The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa
The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) aims to provide a service to mariners in the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Basin and off the Horn of Africa. It is a Coordination Centre dedicated to safeguarding legitimate freedom of navigation in the light of increasing risks of pirate attack against merchant shipping in the region, in support of the UN Security Council’s Resolutions (UNSCR) 1814, 1816 and 1838.
Through close dialogue with shipping companies, masters and other interested parties, MSCHOA will build up a picture of vulnerable shipping in these waters and their approaches. The Centre, which is manned by military and merchant navy personnel from several countries will then coordinate with a range or military forces operating in the region (notably EU NAVFOR) to provide support and protection to mariners. There is a clear need to protect ships and their crews from illegitimate and dangerous attacks, safeguarding a key global trade route.
To do this effectively, MSCHOA needs to know about merchant vessels approaching, transiting or operating in the region. This website offers ship owners, ships Masters and agents the facility to register their details securely with MSCHOA, update positions of their vessels and receive information and guidance designed to reduce the risk of pirate attacks.
MSCHOA has been set up by the EU as part of a European Security and Defence Policy initiative to combat piracy in the Horn of Africa. This work commenced with the establishment of EU NAVCO in September 2008. This Coordination Cell working in Brussels established linkages with a broad cross section of the maritime community and provided coordination with EU forces operating in the region. In November 2008, the Council of the European Union took a major step further by setting up a naval mission – EU NAVFOR ATALANTA – to improve maritime security off the Somali coast by preventing and deterring pirate attacks and help safeguard merchant shipping in the region. From mid-December 2008, an EU Naval Task Group, supported by maritime patrol aircraft, will be operating in the region. Both MSCHOA and the Naval Task Group are under the command of Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, based at Northwood, United Kingdom.
Attempts to coordinate counter-piracy operations are not new. MSCHOA is one of a number of centres providing a service to mariners and our aim is to cooperate as closely as possible with all those organisations, minimising the number of agencies that the ship owner or master needs to deal with.
OP ATALANTA
Operation ATALANTA is an EU Military Mission established on 8 December 2008 in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1814, 1816 and 1838, to contribute to the deterrence and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
Rear Admiral Peter Hudson Royal Navy is appointed as the Operation Commander for the EU’s first Naval Operation, within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy, and leads the Operation Command Headquarters of 76 staff based at Northwood, UK.
At any one time the EU NAVFOR will comprise of up to 6 Frigates and 3 to 5 Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA).
The mission is divided into three key areas:
1. The protection of United Nations World Food Programme Shipping delivering humanitarian food aid to Somalia; 2. The protection of merchant vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden or in proximity to Somalia; 3. The deterrence and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
EU Warships are working closely with World Food Programme. So far, we have delivered food into Somalia that will feed more than 2 million people. The force has been heavily involved in counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden helping to protect many of the 25000 ships that transit the region every year. EU has established the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa in partnership with industry to improve coordination between commercial shipping and international military forces in the region.EU NAVFOR Operation
With up to 95% of EU member state’ trade (by volume) transported by sea and 20% of Global trade passing through the Gulf of Aden, EUNAVFOR provide considerable focus to safeguard trade through this strategic area.
The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) is an initiative established by EUNAVFOR with close co-operation from industry. The MSC(HOA) centre provides 24 hour manned monitoring of vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden whilst the provision of an interactive website enables the Centre to communicate the latest anti-piracy guidance to industry and for Shipping Companies and operators to register their movements through the region.
Finally in between routine or baseline operations, EUNAVFOR conducts focused operations aimed at achieving specific effects within a given area or time window. By concentrating forces to achieve specific effects EUNAVFOR can provide influence, deterrence or insight into legitimate and illicit activities in order to better co-ordinate future activities to deter piracy and armed robbery and thus reassure legitimate merchant mariners.