Netherlands Ship Owners Seek Armed Protection in Red Sea from Ministry of Defence
Netherlands shipowners want to better protect themselves from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. In their letter to the country's Defence Ministry, they ask, among other things, for the possibility of having armed guards on board merchant ships, FD writes.
Due to terrorist attacks by Houthi rebels, Netherlands ships no longer pass through the Red Sea, an important sea route for international trade. They detour through the Cape of Good Hope, which takes longer and costs more money.
The United States, among others, is taking retaliatory action against the Houthi rebels. The Netherlands supports these responses.
The shipowners want to pass through the Red Sea again as soon as possible. They are therefore asking for permission to continue to have armed security teams on board.
"We do want to be able to sail competitively, but not at any cost," Annette Koster of KNVR tells NOS. "The safety of our ships, but especially our crews, is always our top priority."
Shipowners don't want to sail through the Red Sea yet, Koster says, but they want to do so as soon as possible.
"When the umbrella over the Red Sea area, which intercepts missiles from the sky, is strengthened, we want to be able to sail there at the same time as our competitors with security on board," she adds.
Security teams on ships are supposed to protect merchant vessels from insurgents trying to board ships like pirates.
For her part, Defence Minister Keesa Ollongren said that the Netherlands is taking part in operations to protect shipping in the Red Sea, but it is too early to talk about restoring safe passage.
"We are talking about cruise missiles and armed drones. To counter them, we need completely different measures than to fight small boats with armed pirates. There are very serious threats in the region right now, so it is not wise for civilian ships to go there," said Ollongren.
The Netherlands is doing a lot on the security front, working with other countries to reduce the Houthis' military capabilities, Ollongren said.