LONDON, October 5. /TASS/. Demand among shipping companies for services protecting vessels against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has surged amid numerous attacks in the Red Sea, Black Sea, and Persian Gulf, the Financial Times reported, citing representatives of several specialized companies.
D-Fend Solutions Chief Marketing Officer Jeffrey Starr told the newspaper that shipowners, shippers, and naval forces were facing an asymmetric threat, leading to a sharp increase in inquiries about the company’s technology. He added that the drone threat was no longer confined to high-intensity war zones.
According to experts interviewed by the newspaper, the largest number of such inquiries comes from companies involved in oil and gas transportation. Operators are seeking reliable protection for their vessels so they can use riskier routes and command higher risk premiums. The cost of installing the necessary equipment, including radar, cameras, and electronic jamming systems, is significantly lower than the losses incurred for each day a vessel remains idle.
According to the newspaper, the cost of chartering tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz has reached an all-time high. While voyages to China previously cost around $79,000 per day, the figure has now increased more than 15-fold to $1.2 mln per day.
