What do satellites have to do with pirates?

Connectivity is instrumental to keeping crews safe at sea.

Maritime piracy ship with pirates approaching
AI generated image

Key takeaways

  • Piracy is a lingering threat for seafarers and ship operators.
  • Inmarsat Maritime satellite technology has been instrumental in addressing the unique challenges of piracy and securing crew safety.
  • Inmarsat Maritime facilitates critical communications such as distress alerts, safety messages, and maritime safety information.
  • The use of satellite-enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can further improve the efficiency of piracy detection and possible rescue operations.

In 2018, while at anchor in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, an oil tanker, known as the MT Barett, was attacked by pirates – threatening the lives of 22 crew members.

The initial distress call was made via Inmarsat Maritime’s Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) service onboard the vessel. The ship’s operator, Union Maritime, knew that the crew was in a perilous situation, especially if the pirates made it onboard.

Unfortunately, the Japanese-owned ship was hijacked. Once under the pirates’ control, the attackers employed a common tactic to avoid detection—cutting the ship’s communication capabilities.

The lack of critical connectivity creates a very challenging situation for ship operators like Union Maritime when needing to pinpoint their ship’s location to implement rescue operations.

Since the ship uses Inmarsat Maritime’s satellite equipment, we were able to find the vessel’s last known position as well as the very moment its communications were switched off. Our Network Operations Centre (NOC) was quickly able to put a trace on the equipment and alert Benin Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre as soon as it was switched back on.

The vessel was eventually located, and the crew and ship were released by their captors after six days, unharmed.

Regrettably, within three weeks of the hijacking of the MT Barett, Union Maritime found itself in the same position –another ship, the Marine Express, had been hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea.

Again, Inmarsat Maritime was instrumental in tracking the ship’s position as Benin and Nigerian authorities sought to find it. The tanker was released and thankfully there were no reported injuries among the crew.

Piracy by the numbers

Stories like these are sadly common in the maritime industry. Some of the industry findings paint a menacing picture of what the industry faces when it comes to piracy.

  • The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) received 120 incident reports in 2023. 70% of incidents occurred in just five locations (Singapore Straits, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines and Ghana) and July was the peak month, with 19 recorded.
  • The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) reported100 incidents in 2023, a 19% increase over 2022.
  • Engine spares were stolen on 27 occasions, which could indicate supply chain issues and rising costs are fueling black market demand.
  • Bulk carriers were disproportionately affected by piracy and armed robbery in 2023. IMB reported that 45 of the 120 incidents it recorded globally were against bulkers.

You can read more about this statistics in our Inmarsat Maritime’s The Future of Maritime Safety Report.

Navigator. pilot, captain as part of ship crew performing daily duties with VHF radio, binoculars on board of modern ship with high quality navigation equipment on the bridge on sunrise.
Getty Images

Reconnecting the unconnected

Real-time connectivity helps mitigate a variety of safety risks through the enhancement of GMDSS. It uses satellite and terrestrial technology and ship-board radio systems to help prevent accidents and quickly alerts rescue authorities and nearby vessels in an emergency. It facilitates critical communications such as distress alerts, safety messages, and maritime safety information (MSI), including weather forecasts and navigational warnings.

Inmarsat Maritime was the first satellite operator to meet the stringent requirements of the GMDSS set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and today remains the backbone of GMDSS safety at sea communications.

However, when ship to shore connectivity is threatened, Inmarsat Maritime has resources to help ship operators keep their crew safe.

NOC.jpg
Network Operations Center (NOC)

Once our Global Customer Operations (GCO) team receives a call about a possible pirate attack they find the equipment information and check with the NOC if the vessel is online. If it is, the NOC will track it and provide position information. If it isn’t, they put a trace on the equipment so as soon as it is switched on they can alert the maritime safety team and GCO.
John Dodd, Director of Safety Services for Inmarsat Maritime
Piracy maritime
AI generated image

Drones to the rescue

The use of small and medium sized UAVs can further improve the efficiency of piracy detection and rescue operations as well as military operations.

Viasat is exploring new connectivity solutions to enable tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) that could support anti-piracy operations.

The unique capabilities of satellite connected tactical RPAS include;

  • Capturing real-time imagery and sensor information that could be used to positively identify individuals or vessels of interest.
  • Enabling airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities on even the smallest of coastal patrol vessels.
  • Disseminating data on enemy positions to better coordinate missions.
  • Increases the range at which Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data can be collected and acted upon by adding a beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) capability.

Disseminating data on enemy positions to better coordinate missions.

Increases the range at which Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data can be collected and acted upon by adding a beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) capability.

But to install a satellite communication system on tactical RPAS that can support command and control (C2) and ISR connectivity is no easy task. That’s why we are crafting innovative solutions to realize the full potential of RPAS.

For example, we are investigating connectivity methods to facilitate drone swarms, allowing remote pilots to access live video and sensor data from a “mother ship” outfitted with one of our compact satellite terminals. Additionally, through the integration of small terminals with our networks, we could enable operators to transmit and receive data beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Maritime Safety infographic

Enabling a safer world

Piracy is just one of the many safety concerns for mariners. Everything from tracking inclement weather, avoiding collisions, detecting fires, monitoring equipment for failures, and other emergencies all rely on real-time connectivity.

These incidents are given the highest priority to ensure information is passed on quickly and accurately – after all, safety is at the heart of all we do.
John Dodd, Director of Safety Services for Inmarsat Maritime

While satellite communication technology is indispensable for enhancing safety at sea, it is also an important tool to enable safety across, aviation, disaster response, defense, and more.

Learn more about how Viasat’s satellite network enables a safer world.