HALO Maritime Defense Systems, Inc. (“HALO”), a marine engineering technology company and provider of advanced engineered waterside security barrier solutions, announced on December 18 that its barriers are now protecting US, UK, and Bahrain Naval forces at Mina Salman, Bahrain. Earlier this year, HALO successfully designed, assembled, and installed what is now the longest security barrier in the U.S. Navy: 3,800 meters (over 2 miles) of HALO’s ORCA III barrier solution has been installed by the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet stationed at Mina Salman, Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf. This barrier is the first ORCA III security barrier system employed at an overseas U.S. Naval base.
HALO was awarded the project in February of this year. The installation was completed on budget and ahead of schedule despite the global COVID pandemic’s significant logistics challenges. “Building anything is a team effort,” stated Captain Greg Smith, USN, Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity Bahrain. “The result is increased security and the crucial ability to defend U.S. Naval assets, Bahraini Defense Forces, Bahraini Commercial, and UK Military Component Command ships [located] here at Naval Support Activity Bahrain’s Mina Salman Harbor.” In commending HALO, Captain Smith said, “You have my gratitude for a job well done.”
“Local partners continue to contribute to our success here in Bahrain,” stated Luke Ritter, HALO Vice President, and Middle East General Manager. “Companies like BMMI, GSS, Al Dhaen Contracting & Trading, and Bahrain Precast Concrete showed us the best of what Bahrain has to offer to firms operating in the Kingdom,” he said. Twenty-eight permanent buoys and 710 concrete mooring blocks, all fabricated in Bahrain, were installed by Bahraini marine contractors to anchor the 3,800-meter barrier.
HALO’s operations for this project were based at the company’s Middle East Headquarters established in December 2019 in Manama’s Diplomatic Quarter. HALO is taking advantage of several benefits available to firms based in business-friendly Bahrain. Lower operating costs than other regional neighbors, a local workforce with an array of valuable skills, and its position as a natural gateway to the entire region, all continue to make Bahrain an attractive headquarters location for managing HALO projects in the GCC.
