Page 44: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q3 2014)

power is the same. The port security barrier units that Jay Cohen helped de-velop in 2001 are still in use 13 years later. While sequestra- tion has presented challenges in getting suitable replacements, the answer may Þ nally be at hand. And, while the low hang- ing fruit and immediate need seems to be rooted in high risk naval bases and assets, the greater market probably resides in the commercial sector. ThatÕs because the HALO system is collapsible, can be deployed remotely or via winch operation from either side. The wide, easily movable gate accommo- dates large commercial vessels with considerable beam. Incorporated in January of 2008, HALO today has grown to 50 full-time employees. The HALO system is currently in the last phase of validation (at the Aberdeen Proving Ground) and is in full production. A half scale model is available to facilitate the ÒmobileÓ needs of events such as a G8 summit. With their Þ rst sale already Þ nalized to a foreign government at a stra- tegic base in Mediterranean Sea, that Þ rst installation will be completed by yearÕs end. The HALO barrier will also be dem- onstrated to senior Naval leadership in San Diego in January. The next generation barrier by HALO already has earned nine patents and has four pending. ADM Cohen, as the Chair- man of HALO, obviously has skin in the game at this point. But, he also represents the leading edge of research in this area, dating back to his days at the OfÞ ce of Naval Research. Of HALO, he says simply, ÒIt represents the biggest major breakthrough in this arena since 9/11.Ó MARINE ARMOR SYSTEM?S ANTI-PIRACY With the ÒGolden Age of PiracyÓ of the 1650s to 1730s now resigned to the history books, and a sharp decline in the num-ber of attacks in todayÕs previous hotspot area of Somalia does this indicate piracy is a waning issue? Not according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre whose 2014 ÒLive Piracy and Armed RobberyÓ report details 67 incidents this year already. Indeed, the piracy ÒindustryÓ is an industry so lucrative for the criminals involved that it in fact shows no sign of waning, just moving location. Clearly piracy still poses a very real threat and the need to protect vessels passively is a priority for ship owners and operators. One answer is to hire armed security guards. And while it is true that no merchant vessel has yet been taken when armed security is on board, the use of contract guards can create its own headaches. In some areas, the transit of weapons is ex- pressly prohibited, and when that doesnÕt present a problem, certainly, glaring errors and tragedies have occurred. Despite increased regulation and standardization of this rapidly ex- panding service sector, some owners, ß ag states and ports are reluctant to introduce guards to the equation.For operators who eschew the use of armed guards, Marine Armor System manufactures, supplies and installs passive so- lutions against maritime piracy around the world, providing ballistic protection to the crew. MAS is a non-lethal vessel protection system based on ballistic blinds, protecting vessels and rigs against pirate attacks and other potential threats such as armed robbery, terrorism and acts of sabotage. The system is fully patented and includes anti pirate blockades, bunkers and armored citadels or safe rooms onboard, protecting crew with a bulletproof barrier in case of pirate boarding, in line with IMO recommendations published in BMP4.MAS is tailor-made to suit each individual vesselÕs require- ments, allowing for a quick and neat installation on board. Prior to installation, MAS technicians work together with the shipÕs security ofÞ cers to complete a risk assessment of each vessel to determine what level of protection is best for each area and then submit a report with a security hardening pro-posal, considering itinerary, schedule, threat level and other existing self-protection measures on the ship. MARITIME SECURITYMarine Armor System44 I Maritime Professional I 3Q 201434-49 Q3 MP2014.indd 4434-49 Q3 MP2014.indd 448/13/2014 3:17:25 PM8/13/2014 3:17:25 PM