Strong take-up for anti-piracy jets

The company says that its SCR 360 APR water cannon MPS (marine protection system) is in place onboard a significant number of vessels , mostly tankers, ranging from small chemical carriers to large VLCCs. A variety of other ship types have been equipped with the MPS technology, including car carriers, LNG tankers and passenger ships. Installations are individually designed for each vessel based on the available pump capacity.

Developed in line with IMO recommendations, the MPS is a high capacity anti-piracy water cannon, incorporating multi-nozzle machines that are driven by the flow of sea water, using existing pumps. Based on Scanjet’s tank cleaning machine technology, the system operates automatically with nozzles rotating through 360°, requires no manual operation and needs no chemicals or steam additives. The company has continuously upgraded the MPS to make it more durable and reliable; the rotation speed of the system has been optimised at 4-6 rpm, to maximise protection against boarding by pirates; and the flow of water raised to a maximum of 100m³/h. A block has been installed to prevent water being projected upwards, in order to optimise the downward. The system comprises three elements – a cannon gun unit, a turbine powered drive and the mounting bracket. Once activated the system will run until the vessel is safe and the pumps are switched off, allowing the crew to be locked down in safe areas onboard if necessary.

Scanjet says that the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recently confirmed that 2010 was the worst year for pirate attacks on shipping on record. A total of 53 ships were hijacked, while owners reported 445 attacks on vessels in 2010, up 10% on 2009. 1181 crew members were taken hostage and eight killed.

Sales director Bjorn Lundgren says, “After its launch in 2009, the take-up of the Scanjet MPS was slow to begin with, but since the summer of 2010 demand has really exploded. The level of enquiries has picked up at an incredible pace in recent months and is not slowing down, as owners come to realise they have to do whatever they can to protect their vessels and crews. Many owners and operators are aware of the problem, but do not realise that solutions like the MPS exist and do work. As the message is getting across so the level of interest is rising fast.”

The water cannons provide deterrence that can be seen at a distance and clearly show to pirates that the vessel is protected. They are claimed to represent a non-provocative form of protection as the water beams generated are not lethal. Lundgren adds, “The MPS works. It is highly significant that none of the vessels that have MPS onboard have been successfully attacked.”

Features include ease of installation and removal, as it can be mounted without the need for hot work; the fact that the machine length and horizontal position can be individually adapted to meet the requirements of particular hull shapes (claimed to be a unique feature); and the ability to be offered as either a permanent or portable solution.