By Calvin Biesecker
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday released a Small Vessel Security Strategy (SVSS) that begins to focus the nation’s attention on the potential threat from small boats such as fishing and recreational vessels and outlines for key goals toward achieving a multi-layered approach to close security gaps and reduce risks associated with small vessels, including leveraging technology.
The new strategy, which is an outcome of a small vessel security summit hosted by DHS last summer that brought together about 260 small vessel stakeholders, will be followed later this year by an implementation plan.
One of the goals of the SVSS is to “find or develop technologies to survey the entire maritime domain and clearly set a layered defense,” DHS said. However, “small vessel tracking is not required by this strategy.”
International laws already require large vessels, such as container ships, to be equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders and receivers for collision avoidance and also to enhance security. Large ships bound for the United States must provide advance notice and as the vessels approach the U.S. waters the Coast Guard can track them through AIS.
Still despite the statement that small vessel tracking isn’t necessary, DHS says in its 57-page SVSS that it wants expanded research and investment in “prototyping low-cost, non-intrusive, small vessel identification systems, such as Radio-Frequency Identification tags, adaptable miniature transponders, portable GPS devices, or cell-phone based recognition systems.”
DJS also wants additional work done in instruments for anomaly detection and “other decision aids such as automated scene understanding tools.” More work is also required in how to protect critical infrastructure and other key resources, particularly near shorelines, using things such as small boat barriers, warning devices and non-lethal deterrents such as sonic canons.
The new strategy also calls for improving maritime domain awareness by being able to distinguish between intentional and innocent intrusions into security and safety zones.
Additional research and investment is also needed in advanced radiological and nuclear detection technology in the maritime domain for human portable systems, mobile standoff systems and fixed detectors that can be deployed on or near the waters where small boats operate.
Three other goals put forth by the SVSS include the development and leveraging of a strong partnership between the small vessel community and the public and private sectors to enhance maritime domain awareness. Another goal is improving maritime safety and security with a layered, innovative approach that involves better gathering and sharing of data on small vessels and their operators, better detecting and tracking small vessels in and around U.S. waters, and improved data analysis to target high risk vessels. The final goal calls for enhanced coordination, cooperation and communication between the various small vessel stakeholders and international partners.
The SVSS identifies four concerns associated with the illicit use of small vessels. These include the use of vessels as waterborne improvised explosive devices, the smuggling of weapons, including radiological and nuclear devices, the smuggling of terrorists into the U.S., and as platforms for standoff attacks such as using man-portable systems to shoot at aircraft.
“This strategy ensures that all small vessel stakeholders across our ports and coastal waterways can play a role in unified threat mitigation efforts and replaces today’s seemingly honor-based neighborhood watch program with an efficient and successful means to combat terrorism along our waterways,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.