In these times of increasing attacks on merchant vessels, maritime safety is a high priority.

For years, the hijacking of ships, with their complete cargo and crew, followed by the ensuing extortion of ransom money has been a criminal occurrence at sea, creating an enormous threat to the safety of international shipping.

Back in 2004, our company began analysing attacks on shipping throughout the world so that we could offer shipping companies and private yacht owners effective protection against criminal activities from entire offending groups. In so doing, we paid particular attention to the modus operandi of these criminal groups and their preferred areas of operation.  

Following the completion of these analyses and evaluations we offered our specially prepared Counter-Piracy Programme to German and foreign ship owners as a new and effective protection measure against attacks by criminal offender groups (pirates). In addition, we established the MARITIME DIVISION within our company, which deals exclusively with protecting merchant vessels and private yachts at sea. We also formed our own MRU Maritime Response Unit within i.b.s.®.

This unit comprises of specialists with a particular knowledge of this subject matter, which can, if required, provide unarmed or even armed protection teams (“on-board service”) for sea-going ships and private yachts. These teams are also deployed in close co-operation with local security bodies from neighbouring states, and HoA in particular.

At the same time, these specialists offer training programmes and training for ship crews, to teach the correct and comprehensive securing of their own ship as well as the correct behaviour in the event of attacks from offenders and offender groups.

The main subject matter of these training programmes is not exclusively limited to covering pirate attacks whilst on the high seas and the sea areas of the HoA and the IOR, but also includes other additional relevant subject matters and sea areas.

According to our clients’ instructions we implement the “on-board service” with non-lethal and lethal means, whereby our protection concepts are primarily are mainly prepared for non-lethal means. Our MRU team members all originate from former special operational personnel from the military and police, and abstain in principle from inappropriate, escalation-promoting measures and react appropriately to the respective situation.

In particular, the leadership of our protection team on board actively supports the Master and the SSO in performing their duties, managing the respective vessel, thereby making their jobs easier. Our respective team leaders, with their many years of deployment experience and professionalism, are always supportive on the bridge particularly in the event of attacks, and are also able to give psychological support.

In addition to this on-board service we also offer the following:

- Threat assessments for merchant vessels and private yachts.

- Briefings concerning current piracy activities and tactics.

- Audits of the back office for the crisis management area for kidnap cases
  as well as training programmes and training of your shipping company
  personnel.  

- Counter-piracy training for ship crews covering additional ship and personal
  safety training including the realistic presentation of pirate attacks
  (on-site training abroad and also for harbour and shipyard waiting times
  in Germany).

- Consultation covering equipping of defence equipment, defence mediums
  and protective equipment on board including additional training of the
  respective ship crew in their utilization
  (for example safe room, mustering areas).

- Provision of individual alarm plans, communication plans, bridge reaction
  plans and evacuation plans as well as additional pre-passage checklists.

- Communication support over CTFs, MARLO, UKMTO, MSCHOA and
  NATO provided by protection teams   

- Own i.b.s.® 24-hour back office in Germany for current on-board
  protection operations.

- Support of the company management of shipping companies and yacht
  owners or yacht operators in ransom money negotiations and ransom
  money hand-over (for example, negotiation managers) with strategic
  partners under our management, during on-going ship hijacking incidents
  (for example, transfer and armed escort of ransom money by a private jet
  abroad).

Other services within maritime security, such as safety consultation for yacht owners. Safety analyses and consultation covering the security of oilrigs and overseas harbour installations can also be offered on request.