Explaining the difference between the free information and the service that we provide is a critical objection that we are usually presented with when we approach new clients.

There are 5 reasons that people buy intelligence rather than use free sources of information:-

1. We provide intelligence not information - using information rather than intelligence is like driving down a motorway by looking in the rear view mirror.
2. Systematically produced intelligence is predictive - that's why it is worth buying!
3. We provide a single, fused intelligence source.
4. We have the right skill sets at the right level - you wouldn't ask a diabetes nurse to perform a heart and lung transplant.
5. We have a real intelligence cycle.

Essentially, the difference is that (with great respect for what UKMTO; IMB; TRANSEC; MCA; IMO; ONI; Flag state and MSCHOA do) the official sources provide information and we provide operational intelligence.The difference between the two is described by the UK Armed Forces Operational Intelligence doctrine as follows:

Simply expressed, planning based on information rather than intelligence is like driving down a motorway by looking in the rear view mirror.

An example of the (correct) predictive analysis in the Horn of Africa from our February report follows. In March, there have been 20 attacks on the East of Somalia.

New Trends.

Additionally, clients appreciate the fact that we have a great deal more time to dedicate to advising them and answering all of their questions. There are around 8 separate free sources of information and they often (usually) do not agree as they have different doctrine for differentiating Hijacks; Attacks and Suspicious approaches. Thus ironically, the free information can often lead to confusion!

Compiling predictive operational intelligence and defeating an adversary in the maritime environment requires the right skills at the right level. A useful analogy is as follows:

• You would not ask a diabetic nurse to carry out a heart and lung transplant – both tasks are medical but they are two distinct areas requiring very different skill sets.


• Similarly in a heart and lung transplant, you would expect a theatre sister and surgeon to do different but discretely important jobs. You cannot substitute one with another.

We work with all sectors and have enormous respect for the various private security companies, naval cells and international organisations and the good but different work that they do.

PSCs: The upsurge in piracy in the Horn of Africa combined with the reduction in available work in Iraq has meant that Private Security Companies are shifting emphasis from land based security to the maritime environment. All claim to be maritime experts but the reality is that amongst the new comers, the great majority have little or no experience. The industry tends to me have a great number of former Royal Marines who are ideal for consulting on physical defence at sea. Some have experience of small landing craft (rarely over 1000 tonnes vice a cruise ship of circa 20,000 tonnes – a mini versus an HGV) but again with deep respect, with few exceptions do not have a background of advising a captain on how to conduct navigation planning manoeuvre their ship. Where naval experience exists in a company, it is usually from senior NCO level (Sister / Matron versus Doctor).   PSCs should be expert for advising on armed and unarmed physical defence but usually have limited capability to provide intelligence, navigational planning and bridge advice.

Naval Control and Guidance to shipping  (NCAGS) cells. The various naval cells in the Horn of Africa Region include UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO); EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR); the US Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) et al. Their prime job is to act as a liaison between the ships and aircraft and the civilian shipping community. They tend to be extremely busy and in general undermanned. Whilst they supply information on attacks that have occurred and general advice they do not have time to provide detailed analysis and hence produce intelligence. This function is outside of their remit and is conducted centrally. The intelligence product is usually classified (eg it cannot be released to the general public) and is supplied to the naval ships as aircraft in the area as well as the naval cells who, for reasons of security, are not able to pass it on. EUNAVFOR purport to supply maritime intelligence but this tends to be information based. These cells tend not to use PWOs in the operational process as they are expensive assets to use for the purpose (like having a consultant transplant surgeon making house calls instead of a district nurse.) NCAGS cells are the first point of contact when in trouble and are the conduit to naval assistance but information services tend to be limited by security concerns.

IMB/IMO/ Flag state: The IMB are an industry lead central point of contact for collating piracy statistics and the IMO are the international regulatory body for all maritime affairs. They tend to use maritime experts from industry who are exceptionally well placed to comment on maritime affairs; however their understanding of security and pirate operations tends to be centred on application of the ISPS code which has significant limitations. Their information services tend to be limited to past incidents and statistical analysis which is rarely predictive.

Dryad Maritime Intelligence Service. In the Operations Cell, we are all former Royal Navy warfare specialists and we use modified RN warfare procedures.  Our teams conduct a weekly briefing where recent activity is discussed and an A Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) chairs the briefing and makes the assessment. A PWO is a very experienced officer who has passed a year long course in all aspects of naval warfare (anti air; surface and submarine warfare). Within the Royal Navy, a PWO is employed in the operations room of a ship to use radars, communications, intelligence, electronic warfare equipment; armed helicopters; missile; torpedo and gun systems fitted to their ship and other ships to fight the enemy in 5 dimensions; air; surface; sub surface; time and space simultaneously. The job is as complicated as it sounds and the calibre of officer that passes the course is extremely high. Dryad uses these PWOs to conduct the assessments and anticipate where the threat is likely to occur.

An RN situational analysis has 3 sections; Situation; Assessment and recommendations. Thus our analysis process is best understood as follows:

Situation:

• We fuse all of the available information, and conduct Geospatial and tempo-spatial analysis to establish what the causative factors for the crime were. These causative factors are entered in the Indicators and Warnings (I&W) register and form the basis of the analysis.

Assessment:

• The forthcoming situation is compared with the I&W register factors and this allows our PWOs to make an assessment.

Recommendations:

• Dryad has a database of over 200 threat / ship specific countermeasures that have been designed from experience and military science first principles to counter known Modes of Operation used by pirates

The difference is summarised as follows:

1. We provide intelligence not information – using information rather than intelligence is like driving down a motorway by looking in the rear view mirror.
2. Systematically produced intelligence is predictive – that's why it is worth buying!
3. We provide a single, fused intelligence source.
4. We have the right skill sets at the right level – you wouldn't ask a diabetes nurse to perform a heart and lung transplant.
5. A real intelligence cycle.