The RN-led UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) coordinates the flow of information around commercial shipping sailing in dangerous waters. Here we look at how this valuable service provides reassurance to mariners, improves safety of life at sea and helps reduce their risk of exposure to piracy or attack.
Background
The UKMTO is based at the Maritime Trade Information Centre (MTIC) on Portsdown Hill, just north of Portsmouth. It provides alerts and information that is available to merchant shipping of all nationalities in the Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) which includes about 2.5 million square miles of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. A second area covered by the organisation is the West African coast under the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade in the Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GOG) construct in cooperation with the French. UKMTO also maintains a small presence in Dubai, primarily liaising with ship owners and mariners in the region.
UKMTO reports to RN Commander Operations (COMOPS) with a Lt Cdr head of the organisation, who is also officially the ‘Crown representative’ for military-to-military liaison. This is an RN capability but delivered by civilian contractors, many of whom are ex-RN or formerly worked for the police or emergency services.
The organisation is politically neutral, it does not provide analysis and does not run naval operations. Its primary focus is the collection and dissemination of verified information that will help keep mariners safe. Ships’ masters and Company Security Officers (CSO) are encouraged to report what they observe in the VRA and can request assistance when needed.
Maritime 999
Until recently most of the major incidents reported to UKMTO were piracy-related, typically Somalis attempting to hijack vessels, although this activity had declined since its peak in around 2012. The attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that began in November 2023 now form the main workload but there are plenty of other perils reported by mariners. These include safety of life at sea (SOLAS) incidents such as fires, floods and man overboard as well as medical emergencies or mechanical breakdowns. By maintaining a Recognised Maritime Picture (RMP) through close monitoring of naval and merchant vessels tracks, the personnel in the operations room have a broad understanding of what’s happening in the area and can provide authoritative information. The RMP is built using data inputs from AIS, military sensor networks and by manually plotting reported positions.
In the event of an incident reported to UKMTO, typically via satellite phone to the operations room in the UK by a ships master there are several actions to be taken. Local Maritime Control Centres (MOC) or Multinational Maritime Coordinating Centres (MMCC) are alerted. Regular contact is maintained with the ship or the CSO as much as possible. Other vessels within approx 50nm radius are given information about the incident either to help them avoid danger, or where appropriate, render assistance. Warships and military aircraft deployed in the regain by various nations may be tasked to respond by the relevant command authorities. Information is also passed to the wider community including via the UKMTO website or social media. There is also a Mercury chat room that allows a wide range of verified users to communicate about the incident in real-time. All actions in the operations room are logged and may be used to better understand what happened after the event.
Most Information is shared publicly although some details of incidents and the names of sailors involved are withheld for the sake of families and where it could compromise live operations or be commercially sensitive. When the centre is contacted by a ship’s master, particularly if under attack, information may initially be incomplete or patchy. Although English is the global language of seafaring it is not usually their first language and clearly establishing the facts from stressed individuals may take time.
To some degree, the UKMTO has parallels with a 999 emergency call centre. Sometimes watch keepers in Portsmouth have to deal with very harrowing situations in real time, providing reassurance to distressed sailors whose ships are being boarded by pirates or have been hit by weapons. Unlike the civilian emergency control rooms, UKMTO can not immediately hand over to responders but may remain in contact with the ship for hours or even days. It is up to local coastguards or military agencies to act on the information they provide but they do not coordinate the response.
Full details of incidents and contextual information are provided to the shipping industry, security firms, military responders in theatre and the flag state governments for analysis and events and forecast risk. This information is foundational to drafting and updating Best Management Practices (BMP) documents that provide guidelines on how to enhance the security of ships and help with voyage planning.
SITREP
Since October 2023, the workload has increased by 475%. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the organisation dealt with 225,178 emails, was involved with 27 significant incidents, and issued 71 warnings and advisories. These numbers have declined only slightly in the first quarter of 2024. With around 2,500 emails received every day, all of which have to be read, there is still a heavy workload.
On 6th March the bulk carrier MV True Confidence was struck in the accommodation areas by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile. The campaign of indiscriminate attacks on shipping which started in November was inevitably eventually going to lead to loss of life and three sailors were killed while several more of her mainly Philippino crew were badly burned or severely injured. The actions of the Houthis in directly attacking merchant ships with a range of sophisticated and semi-sophisticated weapons are unprecedented outside of wartime. This has dramatically increased the risks to mariners in the VRA and the work of UKMTO has become more important than ever.
Somali pirates have initiated a new campaign and in the past three months, attacks have increased to their highest level for six years. As yet there is no predictable pattern and some of the incidents have taken place far offshore hundreds of miles into the Indian Ocean. This has caught the international community by surprise as many of the anti-piracy constructs have lapsed. While conditions in Somalia have deteriorated again the reasons for this new wave are unclear. The Indian Navy has been especially active in countering this and successfully mounted a commando operation to release sailors.
The UKMTO is highly valued by mariners, the shipping industry and militaries worldwide as an independent source of reliable information. With the recent dramatic increase in threats, about 92% of commercial vessels (over about 500 tonnes) are now participating in the voluntary reporting scheme. The work of those in the MTIC operations room is typical of the excellent but low-profile activity carried out by the RN on a daily basis that is somewhat out of sight but contributes significantly to global maritime security.
Excellent. A very worthwhile and internationally visible service, enhancing the reputation of thr RN, and one not involving ships.
This is handy, because…..
AA
A very informative article; many thanks NL. I have seen UKMTO mentioned in a number of articles on other sites, but it is good to get a snapshot on the important role it plays.
Agreed.
This is what the RN have done for centuries. It is amazing that this serious work is handled with such a small amount of personnel. It is what should have shaped our surface combatant design post Cold War; a return to a cruiser navy.
If by ‘cruisers’ you mean naval vessels that can operate long distances from base and 5-10k tonnage then thats whats happened.
First UK armoured ( deck) cruiser HMS Shannon 1875
before this time similar ships were called Frigates or Sloops
I wish this site used Disqus.
Agree with you! And also spam filters to cut down the BS from China.
I met men who had served in ships like that. Amazing but in the days of steam it took decades and it wasn’t until the 1880’s ships had the range under steam power to be sure to get from one coal station to another. Maybe we should bring back sail for stealth in ASW! Sort of joking!
I have thought about it too in the past.
FWIW paddle boats have low underwater noise too.
Diesel electric Director class paddle tugs built to work the carriers back in the day.
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Worked there for nearly 2 years. Excellent job but long, long hours.
Good to see the place getting recognition
Reports come in from the VRA at 0800Z and the GOG at 1200Z makes for a really busy day as every email has to be read and checked with the systems in place.
The relationship with the French is quite close and there is good communication at all levels
I wouldn’t mind working for an organization like that. Do you have to be a UK citizen to work there?
Royal Navy Reserve run from what I have read. Nato and USN have similar for different areas
Duker, yes, I just came across something about what seems to be broadly similar technology operated by the US Coast Guard, though it appears that AMVER is mostly automated.
AMVER – Wikipedia
This is why I think the Royal Navy should have gotten a GP frigate from the US. That’s why I think the Sea control frigate based on the USCG’s National Security Cutter could fit the need as a GP frigate. They can put the GP frigate in places like the Falklands or even in the Gulf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OJZ8eB_mPA
Isn’t that what the T31 is for?
Yes that’s the T31 with its roots in Denmark’s patrol needs for Greenland etc. I think they are perfect except maybe a larger main gun.
We will have 4.5″ on the T45s for another 15 years. I wish we set them up for AAW and smart shells. Would that really be such a huge problem? I happen to think the 4.5″ is a better calibre than 5″.
The 4.5in system was in batch production of half a dozen every 20 years or so, so was untenable now. The 5in is in continuous production as is the 57mm and 40mm types.
The capability- quite expensive now- is what matters not small differences in calibre. And now 5in is now the standard and makes a large difference for ammunition etc
And a new trainable decoy launcher is on the way for them including the Type 45s and 26s.
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/naval-weapons/latest/sea-wins-out-for-uk-naval-decoy-launcher-competition
NSC / Legend / Bertholf class are such pretty ships too. One of my favourites. It is often pointed out across the Pond the one glaring omission is the lack of ASW kit. For example:
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/september/bring-back-coast-guard-sub-hunters
Submarines are just going to become more common as China continues to make strides with SSK production and more states are open to basing them.
As the larger frigates and destroyers have the longer range & capabilities that cruisers used to have , these have become the light frigates. The USCG calls them ‘cutters’, an old term.
RN Cutter Alert 1777 10 guns
The increase in range is just technology advancing. But to use RN nomenclature neither T45 as a destroyer or T23/T26 as frigates are cruisers.
A modern cruiser would displace somewhere around 12,000 tons **, 120-ish VLS cells, area air warfare, ASW, and be able to carry 4 helicopters with a normal air group of 3 (say 2 Merlin and 1 Wildcat.)
** Due to flight deck, increased stores, and bunkers.
Another alternative is the Japan Coast Guard’s Shikishima class of large helicopter cutters. Designed to protect their nuclear agency’s movement of fissile material and waste. Design with a range of 20,000 nautical miles (yes twenty thousand) and to carry two medium helicopters.
The post above comes after another of mine about the NSC which has disappeared into moderation.
Though for a while now I have been thinking that Type 31 should have been based on Absalon’s not the Iver Huitfedlt class. No real need for speed to money could have been saved on one set of propulsion which could have been spent on rafting etc. Also leaving plenty of space for stores. Plenty of space aft for TAS / VDS which the Danes are now fitting to the class. And better flight deck arrangements too to ease the operation of big cabs like Merlin.
And the ‘weapons tub’ which for some reason in T31 will be plated in. Why I do not know, but then again it is the modern RN so common sense isn’t that common. Heck perhaps they could have given thought to them carrying A30 too?
We couldn’t have gotten a GP frigate from the US, they retired the last of their Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates almost a decade ago. The USCG cutters are NOT frigates, which is why the USN chose the FREMM (a foreign design) for their new frigates.
What makes me laugh about you is you go off attacking others on topic that you constantly show in your posts you know nothing at all. Most of what you what you trot isn’t fact just your beliefs. You freely mix terms without regard for history or national usage. Why are you constantly rude? Who do you think you are?
Huntingon Ingals Industries have two patrol frigate variant desigs based on the NSC. If you showed somebody the spec of the NSC without revealing its identity they would say it is a patrol frigate. Have you ever looked at the spec’s of the NSC? Or have you just decided in your infinite wisdom it isn’t a frigate? This is beyond say the confusion or ignorance of calling a SPG a tank. The NSC does have one or two unique features specified by the USCG which a navy frigate does not have. But they alone don’t take away from the simple that the NSC is just a patrol frigate. The reason why the USN went for FREMM was because NSC simply wasn’t big enough for what they wanted. Nothing more. Many in USCG circles think it is a mistake not fitting the NSC with ASW.
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You are rude ignorant person.
I don’t see any reason why the RN couldn’t get a GP frigate from the US, or more accurately from the Italian conglomerate Fincantieri and its Great Lakes shipyard. If the RAN can purchase Virginia class nuclear submarines right off the shelf—as is planned under AUKUS—why not a few Constellation class frigates for the Royal Navy? (I know, I know, the most direct approach would be another batch of Type 31s, this is just a thought exercise. As we say in Kentucky, “I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin'”.)
Doesnt match RN standards and the equipment fit wouldnt be the same as other frigates/destroyers.
I think the USN made a big mistake buying the Fincantieri type when it needed so much modifications. No longer the cheap frigate required , the Coast Guards legend class at around 5000 tons with the same gun, helicopter etc . Just better radars and some VLS was all thats required
The US wanted AEGIS and SM-x missiles. The NSC just isn’t suitable for that. The Burkes are at the end of their design life. And they need a modern quiet ASW ship. Now where as think we should have had T31 based on Absalon I do think Iver Huitfeldt would have been a good choice for the USN. It’s built around US systems and is robust and they could have afforded a lot of them.
The Australians just get on with things. When they procured the Perth-class in the 1960’s they basically had 3 ships built to US standards in a navy that then basically used RN standards. They became a navy within a navy. Off Vietnam though they plugged straight into the USN logistics train.
The main problem with the UK buying a frigate off the US is they don’t build anything that fits the UK needs. Perhaps if WIGS was still a thing then NSC would be just fine?