+al forces 3as considered possible 8n these cases the cre3 generally retreated to a

locked %ngine Room and thence blacked out the +essel to a3ait assistance Ho3e+er morerecently attacks and illegal boardings ha+e occurred much further out in the 8ndian ;cean

(including the Somali &asin and Arabian Sea) 8n these cases the possibility of a response by

'ilitary5Na+al Assets is more remote and 3ith the paramount consideration being the safety ofthe cre3 it becomes essential that any use of a .itadel is properly planned 3ith all factors being

considered


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Although the .itadel may be considered the final safe ha+en and should protect against

determined intrusion including a limited ballistic attack the .itadel rationale should be part of a

layered level of security 3here approaches to the .itadel are effecti+ely protected 7he predetermined time period 3ill be determined by a Risk Assessment dependent upon the +essels

trading patterns construction and needs

)

8ndustry has produced a set of guidelines aimed at gi+ing guidance on the construction and use of

citadels in 3aters affected by Somalia piracy 7he document has recei+ed appro+al from Round

7able members , 8N7%R7ANorce (.'>) ha+e also appro+ed

the document

;riginally it 3as en+isaged that the guidance 3ould be included as an anne4 to &'? but it 3as

decided that this 3ould make &'? too cumbersome and 3ould compromise the integrity of theguidance 8nstead the guidance has been placed on the 'aritime Security .entre (Horn ;f

Africa) ('S.H;A) 3ebsite 3here the information 3ill be more secure and 3here it can be

easily and @uickly changed should the ad+ice on citadels need to be updated

)

7here are ho3e+er se+eral aspects that need to be noted about the citadel anti-piracy method

Some of the key points can be listed do3n as follo3sB

• 7he citadel anti-piracy method is recommended to be installed in ships as per the

regulations of the 8nternational 'aritime Security .entre

• 7he citadel re@uires ha+ing not 9ust food and 3ater supplies but also effecti+e

communication channels to be able to communicate 3ith the outside 3orld 3ith a proper

system of +entilation and a first aid kit

• 7he room can also be fitted 3ith ..7: cameras and should ha+e the control for

s3itching off the engines , both main and au4iliary

• 7he citadel needs to be properly planned and constructed 7he anti-piracy fortification islike a last attempt on the part of the ship/s cre3 to escape from the pirates 7his is 3hy

there cannot be any loopholes in the construction of the stronghold

• 7he entire marine piracy stronghold needs to be amidst a circle of defenses that e4tend up

to 1C!! metres

Military Considerations

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Ha+ing a .itadel does not guarantee a Na+al5'ilitary force response 7here are currently

re@uirements prior to any Na+al5'ilitary force inter+entionD

E All of cre3 security teams and personnel on board embarked for passage must be secured in

the .itadel

E 7he cre3 of the ship must ha+e self contained independent t3o 3ay e4ternal communicationsSole reliance on :H> communications is insufficient

E 7he pirates must be denied access to propulsion

Additionally there are other factors 3hich determine the ability of the Na+al5'ilitary forces to

respond e+en if the conditions abo+e are satisfied 7hese includeB

E 7he location of the +essel that has been boarded illegally in relation to the na+al +essel 8n

addition to any geographic limitations bet3een the t3o +essels some na+al assets ha+e a strict

area of operations 3hich are imposed upon them , they are not permitted to use force outside of

this areaE 8n many cases the Na+al5'ilitary force is re@uired to ha+e a specially trained team on board to

enable an opposed boarding/ to be conductedE 7he Na+al5'ilitary forces may ha+e to obtain appro+al for an opposed boarding from the >lag

State of the +essel to be boarded and from the >oreign ;ffice for all Nationalities on board

E *eather considerations may prohibit an opposed boardingE Any opposed boarding takes time to plan and re@uires assistance from the ;3ners5Ship

;perators

E ;3ners should ha+e5keep ship plans a+ailable to send to the military in suitable electronic

format

?)

0ust as the techni@ue to counter marine piracy should be an effecti+e oneD 3ithout proper

kno3ledge to use the citadel techni@ue the method could pro+e to be dangerous 7his is 3hy thecre3 of the ship needs to understand ho3 e+erything operates in the citadel and 3hat are the

important points that needed to be taken into consideration 8f these details are not paid attention

to then the citadel could itself end up being a fatal prison for the cre3 assembled there for

protection

7here are risks irates ha+e pro+en they adapt and it 3on/t be long before 3e/ll be hearing of

incidents 3here more effecti+e e4plosi+es than rebounding R6s are being used to gain accessto these safe rooms ;ne can only imagine ho3 the pirates 3ill respond to the cre3 after gaining

access not to mention potential casualties from the e4plosi+es &ut many .itadels are being built

in areas 3ithin the +essel that can 3ithstand e4plosi+es (double bulkhead protection) and are being e@uipped 3ith safeguards to protect the cre3s from attempted forced entry

7here is also a risk of +andalism as pirates become frustrated if they cannot gain access but

repairing +andalism damage is certainly preferable to a cre3 of hostages and ransom fees

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C)

*ithin the past si4 months more and more stories about pirate attacks are mentioning the cre3

of the attacked +essel gathering in the strong room or .itadel of the +essel 8n fact 9ust last 3eek

a tanker cre3 retreated to the .itadel as pirates boarded 7he pirates in an attempt to gain accessto the .itadel fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the room only to ha+e the R6 bounce back

in9uring three of the pirates *ouldn/t you ha+e lo+ed to see the pirates faces 3hen that

happenedF

8s a .itadel a safe solutionF *ell se+eral incidents ha+e pro+en that it can th3art pirates/ efforts

to take o+er a ship 8n se+eral cases no3 the cre3 made it safely to the .itadel sat tight and the

pirates 3ere apprehended by na+al forces or 9ust ga+e up

Safe rooms ha+e been used as a defensi+e measure in ships threatened by piracy in Somalia 8n

!1! ?1$C seafarers had been attacked and 1!G! taken hostage but ? 3ere kept safe in a

citadel

Attempts ha+e been made to smoke out the cre3 from a .itadel by setting fire to the &ridge

and5or accommodation

irates ha+e been kno3n to force hinges and to use mechanical tools such as disk cutters (if

found on board) to breach compartments 7hey ha+e also attempted to pull off doors

irates ha+e been kno3n in the past to use ruse and trickery in an attempt to coerce the cre3 into

+oluntarily e4iting the citadel

7he +essel had cre3 members - # 8talians 1! =krainians and 2 8ndians , and had 9ust left theescort of a 0apanese na+al +essel before coming under pirate attack

*hile pirates succeeded in boarding the ship their hi9ack attempt 3as ultimately defeated by the

adoption of the cre3/s defensi+e measures and the inter+ention of =< and =S Special >orces

7here are some significant points emerging from this incident >irstly reports indicate that the': 'ontecristo/ had unarmed security guards on board 3ho mo+ed the cre3 to the citadel (an

armoured safe room) and contacted na+al forces

;n this occasion the presence of unarmed security guards contributed to defeating the attackattempt ;n other occasions 3hen the targeted ship has been carrying armed security guards

their presence combined 3ith the target ship/s adoption of e+asi+e measures has been sufficient

to cause pirates to break off their attacks normally after 3arning shots ha+e been firedSecondly reports suggest that the cre3 disabled the steering of the +essel from the bridge so that

the pirates could not take control of the helming of the ship ater reports said that the cre3

actually steered the ship from the citadel mo+ing it to3ards areas 3here there 3ere na+al

patrols

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_Somaliahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_Somalia


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7he pirates 3ere not able to access the citadel and mo+e the +esselD this led to their capture by

Special >orces 8f the reports are true steering from 3ithin the citadel is a ne3 risk mitigationdesign feature As the ': 'ontecristo/ 3as almost a brand-ne3 ship deli+ered in 0une !11

the ship may 3ell ha+e been deliberately designed to allo3 the cre3 to be more proacti+e in their

rescue 7his pro+es that the follo3ing of best management practice and clear safety rules cana+oid a hi9ack e+en if the pirates manage to board the +essel

Although this incident demonstrated 3hat a modern +essel 3ith all the most up-to-date safety

measures installed can do against hi9acking it should not be seen as the ne3 default action

7he most important rule in ensuring safety of cre3 and +essel still remains- do not let them get

on board irates ha+e been kno3n to damage or set fire to +essels 3hich they fail to hi9ack7he most recent e4ample 3as the ': acific %4press/ 3hich had its bridge set on fire by

pirates 3ho boarded the +essel but could not gain access to the cre3 in the citadel Although

rescued the fire caused considerable damage to the bridge and cre3 compartments but not to the

cargo

&y 6reg 6irard

I=&A8 55 7he cre3 of the MV Arrilah-I 3ho 3ere freed o+er the 3eekend after their +essel 3ashi9acked escaped their attackers by hiding in a specially prepared safe room as pirates repeatedly

tried to force them out it has emerged

7he 1 sailors and three security guards remained secure in the stronghold kno3n as a citadel

despite the pirates shooting at the entrance and pumping in smoke to cut off their o4ygen7hey had breathing apparatuses food and 3ater and could control the ship and communicate

3ith nearby +essels and aircraft said Rhynhardt &errange the head of 6lobal 'aritime Security

Solutions 3hich supplied the guards He 3as briefed by his men on Sunday night7he safe room and other defence precautions including regular anti-piracy emergency drills

3ere key to keeping the cre3 safe until =A% and =S forces stormed the ship on Saturday

J7hey continually tried to breach the citadelK 'r &errange said yesterday J7he successfulresolution of this incident demonstrates the importance of adopting best management practices

Safety standards must be in place for dealing 3ith all emergency situationsK

7he trouble began on >riday morning as the #!!!-bulk carrier o3ned by a subsidiary of the

Abu Ihabi National ;il .ompany 3as tra+elling in the Arabian Sea 8t had nearly completed itsreturn trip from Australia to 0ebel Ali lasting about t3o 3eeks and 3as carrying cargo causing

it to ride lo3 in the 3ater and making it easier for pirates to access the ship

Around Gam =A% time the men on board spotted a suspicious +essel Soon after t3o skiffscarrying nine men sped to3ard the MV Arrilah-I 7he attackers began firing as soon as they came

into range said 'r &errange J7hey shot at anything that mo+edK he said

7he cre3 sprang into action follo3ing protocols practised se+eral times during their 9ourney;ne security guard popped into and out of sight dra3ing fire to3ards himself to create a

di+ersion 3hile the others completed their assigned tasks to lock do3n the ship and retreat to the

safe room


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7he cre3 and guards on duty stayed outside the safe room 3atching as the skiffs feigned a mo+e

and disappeared 'r &errange said

Soon after they noticed the first pirate boarding , at a point 3here no boarding has been kno3nto take place 7he men 3ithdre3 to the safe room 7hey continued to na+igate the ship to3ards

=A% 3aters 3ith a coalition aircraft guiding them from nearby

7he men tried to maintain contact 3ith the coalition forces in the +icinity 7he location of thecitadel ho3e+er made communications difficult

Around midnight the first na+al +essel arri+ed a =S 3arship e@uipped 3ith a &lack Ha3k

helicopter 73o other +essels under the command of the =S Na+y >ifth >leet based in &ahrain3ere in the +icinity to pro+ide support said the Na+y spokes3oman .dr Amy Ierrick->rost

=A% forces follo3ed early on Saturday 7hey communicated 3ith the cre3 to assess 3hether

they should try to retake control of the ship based on international guidelines

7he key criteria in such situations are that the cre3 are safe and separated from the pirates thatthey ha+e communication 3ith the na+al forces and that they are able to control the mo+ement of

the ship said .dr Stein ;la+ Hagalid a Nato representati+e

7he rescue mission 3as @uickly accomplished 'r &errange said praising =A% special forces

He declined to elaborate to a+oid re+ealing information that could risk future operations7he ship 3as scheduled to return to 0ebel Ali port last night 7he pirates 3ere to be handed to the

'inistry of 8nterior and 3ill be prosecuted in >ederal courts

2)

&efore deciding to use a citadel in the :RA thought must be gi+en as to ho3 a citadel

situation might be end The use of a citadel cannot guarantee a military response. 7he cre3

may ha+e to make a decision as to 3hen to end a citadel situation 3ithout the assistance of

military forces

*ell-constructed citadels used by a 3ell-drilled cre3 can offer effecti+e protection during an

attack 8f citadels are used they must be complementary to rather than a replacement for all

other Ship rotection 'easures 7he risk assessment should decide 3hen to use the citadel

7he establishment of a citadel 3ill re@uire e4ternal technical ad+ice and support As 3ell as

protection a citadel must pro+ide reliable means to communicate ashore and maintain somedegree of situational a3areness 7he ability to control propulsion is a further consideration

7he use of the citadel must be rehearsed to ensure the 'aster is able to make the correct and

timely decision on 3hether to retreat into it 7he ship/s SS should define the conditions for use

of the citadel

#)

irates cannot operate a +essel 3ithout the cre3

Citadel Location


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:essels differ greatly in size and construction therefore it is not possible to consider all potential

locations of a .itadel 3ithin this document Ho3e+er the follo3ing factors should be consideredD

E 7he location should be difficult for pirates to locate 7his may be influenced by the size andlayout of the +essel 8t is also helpful if the entrance to the citadel is camouflaged

E 7he compartment should be able to be fully secured from all entrances including hatches and

+ents 8t is important that all si4 sides of the compartment are taken into account 3henconsidering the security and potential +ulnerability of a space

E As a minimum the compartment must ha+e the ability to deny the pirates access to the +essel/s

propulsion 8deally full control of the propulsion and the +essels essential systems together 3iththe ability to na+igate should be possible from the compartment (See also section on e@uipment

page C)

E Accessibility to the compartment and time taken in order for it to be effecti+ely secured

E 8n some cases the construction of the +essel may dictate that the .itadel re@uires a means ofescape 8f so then this should be 3ell concealed and the +essel should ha+e detailed procedures

as to its intended use in a .itadel scenario

E Habitability of the compartment being suitable for the +essels cre3 including size and

+entilationE 7he thickness and the fire retarding nature of the si4 sides of the citadel should be kept in mind

3hile determining the location of the citadel including if necessary the ability to easily reinforcethis

Survivability Time Frame

7he .itadel should be able to sur+i+e for a gi+en time span 7his time span 3ill depend upon

intended use and is a fundamental consideration at the planning stage

E A short time span sur+i+ability may be considered should the +essel re@uire a .itadel in the

8R7.56ulf of Aden 3here there is a higher concentration of Na+al5'ilitary forces and thereforemore likelihood of rapid assistance being a+ailable

E A longer time span sur+i+ability should be considered for a .itadel in the 8ndian ;cean and

Somali basin 3here there is a lo3er probability of a Na+al5'ilitary forces response due to alo3er concentration of a+ailable assistance

E Hardening and securing accesses to the actual .itadel is an important delaying tactic and gi+es

an increased time of sur+i+ability Stronger security of the doors outside the .itadel itself potentially means the longer the pirates 3ill take in breaching them and thus increasing the

possibility that they may gi+e up the attempt to hi9ack the +essel

E All tools and e@uipment that could assist the pirates in breaching defences should be locked

a3ay

Citadel Construction

'aterials 3hich are currently used to construct doors on board ships offer little in the 3ay of adetermined physical assault 3ith the possible e4ception of 3ater tight doors and none against a

ballistic assault such as 3ith an A


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changes then the +essel classification society should be consulted >actors to consider for the

construction of the .itadel includeD

%nsuring that all access to the .itadel and the approaches are secure against a sustained physical

attack 7his includes doors locks hatches portholes 5 3indo3s and +entilation grillesE irates ha+e been kno3n to attempt to gain access to .itadels by forcing locks by remo+al of

hinges and by pulling off a door utilising ships tools Hinges to any door should be internal and

the door itself should pro+ide a smooth e4ternal surface in order to pre+ent the pirates fromtaking the opportunity to attach any tools to pull the door off 7his may ha+e the added

ad+antage of offering a camouflaged entrance

E 8n light of the pirates ha+ing been kno3n in the past to try and smoke out the cre3 +entilation

of the compartment should be considered 8n this respect the +entilation should be from a stand-alone po3er supply and should pro+ide ade@uate +entilation for the ships entire cre3

particularly if .itadel procedures in+ol+e the +essel Jblacking outK 7he inlet for this +entilation

should 3here possible be concealed

E *here a compartment is not 3atertight and may be susceptible to accelerants such as gasolinethe use of a simple plastic sealant may negate this threat

E A means of fire suppression 3ithin the .itadel is considered as essential to protect the cre3ortable e4tinguishers may offer the simplest solution but there must be sufficient a+ailable to

deal 3ith the assessed threat

E Iependent upon the actual location of the .itadel if the compartment is protected by a to4icfi4ed fire fighting system then it may be ad+isable to ha+e a means in place to temporarily

isolate the system from the .itadel itself Another consideration might be to ensure that the

.itadel has the ability to acti+ate a fi4ed fire fighting system such as a 3ater fog fire suppression

system to protect both the %ngine Room and the accommodationE Ioors bulkheads and glazing may be gi+en additional protection against an attack 3ith

3eapons 7he materials used should be Jballistic resistantK to an internationally recognised

Standard 7he more common ballistic standards are discussed in the Anne4 to this document

Materials

&allistic resistant materials are sometimes incorrectly called Lbullet-proofL materials 8n generalmaterials are not bullet-proof but only pro+ide protection against a certain type of firearm for a

certain range from 3hich the 3eapon is discharged and for a defined period of time 8t is

therefore important that the intended material is matched 3ith the correct ballistic standard for

the intended use7he type and thickness of the materials used in a .itadel or its approaches 3ill +ery much

depend upon the le+el of protection that is re@uired and if it/s re@uired to be ballistic resistant or

not for 3hich specialist ad+ice 3ould be re@uired 7he ad+ice here should mention that thethickness of the material 3ill be such as to defeat a typically an A


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Ballistic resistant doors - 7hese are specifically designed to pro+ide ballistic protection may be

supplied in either 3ood or steel and usually come as a complete unit consisting of both door and

door frame 8t can be seen therefore that careful consideration is re@uired as to fitting a completeunit since strength of the ad9acent bulkhead structure needs to be taken into consideration

E Ballistic resistant panels - &allistic resistant panels may be straight steel plate a compositetype consisting of an aggregate bet3een t3o steel plates a ceramic composite or a fibreglass

composite material 8n general the steel panels 3ill be cheaper but 3eigh considerably more than

other options 7hey are also more cumbersome to fit but both composites and fibreglassalthough thicker are easier to 3ork 3ith and may be cut to size in situ (thus offering a realistic

option for e4isting ships to modify a compartment to their re@uirements As 3ith glazing and

doors the panels should be certified to a certain ballistic standard this being dependent upon

identified needs for the .itadel

E Bullet resistant glazing - 7here are se+eral types of bullet-resistant glazing the most common

being aminated 6lass Acrylic olycarbonate and 6lass .lad olycarbonate 8t should be

noted that Acrylic and olycarbonate are only suitable for indoor use *here this is not possibledue to size then reinforcement of the glazing 3ith steel plate may afford an effecti+e solution

>or all materials it is essential to consider 3here they are to be used to offer the best protection , this 3ill be 3here a Risk Assessment has determined the +ulnerability to be

Citadel Euipment

.onsideration should be gi+en to installation of the follo3ing e@uipment for use 3ithin a .itadelD

E Communications ! 7he pro+ision of communications is essential to the .itadelD 3ithout

guaranteed communications there can be no consideration of military inter+ention 7he 'aster

must be able to communicate to the outside 3orld that he and all of the +essel/s cre3 and personnel on board are safe A t3o-3ay satellite communications system is recomended

po3ered from an independent source on board 3ith the ability to pro+ide communications for at

least three days on an open line as a minimum irates ha+e been kno3n to target antenna inorder to disrupt communications and therefore it is preferable to keep cabling and the antenna

concealed 3here possible 7he effecti+eness of the communications should be thoroughly tested

particularly 3ith a concealed antenna arrangement

E Contact List ! An up-to-date list of key contact numbers should be prepared and left 3ithin the

.itadel space 7his should include =


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E $avigational %ids - 8n order to pro+ide the ability to na+igate to3ards a 'ilitary5Na+al force

the routeing of a 6S or e+en a sla+e radar feed to the .itadel may be beneficial (eg a feed

from the :IR to a computer)

E Medical Supplies , Additional medical supplies o+er and abo+e standard 'edical e@uipment

carried on board should be considered together 3ith an emergency trauma kit to assist 3ith ballistic 3ounds

E &ther Considerations

o Food and 'ater ! Sufficient supplies of long life food and 3ater , the standard is often stated

to be sufficient for a minimum of fi+e days the @uantity ho3e+er should be based upon the timefactor and the number of cre3 aboard as determined by Risk Assessment

o Cre( list # 8t is recommended that a copy of the +essel/s up to date cre3 list and all personnel

on board is kept 3ithin the .itadel - this 3ill ensure that all personnel and cre3 are fully

accounted for in the e+ent of a .itadel retreat being ordered by the master

o )rab Bag , 7his may be made a+ailable 3ith sundry essentials such as torches spare

batteries and portable :H> Radios

o Toilet ! *hen en+isaging a prolonged period in a .itadel toilet facilities become a

consideration - a portable chemical toilet may be installed 3here no standard *. is a+ailable

o Bedding Material - &lankets or sleeping bags should be pro+ided 3hich in addition to their

primary purpose 3ill pro+ide some comfort against a metal deck

*se of Citadels

7he intended use of the .itadel should be considered during the Risk Assessment and planning

phase , the follo3ing points might be consideredD

E 7he intended use of the .itadel may differ in +arying geographic locations for e4ample is the.itadel intended for use in the 6ulf of Aden58R7. area in the 3ider 8ndian ;cean5Somali &asin

or bothF

E &oth the .ompany and the +essel should ha+e procedures regarding the use of the .itadel in place that are fully understood by all parties 7he e4act time that the .itadel is to be utilised

should also be carefully considered bearing in mind that all defensi+e measures as per &'?

should be adopted in order to pre+ent the pirates from actually getting on board in the first place7he time to utilise the .itadel could for e4ample beD once the pirates are on board or once a

ladder has been successfully deployed and there is no 3ay that a boarding can be pre+ented

rocedures should be absolutely specific in determining this point since in turn this 3ill

determine ho3 long it 3ill take a +essel to secure an effecti+e lock do3n/


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E As the .itadel is being manned all other compartments should be locked and all approaches to

the .itadel secured 8t is recommended as per &'? that 3hilst in the High Risk Area all non-

essential compartments remain locked at all times 3hen not in use to pre+ent any delay insecuring the .itadel during an incident

E .onsideration 3ill ha+e to be taken as to the e4act use of the .itadel should the +essel ha+e a

Security 7eam on board The Citadel (ill only be effective if all cre(+ security teams andpersonnel onboard embar,ed for the passage are secured (ithin the Citadel *hen

determining the operating instructions for a .itadel it should be borne in mind that MilitaryForces (ill not board a vessel unless all personnel onboard are confirmed as safely secured

(ithin the Citadel.

E 7he use of a pass3ord system 3hereby the master 3ill only e4it the .itadel upon an agreed

+erbal signal is recommended 7he agreed pass3ord should only be e4changed +ia secure

communications (satellite phone) and it is recommended that the pass3ord e4change is kno3n by both the .ompany and the +essel 7his ensures that the Na+al5'ilitary forces can be made

a3are of the pass3ord(s) and e@ually importantly ensures that any misinformation by the pirates

o+er the :H> can be ignored

E *hilst it is essential that the pirates are denied access to the +essels propulsion it is

ad+antageous that control of the propulsion remains 3ith the +essel and therefore considerationshould be gi+en to pro+iding the safe means of controlling steering and the main engine from the

.itadel 8n many cases in+ol+ing use of a .itadel a +essel has simply stopped the +essel and

blacked out , this may not necessarily be the best course of actionD it can be ad+antageous tosteam to3ards the nearest na+al +essel ha+ing discussed same 3ith =


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$)

'oreo+er constructing a citadel is also +ery e4pensi+e 7his is because the room has to be

complete and thoroughly made to 3ithstand any kind of 3eapon impact and should ha+e thenecessary e@uipments >or this reason sometimes ship/s engine room is used as citadel to escape

the pirates 'a9or shipping companies regard the e4penditure of the anti-piracy stronghold as one

of the biggest e4penditures that they need to carry out &ut the same le+el of e4penditure 3hencompared to the amount of ransom demanded by pirates appears to be +ery minimal >or this

sole reason many shipping companies ha+e decided to go for the citadel especially in those ships

3hich ha+e a route that passes through 3aters 3here marine piracy abounds

G)

1!)

*ith the help of citadel hostage situation due to maritime piracy can be successfully th3arted

making the methodology a highly fa+ourable one Ho3e+er all the precautionary steps should betaken to make sure that it safe and secure for the ship/s cre3

So is this the solutionMno =ntil 3e see JstabilityK and JSomaliaK in the same headline pirates3ill continue to threaten +essels in the region :essels should continue to follo3 the guidelines

established in the &'and keep up-to-date 3ith latest reports on pirate acti+ity

.itadels 3on/t stop the pirates from attempting to board &ut 3hat they can do 3hen thesituation 3arrants is help address many of the issues impacting the industry once pirates ha+e

boardedB gi+ing the cre3 a chance to remain safeD pre+enting the pirates from gaining control of

the +esselD and offering na+al forces time to reach the +essel and engage the hi9ackers Not tomention it/s more cost-effecti+e than armed security or escorts

Conclusions

*ith the safety of the cre3 being paramount the decision to deploy a .itadel or other3ise

should take into account all kno3n factors and be Risk Assessment based 8t is important that if a

.itadel is to be employed it should be additional to rather than a replacement for all other self-

protection measures set out in &' ?7he location construction and intended use of a .itadel must be thoroughly planned and

thought through ;nce in place its use should be practised and drilled in order for all of the

+essels cre3 to understand their roles and to train in the time taken to ensure an effecti+e lockdo3n

Somali irates kno3ledge and modus operandi continues to e+ol+e o+er time As their

kno3ledge on .itadels increases then their ability and methodology in attempting to defeat acitadel 3ill also change and therefore more robust protection 3ill be re@uired
http://marineinsight.com/category/marine/marine-piracy-marine/http://marineinsight.com/category/marine/marine-piracy-marine/http://marineinsight.com/marine/marine-piracy-marine/secure-ship-%E2%80%93-anti-piracy-method-can-this-prevent-pirates-from-climbing-your-ships/http://marineinsight.com/marine/marine-piracy-marine/secure-ship-%E2%80%93-anti-piracy-method-can-this-prevent-pirates-from-climbing-your-ships/http://marineinsight.com/marine/marine-piracy-marine/secure-ship-%E2%80%93-anti-piracy-method-can-this-prevent-pirates-from-climbing-your-ships/http://www.maritimesecurity.org/Reports%20&%20Regs/PiracyBMP3.pdfhttp://marineinsight.com/category/marine/marine-piracy-marine/http://marineinsight.com/marine/marine-piracy-marine/secure-ship-%E2%80%93-anti-piracy-method-can-this-prevent-pirates-from-climbing-your-ships/http://www.maritimesecurity.org/Reports%20&%20Regs/PiracyBMP3.pdf

citadel anti piracy method

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