A major British insurer (Jardine Lloyd Thompson) is organizing a private armed escort service for ships operating off Somalia. Called the Convoy Escort Programme (CEP), the 18 small patrol boats will offer armed escort through the Gulf of Aden, and reduce overall security and insurance costs for ships using the service. ...It could be operational at the end of the year. So what country will offer a flag of convenience for this private military venture? And could countries turn that into an industry, much the way many ships fly flags of convenience in the merchant marine world?
The CEP is not a done deal yet. A country has to sign on to allow the patrol boats to fly their flag (and thus provide a national legal system to operate under). The patrol boats will carry heavy machine-guns (12.7mm/.50 cal), armed crews (all former military) and small boats to check suspected pirates.
It would have been funny if they'd had the humor to call the private navy the East India Trading Company. Still, I'll pay attention to see if Jardine Lloyd Thompson uses any of these names for their fleet.
