Beware of dog!

Beware of dog! SEAL ship security teams use attack dogs as last line of defense.

By Eric Kulisch

      Dubai-based Sharaf Shipping Agency announced on Sept. 3 a partnership with SEAL Security Solutions in Houston to provide six-man defense teams for ocean carriers.
      The guards, accompanied by four assault dogs, will station two lookouts equipped with advanced optics and other technology at all times on high and low positions on the ship, conduct 24/7 patrols on deck and use radios to stay in constant communication with each other.
      SEAL stands for Strategic Executive And Logistical and plays on the name for the Sea, Air and Land special forces in the U.S. military. It also promises to train crews on safety and lockdown procedures in the event of a pirate attack, and otherwise coordinate onboard responses and distress calls to coalition forces.
      The guards are available to embark and disembark at ports in Fujairah; Salalah, Oman; Djibouti; Red Sea ports; and Egypt, the vessel service company said.
      SEAL President Grant Goldin said the security teams are all comprised of unarmed U.S. military veterans.
      'They're unarmed. But they're not weaponless. The assault dogs are extremely effective weapons,' Goldin told American Shipper.
      The dogs are the last line of defense. The first priorities are to train the crew, keep a good watch and avoid any pirates. Once pirates gain the deck, they usually get on the bridge and take control of the ship. But trying to shoot a team of trained attack dogs coming from all sides on a moving boat is very difficult.

Web-only Related News •   Pirate Busters •   Piracy study needed better balance •   Rent-a-navy •   Piracy insurance poised to increase

      Most dogs bite with the front part of their teeth but these canines are taught to bite very deeply through the back of their mouth and don't stop until they are called off by their trainer, he said. But unlike a bullet, they can be called back once released.
      The company's anti-piracy strategy is becoming more low-tech, moving away from noise, laser and other devices intended to disorient an enemy in favor of a defensive package anchored by the canine teams, Goldin said.
      Long-range acoustical devices, for example, are heavy and difficult to move around without a mobile version, and become obsolete as pirates adapt to them by using heavy-duty earmuffs and other countermeasures, he said. High-tech equipment also requires maintenance.
      The attack dogs are a more reliable deterrent, Goldin claimed.
      'We believe the pirate intelligence is quite good. They are not a ragtag bunch of guys. They know what is being loaded at the ports,' he said.
      The defensive unit also flies the SEAL Security flag as a further signal to pirates that dogs are on board a client vessel.
      Goldin said SEAL doesn't believe in some passive defensive measures such as barbed wire or lashing barrels to ladder steps because they would delay the crew getting off the vessel in the event of a fire.
      He would not disclose rates, but said the service 'is extremely price competitive' with other providers of non-lethal protective services.
      Owners of chemical tankers are especially worried about weapons on board their ships and an ensuring firefight that could blow up the vessel.
      The canine security package is relatively new for the maritime environment. SEAL has had a few customers, but the challenge has been stationing and moving the dogs around the region and accessing ports, Goldin said.
      That's where Sharaf Shipping Agency comes in. It has an extensive network of facilities in the Middle East and Africa for resupplying vessels with fuel, food and other necessities, managing vessel repairs, accommodating crew needs in port and providing a host of other support services. SEAL now has a platform through which to easily reach client vessels, Goldin said.
      The dogs are quickly loaded by routine support and supply vessels in small kennel crates strapped on pallets.
      The company also offers an armed cruiser escort in other parts of the world where rebels or criminal gangs tend to have different goals and be much more violent. Dissident groups, for example, have killed crews and blown up ships at anchor off West Africa in recent years. The armed escort vessels are very expensive and not necessary in the Gulf of Aden, Goldin said.