Optimal asset network planning for counter piracy operation support, part 1: Under the hood

摘要

Piracy on the high seas is a problem of worldwide concern. According to the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) global piracy report, East and West Africa accounted for the majority of world attacks in 2011, a rising trend. Of the 439 attacks reported to the IMB in 2011, 275 took place off Somalia on the east coast and in the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa [1]. International coalitions are involved in efforts to inhibit pirate attacks, protect vessels, and increase the level of security in those regions where the risk of piracy is higher. Examples of such efforts include Operation Ocean Shield (OOS), the NATO's counterpiracy mission (see Figure 1) [2], [3], and the European Union Operation Atalanta [4], both conducted in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa.