Superyacht Security Reaches ‘Head-of-State’ Level

Command at Sea International (CASI) is now set to become a name which is synonymous to the superyacht security market. CASI will be led by two heavily experienced individuals whose vision is to provide yachts, their owners, guest and crew with the same level of security typically offered to world leaders.

“The world security environment is changing rapidly,” said CASI CEO Vice Admiral Brian Peterman (US CG ret.), whose most recent posting was as Commander, Atlantic Region, a territory that stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. “Piracy is a growing threat, not just in the Horn of Africa, but also in the Southern Caribbean, the Pacific and Atlantic sides of South America, and in Asian Pacific waters. In addition, yachts face growing threats from global political instability, increasingly more frequent natural disasters, high-tech espionage and more common forms of criminal activity”.

Serving as CASI’s chairman is Joe Hagin, a man who served in senior management positions at the White House for 14 years, over the course of three Presidential administrations. Most recently serving as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations from 2001 – 2008, Joe Hagin was responsible for managing the overall administrative, security, and military support structure surrounding the President of the United States. “By their very nature,” Hagin said, “yachts are vulnerable from a security risk standpoint: They are mobile and increasingly traverse inherently dangerous parts of the ocean, are highly visible, and offer the kind of reward pirates and other criminals are seeking.”

While most wealthy individuals employ security programs in their homes and places of business, Hagin and Peterman believe they remain vulnerable in their yachting activities. “We understand fully that yachts are seen as recreational escape vehicles from the stresses of day-to-day life, and thus security services are often viewed as an intrusion into the joys that yachting provides,” Peterman said. “But we believe strongly that good, extremely effective security can be virtually unobtrusive, and provide owners, crew and yacht managers with the peace of mind that comes from knowing the vast majority of threats have been assessed and managed by extremely competent professionals,” Hagin added.

CASI operates by taking the time to develop a thorough assessment of every yacht’s unique security risk profile. It then develops a comprehensive plan aimed at mitigating each of the risks. CASI sees itself as a full partner with other key professionals in the luxury yacht community, including yacht designers, yacht builders, project managers, yacht managers and crew agencies. “We are here to enhance an owner’s security, and we believe this can best be accomplished by providing information, skills, resources and experience-based perspective to the other key players in a yacht owner’s team,” Peterman said.

CASI’s experts include experts in the use of ballistic materials, cyber security, global intelligence, and high-tech deterrence equipment. “Our team, quite simply, is the best of the best in the modern security arena,” Hagin said, adding, “the kind of experts and expertise used by the leaders of the most powerful nations in the world.”