🔍 BMP5 vs BMP Maritime Security (2025): What’s Changed

From Pirates to Missiles, Drones, and Cyber War

BMP5 was built for a world dominated by piracy.

But BMP Maritime Security (2025) reflects the reality of today’s threat environment — one where ships may be hit by missiles in the Red Sea, tracked by drones, or misled by spoofed navigation data.

The guidance now includes threats like:

Anti-ship missiles
Water-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (WBIEDs)
Loitering munitions, UAVs & USVs
GNSS jamming & spoofing
AIS manipulation
Targeted cyber-attacks on ship systems
Psychological disinformation and impersonation over VHF

This is no longer just about pirate skiffs — it’s about preparing for state-level capabilities and advanced tactics.

So what are the key differences? And what do they mean in practice? Here are the 5 Key Take Aways from the New BMP Maritime Security.

⚓ 1. From Regional to Global Coverage

BMP5 was focused on the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea — with an emphasis on piracy threats, particularly Somali Pirate Action Groups (PAGs).

BMP Maritime Security (2025) is built for a broader world. It applies to all regions and accounts for both state and non-state threats. Whether your vessel is passing the Bab el-Mandeb or the Black Sea, this guidance is now relevant.

🚨 2. Acknowledgement of Complex Threats

BMP5 touched on WBIEDs and anti-ship missiles, but its threat model was still rooted in piracy.

The new BMP MS tackles a much wider threat landscape, including:

Anti-ship missiles
Water-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (WBIEDs)
Loitering munitions and UAV/USV-based attacks
GNSS jamming and spoofing
Deliberate AIS manipulation
Cyber-attacks on navigation and communication systems
Disinformation campaigns targeting seafarers

This is a huge step forward in recognising the real-world complexity ships are now operating in.

🛡 3. From Generic Measures to Tailored Vessel Hardening Plans

Razor wire, citadels, and armed guards were the mainstays of BMP5’s Ship Protection Measures (SPM). While they’re still valid tools, BMP MS encourages something far more strategic:

A Vessel Hardening Plan (VHP) — a ship-specific, threat-driven mitigation strategy developed as part of a full risk assessment.

Vessel Hardening Plan (VHP) is part of BMP MS

BMP MS explicitly states that not all mitigations are suitable for all ships, threats, or regions, encouraging a layered, tailored approach.

This aligns with modern, passive deterrence systems like what we offer at Palaemon, where modular hardware is scaled to match specific vessel and risk profiles — not a one-size-fits-all mentality.

💡 4. Emphasis on Technology, Cyber, and Monitoring

BMP MS gets into the details of:

Reviewing AIS usage policy
Considering hidden position trackers
Upgrading radar for detecting small craft
Using satellite tracking redundancy
Preparing for GNSS spoofing and jamming
Being cautious about VHF impersonation and false flag communications

There’s a recognition that digital threats are real, growing, and need more than crew awareness alone.

Palaemon Anti-Piracy Barriers form part of the BMP MS Vessel Hardening Plan

Physical barriers, like Palaemon’s modular anti-piracy system, can form a core part of a layered Vessel Hardening Plan — helping to delay or deter unauthorised boarding without relying on lethal force.

🧠 5. Seafarer Welfare and Post-Incident Recovery

BMP MS introduces whole sections on crew mental health, welfare support, and recovery protocols post-incident — something BMP5 barely touched.

Guidance now recommends regular crew discussions about helplines, appointing a welfare ambassador onboard, and planning for post-incident psychological support — acknowledging the lasting human cost of security incidents.

⚙️ What This Means For Security Planning

The era of relying solely on razor wire or armed guards is ending.

BMP Maritime Security encourages companies to:

Take a risk-first approach
Develop vessel-specific defence plans
Balance passive and active measures
Address crew wellbeing alongside ship hardening

📣 Final Word from Us

At Palaemon, we’ve designed our modular, rental-based anti-piracy barriers around exactly this kind of flexible, layered thinking. It’s encouraging to see the BMP guidance catch up with what operators like us — and our customers — already believe:

That real maritime security isn’t just about stopping the threat.

It’s about understanding it, adapting to it, and protecting both ships and seafarers with purpose-built tools.

Want the full side-by-side breakdown of BMP5 vs BMP MS?

🔍 BMP5 vs BMP Maritime Security (2025): What’s Changed — And Why It Matters