Demand for services and technologies designed to protect commercial vessels from drone attacks has increased dramatically amid a series of airstrikes in the Red, Black Seas and the Persian Gulf.
According to the Financial Times, shipowners, cargo operators and naval forces are facing an increasingly asymmetric threat, driving a sharp rise in inquiries about anti-drone technologies.
“The threat posed by drones is no longer limited to areas of active conflict,” the newspaper quoted a representative of D-Fend Solutions as saying.
Industry experts said the largest number of inquiries is coming from companies involved in transporting oil and gas. Operators are seeking reliable protection for their vessels so they can continue using higher-risk routes and benefit from the risk premiums offered on such journeys.
The cost of installing equipment such as radar systems, cameras and electronic countermeasures is significantly lower than the losses companies can face when vessels are forced to remain idle, experts said.
Drone Defence Chief Executive Richard Gill said inquiries from tanker and liquefied natural gas carriers have increased. John Stoppard, maritime director at the International Chamber of Shipping, said the threat posed by drones to commercial shipping has grown in recent years, particularly in conflict zones such as the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Black Sea.
According to the International Maritime Organization, more than 20 seafarers have been killed in drone and missile attacks in the Persian Gulf since late February, while around 30 people have died in attacks in the Black Sea this year.
Maritime energy infrastructure, including pipelines, undersea cables and wind farms, has also come under attack.