Ian Millen News

The U.K.'s first maritime autonomous systems testing service is set to launch later this year. BAE Systems said it has been awarded £457,000 (approximately $594,700) in grant funding from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to design and deliver the U.K.’s first dedicated autonomous systems testing service. Based around Portsmouth, Southampton and the South East of the Isle of Wight, BAE Systems will work with ASV Global (ASV), Blue Bear Systems Research (Blue Bear)…

The Gulf of Guinea, South East Asia and The Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA) have all seen a significant reduction of reported maritime crime throughout July, August and September of this year according to Q3 analysis released today by Dryad Maritime. With the exception of the Sulu Sea, incidents of maritime crime in South East Asia are at their lowest since 2009 and in the Indian Ocean HRA there were no confirmed acts of piracy in Q3, with the last recorded incident of piracy reported on a merchant vessel in 2014. In the Gulf of Guinea and within Nigeria’s Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) there has been a decrease in the frequency of attacks with a total of just four attacks against commercial shipping at sea off the Niger Delta since early July…

In contrast to the substantial numbers of reported incidents across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean in recent years, maritime crime now appears to have stabilised in these regions according to the latest Q2 maritime crime statistics released by Dryad Maritime today. There have been 34 incidents of maritime crime and piracy reported across Southeast Asia during the second quarter of 2016, taking the total for the first half of the year to 49. This is a 66% reduction for the half yearly total when compared to the first six months of 2015. However, despite the global downturn, maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and Sulu Sea continues to give cause for concern with kidnap for ransom the main threat.

Today, 5th May 2016, Dryad Maritime release WxConnect, a new scalable, managed weather forecasting service for ships and fleets. The service was designed and developed by Dryad’s in-house teams and World Meteorological Organisation accredited meteorologists with significant seagoing experience. WxConnect is offered alongside Dryad’s award-winning Vessel Safety Management service to extend tangible safety and operational benefits, whilst minimising burdens for Masters and shore-based teams. In order to provide greater flexibility to clients, the forecasting tool will be offered with no subscription fee, no installation requirements and as a ‘Pay As You Go’ service, to further drive down costs for users.

With the threats facing shipping become ever more complex and diverse,  Dryad Maritime's COO, Ian Millen speaks to CSO Alliance, a global digital network dedicated to serving Company Security Officers (CSOs),  about the big threats CSOs should be focusing their attention on in 2016 and what regions they should be most concerned about from a security perspective. Maritime terrorism is obviously something that needs to be continually accessed at the moment. Currently, we [Dryad] are not as concerned as some media commentators, but this is not to say our evaluation of the threat won’t change. "We know that terrorists use maritime routes for logistical purposes – moving fighters and weapons – so there is an obvious maritime link there that needs to be closely monitored," he says.

Dryad Maritime's COO, Ian Millen says that when looking at the volume of maritime crime and piracy events, the numbers drive you toward Southeast Asia. With a 10% rise in 2015 incidents, when compared to 2014, the area leads the crime league table. It’s worth noting that much of the reported crime is of the less serious type (eg. theft of ships’ stores etc), but this does sit alongside more serious vessel hijack for the purposes of refined product cargo theft – and we saw a spate of this last year. The good news is that much of the more serious criminal activity occurred in the first three quarters of 2015, with the final quarter showing crime levels falling back to the levels of 2009.

Today, Dryad Maritime release the Dryad Maritime Country Risk Map, an online risk portal that has been specifically designed to help commercial teams, CSOs, ship owners and managers optimise their maritime security strategies and identify new trading opportunities through enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness. With a simple interface and concise intelligence, the portal is curated, reviewed and updated on a daily basis by Dryad’s specialist team of analysts. Dryad’s Country Risk Map goes beyond the simple aggregation of data seen in other similar products, with multi-source filtering and verification prior to being enriched with the analysis and insight of Dryad’s professional intelligence specialists.

Southeast Asia continues to dominate maritime crime incidents globally, with 236 reports of piracy and maritime crime instances occurring in the region since 1st January 2015, an increase of 10% compared to 2014, according to Dryad Maritime. Of these reported incidents, Dryad recorded 106 reports of incidents in the Singapore Strait during 2015, an increase of 72% from 2014. The Somali threat in the Indian Ocean remains contained with no confirmed attacks of merchant ships and the announcement in October of a reduction of the High Risk Area (HRA) inside of the UKMTO’s Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) reflects this. The detention of 3 Iranian fishing vessels shows the continued resentment local fishermen have towards those engaged in Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing…

This morning Dryad Maritime released their Mediterranean Special Advisory, an in depth report, looking at the complex threats currently facing commercial shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. It has been written with the purpose of providing a better understanding of this important area of sea, which currently faces political instability, mass migration and the threat of maritime terrorism. “The current refugee and migrant crisis seen in the Mediterranean stands as one of the greatest instances of mass migration since the end of the Second World War. With no end to the conflicts and economic causes to this crisis in sight, the already notable impact upon commercial shipping can only be expected to increase .

Dryad Maritime released its Q3 trends and analysis of global maritime crime showing a stark rise of 38% of incidents across Southeast Asia, when figures are compared to the first nine months of 2014. The apparent impunity of maritime gangs operating in the region has led Dryad to call upon the three nations surrounding the Singapore Strait, in particular, to provide a permanent security presence to deter criminals and protect maritime trade. The number of reported incidents has jumped from 140 on the same nine-month period in 2014 to 194 in 2015. The main focus for criminal gangs in the region has been the petty theft of ships stores as gangs look to steal engine parts and high value machinery for resale on the black market.

Dryad Maritime have featured in a special programme ‘A Maritime Nation’ commissioned by the UK Chamber of Shipping, introduced by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky and produced by ITN Productions. The current affairs programme aired this week as part of London International Shipping Week and looks at the role and value of shipping to the UK through interviews and sponsored editorials with some of the UK’s leading shipping companies. Dryad Maritime was one of 14 companies invited to participate in the programme. The UK Chamber of Shipping asked Dryad to contribute to the section on Safety, Sustainability and Growth. In this episode…

New figures show that Southeast Asia continues to dominate maritime crime incidents globally, with 120 reports of piracy and maritime crime instances occurring in the region since January 1, 2015, an increase of 22 percent compared to the first six months of 2014, according to figures from U.K. maritime intelligence and operations company Dryad Maritime. Of these reported incidents, 12 were vessel hijackings – an increase of three compared to the same period last year. Dryad Maritime…

U.K. maritime intelligence provider, Dryad Maritime released its Q3 maritime crime figures which show that piracy is continuing across the globe at similar levels to Q2, with incidents of cargo theft in Southeast Asia continuing to rise. Dryad’s figures show a 27% drop in crime overall between Q2 to Q3, but point to the continuing attacks that are happening across the globe as reported in Q2. Maritime crime across Southeast Asia continues at pace during the period, with a further five hijackings of product tankers in the vicinity of Singapore. In addition, a further eight vessels were boarded while at anchor, taking the total number of similar incidents to 30 so far in 2014 although recent reports indicate that another tanker is currently missing since 3 October, presumed hijacked.

UK-based maritime intelligence provider, Dryad Maritime has released its Q3 maritime crime figures which show that piracy is continuing across the globe at similar levels to Q2, with incidents of cargo theft in Southeast Asia continuing to rise. Dryad’s figures show a 27% drop in crime overall between Q2 to Q3, but point to the continuing attacks that are happening across the globe as reported in Q2. Maritime crime across Southeast Asia continues at pace during the period, with a further five hijackings of product tankers in the vicinity of Singapore.

In the early hours of Saturday 9th August 2014, the radar of a product tanker transiting south, 200 nautical miles off the Nigerian shoreline detected a probable pirate mother ship lying in wait close to its track. Shortly after detecting the vessel, the crew was engaged by several bursts of automatic gunfire from up to three pirate boats. The pirates then made an unsuccessful attempt at boarding the vessel from the stern. Dryad Maritime warn that the range at which this attack took place…

"In the early hours of Saturday 9th August, a product tanker transiting 200 nautical miles south of the Nigerian shoreline encountered a radar contact of a drifting vessel along its track. After taking normal navigational measures to open the closest point of approach (CPA) from the drifting vessel and passing abeam at 6.5 nautical miles, the tanker’s crew heard a burst of gunfire; first from their starboard quarter when 6 or 7 shots were fired and later from forward of the ship’s accommodation structure, but this time a burst of automatic fire. Although visibility was poor in the darkness and haze, one crew member reported seeing the outboard engine wakes of up to three small craft that engaged in a chase of the tanker, during the period of gunfire.

UK-based maritime intelligence agency, Dryad Maritime, says it plans a strategic expansion of their operations into Asia Pacific and the Americas. Dryad explain that the expansion and re-focusing of the company will see a number of internal moves. The current Director of Intelligence, Ian Millen is to assume the role of Chief Operating Officer from Karen Jacques, who will be relocated to the Pacific in order to take the helm and grow Dryad Maritime across Asia and the Americas. Graeme Gibbon Brooks, Managing Director Dryad Maritime said: “We are really excited about our expansion plans which we hope will be the start of several more.

The latest report of a tanker hijack in Southeast Asia has prompted Dryad Maritime to issue an advisory to its shipping clients, on the basis that the crime follows a pattern, which has seen up to six such attacks, over the last nine months. The Company issued its advisory to maritime clients from its 24/7 Portsmouth, UK-based operations facility, explaining that the [Thai tankship] MT Orapin 4 laden with a fuel oil cargo, departed Singapore on 27th May 2014 and became the subject of a missing vessel alert the next day when attempts by her shipping company to contact her failed. The vessel had been scheduled to transit to Pontianak, Indonesia on 29th May, but was hijacked by pirates who damaged communications equipment and subsequently siphoned off the vessel’s fuel oil cargo.

The latest report of a tanker hijack in Southeast Asia has prompted Dryad Maritime to issue an advisory to its shipping clients, on the basis that the crime follows a pattern, which has seen up to six such attacks, over the last nine months. The industry leading maritime operations company that boasts a specialist intelligence capability issued its advisory to maritime clients from its 24/7 Portsmouth-based operations facility. MT Orapin 4, laden with a fuel oil cargo, departed Singapore on 27th May and became the subject of a missing vessel alert the next day when attempts by her shipping company to contact her failed. The vessel had been scheduled to transit to Pontianak…

Dryad Maritime informs it is warning of an increasing threat from Southeast Asia piracy following the release of their Q2 figures which show that the area continues to experience the highest number of maritime crime incidents in 2014 when compared to other traditional piracy hot spots. The warning comes in the wake of the most recent hijack of a tanker, (MT Moresby 9), off the Anambas Islands on 4th July, 2014, when pirates boarded the vessel taking the crew hostage before stealing part of the 2200 tonne cargo of Marine Gas Oil (MGO). The location of the vessel is still unknown. This year alone has seen 12 reported cases of vessels being boarded underway and a further 19 reports of robberies…

Dryad Maritime gives warning of increasing SE Asia piracy. The warning results from the release of their Q2 figures, containing data that shows the area experiences the highest number of maritime crime incidents in 2014 in comparison with other traditional piracy hot spots. The warning comes in the wake of the most recent hijack of a tanker, (MT Moresby 9), off the Anambas Islands on July 4. Pirates boarded the vessel, taking the crew hostage before stealing part of the 2,200-metric-ton cargo of Marine Gas Oil (MGO). The vessel location is still unknown.

According to a special advisory warning recently issued by U.K. maritime intelligence provider Dryad Maritime, there has been an increased threat of crew kidnap in the Gulf of Guinea. And since the issue of Dryad’s warning, two further attacks on vessels have taken place within a single week, as two Nigerian-flagged vessels were targeted by maritime criminals on consecutive days, resulting in the kidnap of six crew members. On March 4, multipurpose offshore vessel MV Prince Joseph 1 was attacked offshore Akwa Ibom state…

A UK maritime intelligence provider Dryad Maritime released its Q1 maritime crime figures which show an overall downturn in incidents across the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea and Southeast Asia since the same period last year. However, Dryad Maritime caution that ‘shock’ incidents and evolving criminal trends remain a very real threat to the shipping industry. According  to Dryad, the overall statistics show a 13% reduction in crime, but ‘shock’ incidents such as the kidnap and ransom of seafarers off the Niger Delta still present real and credible threats; six seafarers are still believed to be in captivity in Nigeria. Similarly…