New Maritime Security Corridor for Gulf of Aden
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) are setting up a security corridor Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb in response to recent attacks in the region.
“Recent attacks against merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb (BAM) have highlighted the risks associated with transiting these waters,” CMF said, reported by MANA correspondent.
“The multiple types of risks and the broad expanse of ocean on which these attacks can occur dictate that Naval Forces must be used in the most efficient manner possible. To assist in this, CMF is establishing a Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC).”
The MTSC encompasses the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), the BAM traffic separation scheme (TSS) and the TSS West of the Hanish Islands, and a two-way route directly connecting the IRTC and the BAM TSS.
The CMF said it recommended that all vessels use the MSTC to benefit from military presence and surveillance.
“All vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb should follow the guidance of BMP4 to the maximum extent possible and consider the use of embarked armed security. Recent piracy attacks in 2017 serve to emphasise the importance of robustly following this guidance,” CMF added.