Due to the increase in the number of attacks in the Gulf of Aden, the Commander, US Naval Central Command, has directed the establishment of a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) in the Gulf of Aden. A force of Coalition Navy warships will patrol the area, and aircraft will fly in the airspace above.
The MSPA is being established in support of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) ongoing efforts. Coalition actions will give the IMO time to work out international preventative efforts that will ultimately lead to a long-term solution.
Coalition ships are in the area as part of the Coalition’s continual presence in this region. While they have conducted routine operations in the area in the past, the establishment of the MSPA will focus the efforts to counter destabilising activities in the region and improve security while long-term initiatives mature.
Coordinates of suggested corridor through the Gulf of Aden:
Waypoint: 12 15N 045E
Waypoint: 12 35N 045E
Waypoint: 13 35N 049E
Waypoint: 13 40N 049E
Waypoint: 14 10N 050E
Waypoint: 14 15N 050E
Waypoint: 14 35N 053E
Waypoint: 14 45N 053E
For further information please contact Capt Tom Hastings,
Maritime Liaison Office, Kingdom of Bahrain, Work: +973-1785-3927 Cell: +973-3944-2117
In addition to contacting the Maritime Liaison Office, ships in the area are strongly encouraged to report any suspicious behaviour or unusual activity through the following channels:
Coalition Maritime Forces (CMF)
Vessels may contact CMF vessels directly via Channel 16 or the CMF telephone hotline (+973 1781 2951).
UK Maritime & Trade Office (UKMTO)
The UKMTO office in Dubai also acts as a point of contact for industry liaison with CMF.
UKMTO also administers the Voluntary Reporting Scheme, under which merchant vessels are encouraged to send daily reports, providing their position and ETA at their next port whilst transiting the region bound by Suez, 78°E and 5°S. UKMTO Dubai subsequently tracks vessels and the positional information is passed to CMF headquarters.
Emerging and relevant information affecting commercial traffic can then be passed directly to ships, rather than by company offices, improving responsiveness to any incident and saving time.
Vessels that wish to participate in the Voluntary Reporting Scheme may submit daily reports by email to
ukmtodubai@eim.ae or
ukmtodubai@hotmail.com.
Royal Navy MTO Merchant Vessel Voluntary Reporting Scheme
Ships of any flag or ownership are invited to report, on a voluntary basis only, to the UK Royal Navy Maritime Trade Operations team on passing the following reference points:
a - Suez for vessels entering or leaving the Region via the Red Sea
b - 5S for ships entering or leaving the Region via the Indian Ocean (SOUTH)
c - 78E for ships entering or leaving the Region via the Indian Ocean (EAST)
The initial report should contain the following:
- Ship Name
- IRCS (International Radio Call Sign)
- Flag
- IMO number
- MMSI
- Inmarsat telephone number including satellite prefix
- Telex and fax number
- Email address
- Name of Company having day-to-day management
- Type of Ship
- Date/time of current position course and speed
- Itinerary in the region with route way points and destination port(s)
- British personnel onboard (if any)
Subsequently, ships are requested to report their noon positions and speed, actual departure times and estimated arrival times at ports and destination when outward bound from the defined area. All timings are requested in UTC and the preferred method of communication is e-mail.
Telephone: +971 50 552 3215, fax: +971 4 306 5710, email:
ukmto@eim.ae
