Hijacked ARIS 13 Oil Tanker Rapidly Located with Pléiades Satellites (.Pdf)
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DEFENCE AND SPACE Intelligence Hijacked ARIS 13 Oil Tanker Rapidly Located with Pléiades Satellites Case Study Challenge Solution and Results Benefits Relocate an oil tanker Combining the Automatic Support decision-making hijacked by pirates in Identification System with actionable intelligence emergency. (SAT-AIS), Airbus’ satellites and understanding of the rapid acquisition capacity situation remotely. and analysis expertise, ARIS 13 oil tanker was located in a few days. It is the willingness of Airbus to ‘‘ engage at speed and provide ARIS 13 accurate and relevant output in 11˚47’ 54’’N / 050˚31’ 05’’E Length: 62m times of stress that is helping Beam: 13m shape our relationship. This Heading: 271˚ valuable data, combined with other information sources, we 630 metres share not only with our CSOs to better protect their crews, but the military as we work to develop a two-way dialogue with the CSOs of the merchant marine. Mark Sutcliffe, Director, CSO Alliance. Challenge Solution and Results Solution Description On 13 March 2017, Somali pirates captured The Pléiades satellites were programmed The Vessel Report Service provides ship the ARIS 13 oil tanker and its eight Sri using the vessel’s last known AIS positions. information reports based on satellite Lankan crew members. Reports suggested that the oil tanker had imagery acquisitions, as one shot or on a travelled west to east outside the MSPA regular basis. The basic level of information The tanker was transporting bunker oil corridor in the West Gulf of East Aden. provided is a mere ship detection report; from Djibouti to Mogadishu when it was it can optionally be enriched with ship attacked by armed men aboard two skiffs. The first image was programmed on classification, identification and activity The vessel’s capture was the first successful 14 March, the day CSO Alliance raised detection. hijacking of a commercial vessel by Somali the alert, based on ARIS 13’s last known pirates since 2012. positions. The image was made available on the next day – 15 March. Once onboard, the pirates cut off all Organisation Involved communication and positioning equipment, To obtain a satellite image in 24 hours, including the AIS emitter that regularly the Pléiades satellites are programmed CSO Alliance Maritime is a global community, transmits the vessel’s identity, position and in Premium One Day mode. The team of covering all maritime regions and sectors. course. maritime experts at Airbus analysed the They are mobilising an online community of images trying to locate and identify the over 400 Company Security Officers from When it lost the AIS signal from ARIS 13, vessel. ARIS 13 was not identified on the more than 40 countries in a secure portal, CSO Alliance asked Airbus to programme image of 15 March 2017, indicating that it allowing CSOs to connect, inform each other the Pléiades satellites to find the vessel. had been diverted to another port. of risks they face, and through structured information exchange. This organisation The satellites were therefore reprogrammed gathers key stakeholder and the military, on other ports along the Somali coast. support their security planning and actions to ARIS 13 was identified the next day on a more effectively counter maritime crime. new Pléiades image, north-west of the port of Abo. Its length, width and North-West shape matched the vessel’s technical characteristics. Benefits Rapid tasking and acquisition of Pléiades Acting within the framework of Operation satellites enabled CSO Alliance to inform Atalanta, the French frigate Courbet The boat was relocated thanks to the its network quickly. This enabled the established contact with the crew, Airbus maritime team who used AIS data coastguards from Puntland to rapidly providing medical assistance to one of and satellite imagery, as well as their commence negotiations with the pirates the seamen. The frigate then escorted maritime expertise to detect, classify and and the vessel was freed during the night. ARIS 13 to the Somali port of Bosaso. identify the boat. The quick delivery of the ship’s detection report supported intervention, maximising resources and increasing efficiency. Airbus This document is not contractual. Australia, Brazil, China, Finland, France, Subject to change without notice. Germany, Hungary, Singapore, Spain, © 2017 Eunavfor © Fotolia United Kingdom, United States © 2017 Airbus DS. © CNES 2017, Distribution Airbus DS @AirbusSpace All rights reserved. www.intelligence-airbusds.com.