Indian Ocean, the point with the French army to avoid piracy

The Red Sea and Indian Ocean area poses navigation problems with regular pirate attacks. A ship safety cell has been set up. It is intended for both commercial and pleasure vessels. An officer explains how it works and how to contact them.

François-Xavier Ricardou Published on April 8, 2019

At the end of 2016, the ALINDIEN MARSEC maritime security cell was created within the headquarters of the French forces in the United Arab Emirates (FFEAU). This unit has since been working to facilitate French navigation in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf.

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This dynamic team, armed by 4 naval officers from the National Navy based in Abu Dhabi, has several strings to its bow and is on watch 24 hours a day. Working under the aegis of the Mica-center of Brest and Admiral Maleterre (ALINDIAN), this team :

Monitors the navigation of French commercial and fishing vessels that have signed the National Marine - Shipowners Convention
Assesses the threat of piracy in the area and in ports
Assist the Grey Nose CROSS in case of rescue in the area
Observes the evolution of migratory flows in the Indian Ocean

In the field of sailing, these sailors are also in charge of monitoring recreational boating french in the area:

They will advise you (letter of recommendation) before you visit the region
They will ask you for information that may be useful (dates of passage, type of ship, plans, number of people, identity...)
They will follow you every day from your first day in the area until you leave

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Every week, ALINDIEN produces a risk assessment map of the area available on FaceBook

All this information will allow them to be able to assist you in the event of any alert. It is therefore strongly recommended to have in your possession a very good AIS receiver/transmitter, a satellite telephone (with automatic positioning every 4 hours preferably towards MARSEC), a satellite messaging system, so that you can be repositioned in real time by the cell. Tests can be carried out beforehand.

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Above is the example of a Phuket-Djibouti crossing on an RM 1200

The cell communicated with the owner every day by Iridium email. At the end of the trip, the skipper had programmed his phone with automatic repositioning (very practical).

To contact the MARSEC ALINDIEN cell:

Tel: +971 026574265
mail: alindien-comfor-eau-marsec.contact.fct@intradef.gouv.fr
mail H24 : alindien-comfor-eau-bwa.fct@dev.gouv.fr
FaceBook : https://www.facebook.com/alindien.marsec