P&I Club Gard has issued an alert to its members after one of its unnamed vessels was detained for using a drone to photograph itself while sailing through the Suez Canal, as it could be considered a security risk, according to gCaptain.
In the alert, Gard said: “Although the intention when launching the drone was simply to document the vessel proceeding through the Suez Canal, this ‘innocent act’ may have been considered a threat to national security by the Egyptian Military Forces.”
PTI previously reported that the use of drones may be the future of cargo transport after recent reports from DP World argued that drone transport could make cargo transport smarter.
The company believes that having drones transporting cargo will lead to a more personalised service for customer as goods could be transported directly to them.
The Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) recently announced that it may use drones in order to ramp up security at its ports and fend off acts of terrorism.
The GPHA believes that implementing this type of security will see it maintain its leadership as a key port.
For commercial use, drones were recently tested by leading shipping line Maersk, after it used drones to transport a small shipment of cookies from shore to one of its cargo ships.