Demand for Nautic’s pirate-proof vessel goes ballistic

DEMAND for fast, rugged and highly ballistic protected vessels is strong among African countries on the east and west coasts, driven by increased risks of piracy and other illicit offshore activities.

This was according to James Fisher, executive chairperson of Cape Town firm Nautic Africa, a Paramount Group company.

Fisher said a 35m Sentinel patrol vessel designed and built by the firm, withstood a pirate attack off the coast of Nigeria last month, thanks to its high levels of ballistic protection that secured the safety of the crew and ensured the uninterrupted operation of the vessel which succeeded in thwarting an ambush attempt by pirates armed with AK 47s.

The crew managed to escape unscathed, proving that the 35m Sentinel was properly armoured for its task. Fisher added that ballistic protection has become a must in many African markets to guarantee the safety of the crew and passengers and that Nautic pioneered the use of ballistic protection in the oilfield support market.

“We have invested substantially in providing market-leading capabilities in this area. We are particularly grateful that one of our vessels met and delivered the required protection for crew who are susceptible to the dangers of these areas.

“Nautic Africa is very confident in the knowledge these security vessels, which are manufactured using the lifesaving ‘Super Shield’ composite structure, will provide significant ballistic support from AK 47 gunfire. Nautic Africa’s STANAG Level 1 Ballistic Protection is standard on all platform security vessels.”

He said the vessels are primarily used for security and transfer of crew and cargo off the coast of Nigeria, and can also be used for various other operations such as dive support, environmental protection and, because of their versatility and adaptability, are able to conduct diverse operations and deal with a number of threats within a country’s exclusive economic zone.

Nautic announced in 2015 that it had launched two new bespoke 35m Sentinel vessels in Table Bay Harbour, custom-designed and manufactured for a Nigerian logistics provider.

It said at the time that the vessels, Augustina ll and Princess Ebikenie, were capable of top speeds of 29 knots, and both vessels were capable of staying at sea with a full crew and security team complement of 16 to 18 people for four weeks.