MV The Judge, a new vessel from international security specialist Pilgrims, has increased the company’s ability to provide safe passage for clients working in West African waters
Pilgrims acquired former US Coast Guard cutter three years ago and upgraded it with state-of-the-art anti piracy facilities. MV The Judge has modern navigation equipment and personnel capacity of 12 crew members.
“The potential for attack by pirates is a regrettable feature of modern maritime activity and poses a significant threat to our clients, many of whom are involved in projects of international economic significance,” said Daniel Revmatas, general manager of Pilgrims Africa.
“The Judge gives Pilgrims the ability to provide organisations with a complete solution to security provision, both on land and at sea,” he added.
The highly mobile vessel is able to respond rapidly to potential threats, long before a suspicious craft can approach a client’s operation. Pilgrims co-ordinates MV The Judge’s operations closely with the Nigerian armed forces to escort a range of commercial operations around West African waters. These operations include oil exploration, seismic surveys, resupply missions, crew changes and emergency evacuation.
Corporate clients including oil companies, geological surveyors and cable laying experts, have already enjoyed the protection of an armed escort provided by MV The Judge whose captain, Shane Slabbert, has military experience with the South African Navy. The vessel is based in Lagos, Nigeria, and its area of operations extends along the West African coast.
Tim Hepworth, regional director for Drum Cussac, Nigeria, which works alongside Pilgrims supporting clients in the country, said, “The vessel is fit for task and ideally suited to escort operations or short to mid-term survey and drilling operations in support of the oil and gas industries.”
