Despite the recent decline in piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the sea area is still considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Captains and shipowners are therefore happy to have their ships escorted by warships. To ensure the protection of cargo and crew, soldiers or so-called Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) can also be taken on board when travelling through the dangerous waters.
However, not every country allows shipowners to take PCASPs on board. Now the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, Fred Grapperhaus, has presented a draft law that would allow ships to carry such security personnel. This would mean that the Ministry of Defence would no longer be solely responsible for securing vessels. At present, only the Vessel Protection Team of the armed forces is authorised for this task. If the proposal is accepted, PCASPs may also be taken on board from 1 January 2022 if no soldiers are available, their transport to the deployment location would cost too much money or a necessary diversions would take too much time. The prerequisite for each deployment is still the approval of the Coast Guard. Only companies that have been authorised in advance by the Inspectie Leefvormgeving en Transport (ILT) will be able to be entrusted with the task.
Text: mb; Photo: Koninklijke Marine
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