Surveys & Hardening - OO2

Provides considerable experience to the field of hardening and preparing a ship against a possible attack.

Hardening includes all aspects of making a ship less accessible and more defensible - typically against a pirate assault from one or more small vessels. Ideally, hardening should be partly accounted for at build and Open Ocean is experienced in formulating requirements with naval architects and builders.

Access denial is the first and possibly most cost-effective area where improvements can be made and this can often be a product of an initial, possibly remote survey. Many ships may have some hardening already in place and Open Ocean can make a remote assessment before proposing any enhancements or updates.

Surveys

The Open Ocean remote survey process enables initial anti-piracy and pre-hardening surveys to be carried out at almost any time or location, with the resultant reports to be produced electronically and returned to the ship or owner as soon as possible. Practical approaches are taken to these surveys which can range from advice based on inspection of the GA drawing set, supplemental photos taken by crews and sent in by email, as well as any other comments provided by crew and/or security teams. A full questionnaire is used to confirm the findings and also to provide a framework for comments on both sides.

The results of the remote survey are then graded according to potential weaknesses found in a specific ship. Recommendations are made as to any follow-up action which might include the immediate correction of a significant deficiency or the need for a proper survey at the first opportunity.

An On-Site Security Survey (OSSS) done by a security professional still remains the requirement for the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and for high risk ships – especially those carrying out stationary operations in piracy-prone seas. This can be carried out by Open Ocean and its accredited partners at most locations around the world.

Citadels

The use of citadels is increasingly common. Open Ocean can advise on operational drills for the use of citadels and advise on the modification of ships that do not already have one defined or fitted.

Open Ocean has considerable expertise in the development and use of ballistic and blast mitigation systems and can work with designers, owners and operators to provide modular fits for either single ships or classes of vessels. These can range from significant reduction in the effects of both small-arms and Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) fire through to military-standard protection against both attacks for specific areas of the ship.