Proceedings Of The Marine

SPR 2012

Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.

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The Maritime Operational Threat Response Plan The unified U.S. response to maritime piracy. by MR. SCOTT GENOVESE Senior Coordinator Global MOTR Coordination Center Maersk Alabama In April 2009, a container ship with a company of 20 U.S. citizens was en route to Mombasa, Kenya, with a shipment of food aid and other cargo. At around 6 a.m., on April 8, 2009, the United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Organization in Dubai received a report from the vessel's master that a small boat with armed men was approaching. In high seas, the ship was many miles from any naval or coast guard assets. The Maersk Alabama KDG EHHQ ÀUHG XSRQ DQG GHVSLWH the efforts of the ship's company, Somali pirates armed ZLWK $. ULÁHV DQG RWKHU VPDOO DUPV ERDUGHG WKH ship. The ship's company retreated to the steering gear room and a cargo control room. The chief engi- neer executed an emergency shutdown of the engine room machinery, cutting off all internal lighting and ventilation and denying the pirates the ability to navi- gate the ship. The master remained outside of the safe room and was taken hostage. 8 6 IHGHUDO DJHQFLHV UHFHLYHG WKH ÀUVW LQGLFDWLRQ RI trouble via the signal from the ship's security alert system alarm when the pirates boarded the ship. In OHVV WKDQ ÀYH PLQXWHV WKH 8 6 &RDVW; *XDUG·V 3DFLÀF Area Command Center acknowledged the distress signal and contacted the company's chief security RIÀFHU ZKR FRQÀUPHG WKDW WKH VLJQDO ZDV QRW D IDOVH alarm. $SSUR[LPDWHO\ ÀYH KRXUV DIWHU WKH ÀUVW SLUDWH ERDUGHG the vessel and throughout the time the master was held captive, the national-level Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) coordination activity took place. MOTR and Maersk Alabama The MOTR plan and its associated protocols were used during the video feeds that linked federal DJHQF\ ZDWFK FHQWHUV ZLWK VHQLRU OHYHO RIÀFLDOV DQG subject matter experts on three continents. Experts and representatives from the Departments of State, Justice, Defense, Transportation, Homeland Security, the intelligence community, and other government agencies participated in the coordinated response. In a still frame from video taken by a P-3C Orion aircraft, the 8 6 ÀDJJHG FRQWDLQHU VKLS Maersk Alabama is seen Thurs- day, April 9, 2009, in the Indian Ocean. U.S. Navy photo. 56 Proceedings Spring 2012 However, national-level response discussions ended on Sunday, April 12, when one of the pirates pointed an AK-47 at the vessel's captain. The USS Bainbridge FRPPDQGLQJ RIÀFHU GHWHUPLQHG WKH VLWXDWLRQ KDG changed and that the captain was in imminent dan- ger. The military snipers aboard Bainbridge shot and killed the person holding the AK-47, along with two other Somali pirates who were positioned near an open hatch on the lifeboat. www.uscg.mil/proceedings Response

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