Maritime Security Is The Protection Against A Variety Of Threats Such As Piracy And Armed Robbery At Sea

Maritime Security

The maritime domain is a vast, continuous medium that serves as a ready and largely unsecured forum for nations, terrorists, criminals, and other non-state actors to pursue their nefarious purposes. Adversaries exploit the seas to smuggle weapons of mass destruction, other dangerous materials, people, or illicit goods; to conduct attacks or facilitate their preparation; or to imperil global economic development and stability. They also mingle with legitimate commerce to hide their activity and evade detection. These transnational threats, which honor no national boundary or jurisdiction, require a fully coordinated and collaborative international response to be defeated.

As the world grows ever more interdependent, the threat from non-state actor groups that exploit open seas to undermine international peace and security must be prevented. The growing use of the seas for illicit trade and piracy, human trafficking, arms proliferation, natural disasters, environmental crimes, and other illicit activities presents significant challenges to Maritime Security. In this environment, effective response requires teamwork by the entire Federal government and international partners.

A fundamental aspect of Maritime Security is “domain awareness.” It is a capability that allows decision-makers to understand what is occurring in the seas, how it affects their security and economy, and how that might be changed. It requires a comprehensive understanding of the capabilities, intentions, and motivations of adversaries. It includes knowledge of the adversary’s capabilities, vulnerabilities, and centers of gravity.

Another element of Maritime Security is the ability to recognize, assess, and respond rapidly to events that could disrupt the marine transportation system or have broader economic or national security implications. It is also critical to be able to assess the impact of an event on other modes of transportation and the possible effects on communities in impacted areas.

This is an area where technology can help. Increasingly, ships are being equipped with automated systems that can interpret data from other vessels, ports, weather conditions and more to operate the ship more efficiently. The technology could also improve safety for crew members, reduce the risk of a pirate attack and even help prevent an incident that would necessitate an emergency evacuation.

The Coast Guard Administration of Taiwan announced a new project for replacing 23 aging coastal radar stations in September 2021. The overhaul of radar systems is estimated to enhance the monitoring capabilities of the country’s coastal radars.