Maritime Security Patrol Area
Encyclopedia
The Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) is specified patrol zone in the Gulf of Aden
. Its borders are unmarked, but are a narrow, rectangular corridor between Somalia
and Yemen
, within the northern sector of the gulf. The MSPA was established 22 August 2008 by the Combined Task Force 150
, (CTF-150) a multinational, coalition naval task force in order to deter de-stabilizing activities, including piracy
within this maritime geographical area. The establishment of the MSPA was directed by the Commander, United States Naval Central Command
.
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
. Its borders are unmarked, but are a narrow, rectangular corridor between Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, within the northern sector of the gulf. The MSPA was established 22 August 2008 by the Combined Task Force 150
Combined Task Force 150
Combined Task Force 150 is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 25 nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, inspect, board, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terrorism" and in the Horn of Africa region ...
, (CTF-150) a multinational, coalition naval task force in order to deter de-stabilizing activities, including piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
within this maritime geographical area. The establishment of the MSPA was directed by the Commander, United States Naval Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
.
External links
- Map of the Area
- The Cost of Doing Business on the Open Sea by Richard Pollak, The Nation, April 22 2009