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astern when the ship is underway.
Use of an appropriately positioned yacht radar when the vessel is at anchor may also provide warning of the close approach of small craft.
16 It is particularly important to maintain a radar and visual watch for craft which may be trailing the ship when underway but which could close in quickly when mounting an attack. Small craft which appear to be matching the speed of the ship on a parallel or following course should always be treated with suspicion. When a suspect craft has been noticed, it is important that an effective all-round watch is maintained for fear the first craft is a decoy with the intention to board the ship from a second craft while attention is focused on the first.
17
Companies owning ships that frequently visit areas where attacks occur should consider the purchase and use of more sophisticated visual and electronic devices in order to augment both radar and visual watch capability against attackers' craft at night, thereby improving the prospects of obtaining an early warning of a possible attack. In particular, the provision of night vision devices, small radars to cover the blind stern arcs, closed circuit television and physical devices, such as barbed wire, may be considered. In certain circumstances non-lethal weapons, such as CS gas projectiles, may also be appropriate. Infrared detection and alerting equipment may also be utilized.
Radio procedures
18 A suitable qualified radio operator should be on duty at all times when ships are in, or approaching, areas where attacks occur. This duty should not be performed by the master though, on occasions, this may be unavoidable.
19 Prior to entering areas where attacks have occurred, radio operators should practice and perfect all appropriate radio operational procedures and ensure all transmitters, including satellite Ship Earth Stations, are fully operational and available for immediate use on distress and safety frequencies. When a GMDSS installation is provided and "ship's position" data are not automatically updated from an associated electronic navigation aid, radio operators are strongly recommended to enter the ship's position at regular intervals into the appropriate communications equipment manually. Where an INMARSAT Ship Earth Station is provided, it may prove useful to draft and store "standard messages" (see paragraph 27) for ready use in an emergency in either the equipment's memory or on computer disk. Masters should ensure that all procedures to generate a distress alert on any communications equipment are clearly marked on, or near, the equipment and all appropriate crew members briefed on their operation.
20
Masters should bear in mind the possibility that attackers are monitoring ship-to-shore communications and using intercepted information to select their targets. Caution should, therefore, be exercised when transmitting information on cargo or valuables on board by radio in areas where attacks
occur.
Radio watchkeeping and responses
21
A constant radio watch should be maintained with the appropriate shore or naval authorities when in areas where attacks have occurred. Continuous watch should also be maintained on all distress and safety frequencies, particularly
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