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ISSN 2277 – 3126 RNI NO. UPENG/2011/37063 ` 100 US$ 10 Vol. 2 Issue. 6 Nov – Dec 2012
ISSN 2277 – 3126 RNI NO. UPENG/2011/37063 ` 100 US$ 10
Vol. 2 Issue. 6 Nov – Dec 2012
UNITED.MODERN. DYNAMIC.Introducing Intergraph Geospatial 2013Exploit the wealth of information contained in data from any source, share it rapidly (and securely), and deliver it on-demand to drive smarter decisions. With a fresh approach, Intergraph Geospatial 2013 unites all geospatial genres, providing a streamlined, dynamic user experience. By integrating photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS into a modernized system, your complete projects are accessible from the desktop, server, web and cloud.
geospatial.intergraph.com/2013
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THEMEMaritime Security
Insi
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REGULAR SECTIONSEditorial................................................ 05
News..................................................... 06
Events................................................... 33
Image Intelligence .......................... 42
Guest ArticlesODA: An imperative 16MDA is important in ensuring safety and security in waters. However, MDA in itself is not enough and needs to be integrated with Oceanic Domain Awareness (ODA) for effective and complete maritime knowledge
Counter-piracy operations start in space 22For an effective Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), there is a need to build international collaboration
Securing oceans from space 25Maritime authorities throughout the world are using Satellite AIS technology to help them achieve better MDA. The article talks in-detail about leveraging this technology for maritime defence and security
Coastal security: The way ahead 30It is no easy task to protect India’s coastal borders. The challenge assumes even more signifi cance given the fact that anti-Indian forces have tried and are trying to use waterways to spread terror in the country
Track management in GIS for maritime security 3426/11 Mumbai attacks in India demonstrated that the threat from sea is real. There is thus a need to maintain continuous vigil at the waters. CAIR is working in this direction.
Interviews
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Magnus PerssonVP Operations, Saab TransponderTech
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Vice Admiral SK JhaChief Hydrographer, Govt. of India
ReportInnovating future 38The four-day GeoInt Symposium 2012 was held at the US recently and was attended by prominent defence experts and technocrats from around the world
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NEWS • VIEWS • REVIEWS • INTERVIEWS • NEWS • VIEWS • REVIEWS • INTERVIEWS • NEWS • VIEWS • REVIEWS • INTERVIEWS • NEWS • VIEWS • VIEWS • REVIEWS • INTERVIEWS • NEWS • VIEWS • REV
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Threats to a nation’s security can emanate from land, sea, air, space and even cyber space. India has maritime boundaries with fi ve countries, a coastline in excess of 7500 km, over a thousand island territories and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of approximately two million sq km. Maritime security undoubtedly forms an
important component of our national security. However, inadequate attention has been paid to maritime security in the past, with successive governments laying far greater emphasis on overland and air threats. The Mumbai 26/11 attacks exposed our vulnerabilities and came as a wake-up call that forced the government to have a comprehensive relook at all aspects of our coastal and maritime security and institute remedial measures expeditiously.
With the gradual shift of power from the West to the East, Asia is rapidly emerging as the epicentre of global political and military power. Asian security environment stretches from the eastern Mediterranean in the west to the west Pacifi c littorals in the east. Due to its size, location and trade links, India occupies a very strategic position in the Indian Ocean Region. The seas surrounding peninsular India are seeing heightened activity in recent years, including the presence of naval forces from outside the region. China has embarked on rapid modernisation of its navy and has increased its activity in the region. Other littoral states too are enhancing their sea power signifi cantly. As India’s economy grows, so will its dependence on the sea, in the form of shipping, trade, energy
requirements and search and exploitation of marine resources.
Maritime security issues are both military and non-military, involving nation states as well as non-state actors. Whereas a direct confl ict between naval forces of two nations is less likely, threats from non-state actors, particularly terrorists are on the rise. Add to that heightened clandestine activities such as drug and human traffi cking and smuggling. Piracy is a growing concern to global shipping companies, causing loss of ships, cargo and extra cost in the form of anti-piracy measures. Environment is another security concern. Sea-faring nations also need to protect ports, off-shore platforms and other associated infrastructure. No nation can ensure total and foolproof maritime security over its area of interest alone. Not only is coordination required between the navy, coast guard, coastal police and intelligence agencies, but all nations within the region need to cooperate by sharing intelligence and resources. Understandably, maritime security is a priority issue amongst members of the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC).
Total situational awareness, with the ability to timely identify potential security threats, is a pre-requisite for maritime security. Satellite imagery assisted by GIS and backed by sophisticated communications play an important role in providing comprehensive solutions for 24x7, all-weather surveillance and location information, essential for planning and executing the response to maritime threats.
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Securing our seasSecuring our seas
Lt Gen AKS Chandele PVSM, AVSM (Retd)Managing Editor
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Space command for border management
India is planning to build a border space command to manage its land borders. This is being done because the present techniques like fencing,
Prithvi-II missile test-fi red successfully
The Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC), fi red the 350 km range Prithvi missile recently from the Odisha coast. The missile is equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system and guided by an innovative guidance scheme. With this launch, the Army’s Strategic Forces Command has successfully carried out launches of all the variants of Prithvi missiles in operational conditions.
unattended ground sensors, etc., have been found ineffective in monitoring the country’s vast and porous border.
India shares more than 15,000-kilometer border with countries like Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal. The Ministry of Home Affairs is reported to have fi nalised a plan to spend about USD 2 billion in the next fi ve years on the command. The blueprint for the plan is said to
include a dedicated satellite for the home ministry, advanced sensors, fences and electronic equipment, setting up ground structures, and construction of nearly 500 border posts along the frontiers with Bangladesh and Pakistan.
China to set up drone bases for marine surveillance
China will establish two drone bases in Liaoning province to conduct surveillance of its coastal waters. According to Xinhua News Agency, one of the bases will be built in the coastal city of Yingkou and will monitor the Bohai Sea area, while the other will be in Dalian city to monitor parts of the Yellow Sea that are within the province's jurisdiction. Nearly USD 879,370 is expected to be spent on the drone bases in the province.
Earlier this year, the State Oceanic Administration announced its plans to deploy drones along the country’s coastline. Reports suggested that eleven drone bases run by provincial maritime authorities would be built for the purpose, and at least one drone would be stationed at each base.
Successful fl ight testing of AGNI-IV
DRDO developed 4,000 kms range Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile, AGNI-IV, was successfully fl ight tested from Wheeler’s Island in Odisha recently. Launched from the road mobile launcher, this
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Modern day communication tools have reduced the gap between strategic, operational and tactical domains. This was stated by Indian Defence Minister, AK Antony at the recently concluded two-day international seminar and exposition, Defcom India 2012. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Tactical Communication Systems: ICTEC challenges and opportunities.” Speaking about the challenges, Antony said the single biggest challenge facing societies and nations is the vulnerability of communication and network devices to attacks/ threats in the electronic, cyber as well as the physical domain. Talking about the Tactical Communication System (TCS), Antony described it as an ideal opportunity for the Indian industry and Research & Development (R&D) organisations to come forward and provide latest solutions to challenges being faced in tactical communication.
“The Tactical Communications Network has to be dynamic and resilient with multiple redundancies,” said Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh, adding, “While the transition to the TCS environment will be gradual, it is important that the soldier in the battle space does not have to deal with multiple communication devices.
Call for building dynamic communication system
long range missile propelled by composite rocket motor technology, was tested for its full capability. The missile equipped with state of the art avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and with distributed architecture has the
Instead, what is required are multiple RF equipped devices. Due efforts are needed to create a mobile communications umbrella for the entire forces.” He stressed on the fact that the overall aim of the armed forces is to develop reliable, mobile, high-speed convergence networks that are inter-operable with legacy systems and function in a joint services environment. He further said that the guiding objective is to achieve self-reliance and technical sovereignty in TCS through indigenisation of designs and standards.
latest features to correct and guide for in-fl ight disturbances. The most accurate Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and supported by highly reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensured the missile reach
the target within two digit accuracy. The re-entry heat shield withstood temperatures of more than 3,000 degree centigrade and made sure the avionics function normally with inside temperature less than 50 degree centigrade.
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Raytheon enhances Common Sensor Payload capabilities
Raytheon Company successfully demonstrated the enhanced capabilities of its new CSP HD turret, a high defi nition electro-optical and infrared version of its Common Sensor Payload (CSP). The initial CSP HD system fl ight test occurred on a US Army Gray Eagle UAS (unmanned aircraft system) platform recently.
Built upon the existing CSP system, CSP HD provides signifi cantly improved image quality and resolution compared to Standard Defi nition (SD) systems. Raytheon is continuing its fl ight test activities onboard a manned demonstration aircraft equipped with both HD and SD CSP turrets to provide operators
with real-time comparisons, said the company.
The CSP HD system is currently available for new production and/or retrofi t of existing CSP turrets.
New tactical communications solutions
Hughes Network Systems, LLC, and ThinKom Solutions, Inc. (ThinKom), recently demonstrated ultra-low profi le antennas and a manpack for global communications-on-the-move (COTM) missions. The ThinKom products include the ultra-low-profi le Ku-band COTM antenna (ThinSAT 300), the ultra-portable Manpack Ka-band antenna (ThinPACK KKA100) and the low-profi le airborne Ka-band antenna (ThinAIR KA1000). The joint demonstration confi rmed interoperability of ThinKom COTM antennas with the Hughes HX System, including its high-performance IP satellite routers with enhanced security features, operationally proven for high quality
and highly-secure communications for defence customers worldwide.
The ThinSAT 300, originally developed for high-data rate OTM enterprise applications, enables an integrated, on-the-move satellite antenna terminal in an ultra-low-profi le (4.5-inch-high), 59-inch-long enclosure. Based on the Variable Inclined Continuous Transverse Stub (VICTS) phased array technology, ThinKom's COTM antenna offers increased aperture effi ciency and enhanced control of radiated power spectral density while remaining compliant with FCC and ITU requirements.
ThinKom's ThinPACK KKA100 manportable antenna is based on its Continuous Transverse Stub (CTS) phased array antenna technology and enjoys the same benefi ts as the VICTS technology in terms of aperture effi ciency and radiated power spectral density, while remaining compliant with MIL-STD-188-164A and ETSI EN 301 358. According to the company, the ThinAIR KA1000 low-profi le airborne antenna has been fl ight tested and proven to provide 7 Mbps uplink data rates and 4.5 Mbps downlink data rates while in-fl ight on the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) System. Other benefi ts include: worldwide commercial and government Ka-band connectivity as well as high data rates and high-power spectral densities.
FOPEN reconnaissance radar to detect slow moving objects
After multiple ground demonstrations in operational environments, a Lockheed Martin penetrating radar capability that can peer through trees to detect slowly moving troops and ground vehicles is ready for the next step in testing, announced the company. A ground/ dismounted - moving target indication (GMTI/DMTI) system developed for the US Army's Tactical Reconnaissance
General Dynamics C4 Systems has introduced the TACLANE-MultiBook laptop, now certifi ed by the National Security Agency (NSA) to secure network communications of the Secret level and below. The MultiBook can operate simultaneously on unclassifi ed and classifi ed networks and securely on the public internet, claimed the company. It also protects information stored in the computer's solid-state drive using the proven ProtecD@R technology.
According to the company, the TACLANE-MultiBook helps to ensure that sensitive information is not compromised if the computer is lost or stolen. Considered a Cryptographic High Valued Product (CHVP), the MultiBook has less stringent handling requirements than a controlled cryptographic item (CCI) and enables secure interoperability with the US government and military networks.
General Dynamics introduces TACLANE-MultiBook laptop
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Lockheed Martin's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile and Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System has successfully engaged in the fi rst-ever test of all three systems demonstrating the integrated capabilities of US regional missile defense systems, said the company.
These systems worked together to detect, track, engage and negate two ballistic missile targets and one cruise missile-like target during a complex, live-fi re fl ight test conducted by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) at the Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacifi c.
Known as Flight Test Integrated-01, these different sensors and weapons systems were integrated through the Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system, also developed by Lockheed Martin. The C2BMC is the integrating element for the Ballistic Missile Defense System and links the various sensors and weapon systems.
Missile defence systems engage
multiple targets
and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar (TRACER) has been integrated into a modular pod for airborne testing on a Blackhawk helicopter or a Predator-B aircraft.
"Integrating MTI into our foliage penetrating capability provides an unprecedented level of situational awareness," said Jim Quinn, Vice President of C4ISR Systems with
Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense. "By combining these two capabilities we offer analysts the ability to accurately locate virtually any surface target from a standoff range, in any type of weather."
Based on the company’s foliage penetrating (FOPEN) radar system, fi rst deployed in 2005, TRACER
is a lightweight, low-frequency synthetic-aperture radar that can peer through foliage, rain, darkness, dust storms, or atmospheric haze to provide real-time, high-quality tactical ground imagery. The system combines fi ne-resolution UHF radar and a broad swath to provide single-pass radar images as well as multi-pass change detection products for multiple imaging modes.
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NEWS
Adapx announces new speech and sketch interfaces
Adapx recently announced new speech and sketch interfaces to speed mission planning data capture with Google Earth, Command Post of the Future (CPOF), and The Army's Replay Application Framework. With speech and sketch interfaces from Adapx, soldiers can enter intelligence and planning data into existing C4ISR and Command and Control (C2) systems by simply sketching standard military symbols and speaking standard jargon.
With the new speech and sketch interfaces, soldiers can point to a location on a touchscreen map and simply speak the name of a unit or an ISR observation. The Adapx software automatically creates an object in the native ISR,
planning or GIS database with the proper geospatial attributes, said the company. Sketched symbols become geo-registered MIL-STD 2525 symbols. Commanders can also add attributes to sketched objects by simply speaking as they sketch. A simple line becomes more when commanders say ‘main attack,’ ‘company boundary,’ or thousands of other natural commands as they draw.
"When soldiers plan and execute missions with sophisticated computing systems, they often struggle with cumbersome devices and inconsistent keyboard- and menu-driven interfaces," said Ken Schneider, CEO, Adapx. "With our new speech and sketch interfaces for Google Earth, Replay, and CPOF, it’s even easier for commanders to enter data into command and control, battlefi eld simulation and C4ISR systems."
Rockwell Collins to develop GPS jamming and spoofi ng detection technology
The Offi ce of Naval Research has awarded Rockwell Collins a contract to develop technology to locate and classify an adversary’s attempts to interfere with GPS signals and disrupt military operations.
“This programme will help assure that essential high accuracy navigation and timekeeping services are available to weapons platforms and military users while enabling warfi ghters to identify potential threats,” said John Borghese, Vice President of the Rockwell Collins Advanced Technology Center. The three-year contract for the Modernized Integrated Spoofer Tracking (MIST) programme calls for Rockwell Collins to develop technology
Ever increasing threats and the need for force protection by systems that provide constant situational awareness of one's surroundings prompted Lockheed Martin to add a persistent surveillance option to its Dragon series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems. The latest member of Lockheed Martin's Dragon Family of ISR is Dragon Sentinel, an option that includes aerostats and/ or tower systems for a persistent round-the-clock surveillance capability not possible with other types of manned and unmanned aircraft, according to the company.
Lockheed Martin's seven Dragon ISR confi gurations offer a unique approach for customers to match mission requirements and budget to sensor, communications and airframe needs. The latest option, Dragon Sentinel, is predicated on providing customers with persistent surveillance. Dragon Sentinel options may comprise aerostats, tower systems along with one or more sensors and an associated ground system.
Dragon Sentinel offers 360 degree persistent surveillance
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Persistent situational awareness is provided through the sensors integrated into the aerostat or tower, which enable customers to conduct surveillance or reconnaissance of a fi xed geographic area over an extended time period. All Dragon confi gurations can be customised to meet customer mission requirements and are net-centric capable to enable joint and coalition interoperability.
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The TerraSight EX video exploitation system, a compact, lightweight expeditionary version of the proven TerraSight platform, was introduced recently by SRI International Sarnoff. Housed in a ruggedised Windows laptop, TerraSight EX provides advanced video exploitation to forward operators. The system can process standard video feeds from an unmanned aerial system (UAS) and convert them into real-time, integrated tactical information that can enhance total situational awareness, said the company.
With TerraSight EX, full motion video is stabilised, mosaicked, geo-registered and precisely draped over a 3D map in a single, integrated display. The system accurately generates precision targeting coordinates for objects of interest from full-motion video and enables ground teams to reach back while simultaneously sharing critical, time-sensitive information with headquarters. The mosaic process stitches together individual frames of video into a broader view that provides greater context. While conventional systems are prone to substantial location drift and sync errors in raw metadata, TerraSight's geo-registration precisely places the video onto the 3D map by assigning accurate latitude, longitude, and elevation coordinates for each video pixel said the company. Operators can generate target folders and messages by point and click for forwarding to Fires networks, command centers or systems using cursor on target. Legacy systems provide separate windows for video and maps.
TerraSight software and systems have been deployed by every branch of the US Department of Defense and the US Army has a service-wide license that extends to Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
TerraSight EX expeditionary system launched
and prototype system concepts to detect and locate the sources of transmitted signals that are intended to disrupt the warfi ghter’s ability to navigate and communicate. In the fi rst year, Rockwell Collins will develop advanced algorithms. During the second and third year, the company will conduct, validate and refi ne the capability through lab testing and demonstrations.
Lockheed Martin acquires Chandler/May, Inc.
Lockheed Martin has announced the acquisition of Chandler/May, Inc., a company that specialises in the design, development, integration, manufacturing, and support of fully integrated mission critical systems for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR) missions. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
As a proven ground control station integrator, Chandler/May, Inc. has delivered hundreds of integrated command and control shelters and portable ground control stations in support of the US Army UAS programmes, said the company. They have produced more than 2,200 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including the Desert Hawk UAV, a programme for which Chandler/May, Inc. is a supplier to Lockheed Martin. Chandler/May, Inc. has also developed a fully integrated UAS, consisting of the Fury UAV, SharkFin Mission and Flight Control System and Tactical Air Vehicle Control System (TACS) ground control station.
Chandler/May, Inc. will become part of Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems & Sensors (MS2) business. MS2 has experience in the area of unmanned systems including the K-MAX unmanned helicopter, Desert Hawk UAV, and Persistent Threat Detection System aerostats.
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NEWS
Raytheon Company has acquired Teligy, Inc., a technology development company, further extending Raytheon's cybersecurity offerings in wireless communications, vulnerability analysis, reverse engineering and custom kernel software/device driver development, according to the company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Teligy excels at transitioning prototype and proof of concept cyber products into deployable solutions. Coupled with Raytheon's existing expertise, Teligy enables Raytheon to cover the entire communication stack for both wired and RF technologies across all relevant platforms, and provides access to emerging markets, the company added. The acquisition marks Raytheon's 11th cyber-related acquisition since 2007.
Raytheon acquires technology development fi rm Teligy, Inc.
GeoEye delivers additional web hosting service networks to US
GeoEye, Inc. recently announced the delivery of new capabilities to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). GeoEye's EnhancedView Web Hosting Service (WHS) is now connected to additional government networks. This new capability will provide warfi ghters and intelligence analysts around the world easy access to unclassifi ed, high-resolution Earth imagery through classifi ed and unclassifi ed US government networks, said the company.
The EnhancedView WHS provides users with online access to GeoEye and third-party earth imagery processed into highly precise foundation geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) and base maps. The EnhancedView WHS has been operating on the Internet since May 2011. The upgrade will allow users to access this valuable service through their preferred customer networks or access points, added the company. As new imagery is collected, it will be immediately updated and disseminated to users through intuitive web map interfaces. Users can also access identical imagery through Open
Geospatial Consortium (OGC) compliant applications such as Esri's ArcGIS, Google Earth and certain government portals.
The new delivery activates a USD 7,50,000 additional monthly payment to GeoEye under the current terms of the EnhancedView Service Level Agreement (SLA). The EnhancedView WHS is powered by GeoEye's online access platform, EyeQ. EyeQ enables thousands of concurrent users to easily access and download hundreds of terabytes of high-resolution imagery, added the company.
On-board video processing integrated into Skate SUAS
Aurora Flight Sciences and SRI International Sarnoff have announced the integration of the SRI Sarnoff DL Micro digital data link and video processor into the Aurora Skate Small Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS). This pairing maximises the real-time delivery of quality video from the SUAS, said the company. Small unmanned aerial systems are critical for military and law enforcement, where on-board cameras deliver intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) for pop-up and fl eeting threats. Image stabilisation enhances the mission by upgrading
video smoothness, quality and compression.
In the airborne environment, the size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) of payloads are also severely constrained. The DL Micro system meets the need, weighing 46 grams and consuming 5.8 watts during transmission, added the company. Providing military and civilian applications, the Aurora Skate SUAS combines the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability of helicopters with the simplicity and endurance of fi xed-wing fl ight. According to the company. the system is compact and can be packed easily for forward deployment. The Skate SUAS is designed around a common airframe and common ground control system to support a wide range of users.
Electronic image stabilisation combined with H.264 encoding gives the DL Micro digital data link specifi c advantages. Stabilised SUAS video is smoother, easier to interpret, easier to compress and requires less bandwidth to transmit to the ground. The DL Micro enhances payload performance for the SUAS market. Skate is a low cost solution and currently available for sale in the US and foreign markets, added the company.
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In response to the increasingly complex national and multi-national requirements for Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Lockheed Martin has developed a solution that delivers new levels of performance to address evolving threats, said the company. By linking weapon and sensor data with advanced map-based Command and Control (C2) capabilities, the DIAMONDShield C2 platform provides operators a wide range of intuitive decision-support aids that allows them to plan and execute air defence missions with greater speed, higher confi dence and reduced ownership costs, added the company.
The DIAMONDShield solution is unique, as it delivers a state-of-the-art solution that responds to the growing range of weapons capable of delivering threats by land, surface, air and space. The system hosts a suite of Integrated Air and Missile Defence capabilities that enables warfi ghters to manage a continuous C2 cycle, operating at the speed of the battlespace. Visualisation is presented in a set of user-optimised graphical displays with selectable features in 2D, 3D and 4D. At the core of the product, is a modern service oriented architecture, enabling sensors-to-shooter integration and interoperability with the widest range of tactical communications, sensors, weapons and existing legacy systems.
Advanced C2 System provides commanding view of the battlespace
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BAE Systems announces agreement to acquire Marine Hydraulics International
BAE Systems has entered into a defi nitive agreement with American Maritime Holdings, Inc. to acquire Marine Hydraulics International, Inc. (MHI), a privately held company that operates a shipyard, pier and waterfront facilities in Norfolk, Virginia.
MHI is a marine repair, overhaul, and conversion company serving the US Navy, military sealift command, maritime administration and commercial ship owners and operators worldwide. The company would be integrated with the BAE Systems Ship Repair business.
“This acquisition is fully aligned with our business strategy to continue to grow in the maritime industry by enhancing our effi ciencies and breadth of capabilities, which is consistent with our global strategy to deliver value to our customers with cost-effective solutions,” said Bill Clifford, president, BAE Systems Ship Repair.
BAE Systems Ship Repair is a non-nuclear ship repair, modernisation and overhaul business, which serves the US Navy and other government agencies, as well as commercial, private and government customers.
The proposed acquisition is conditional, among other things, upon receiving certain regulatory approvals, and is expected to close during the fi rst quarter of 2013.
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INTERVIEW
“Navigational chart forms the base“Navigational chart forms the base information layer for any security application”information layer for any security application”<< Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD) provides international quality
hydrographic services across the globe. GeoIntelligence spoke to Vice Admiral SK Jha,
Chief Hydrographer, Government of India, to understand why India is regarded as a
regional power in the fi eld of hydrography in the Indian Ocean Region... >>
Q. Can you brief us about the activities of National Hydrographic Offi ce (NHO)? What kind of surveys does NHO undertake?
The INHD carries out hydrographic data collection (surveys) activities for the production of nautical charts and publications. The regular surveys and updated data ensure availability of latest charts which in turn ensure safe navigation in our waters. We undertake navigational surveys, project surveys for port development and defence related surveys.
In what way has geospatial technology impacted the activities of NHO over the years? How is the technology aiding in maritime security?
Hydrography and cartography have always been utilising geospatial technology towards the production of charts for the last two decades or so. The augmented tools such as extremely accurate positioning and various mapping systems have resulted in further improving the data precision. It has reduced manpower intensive arduous process; however technology has paved the way for more stringent audit processes towards generating cartographic products in much lesser time. The INHD has been at the forefront of imbibing these tools of geospatial technology and incorporating them for further
improving its products. The department was one of the fi rst National Hydrographic Offi ces in the world to have produced and marketed its own Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs). The ENCs or the charts form the base layer for any marine GIS application including security applications for maritime domain awareness.
Capacity building is one of the major challenges given the pace of technology changes. What is being done in this regard?
INHD has metamorphosed to one of the premier hydrographic offi ces of the world in the last two decade and
has constantly amalgamated the new technology in its stride. Today, it has become our culture to ingrain new technology with ease. We have a replacement procurement system in place as per the existing government policy, wherein the latest genre of equipments are inducted as a continuous process and is in sync with the department’s needs. The ageing ships are being replaced in a phased manner. We are also in the process of building New Survey Training Vessel which will cater to the international demand of training at our National Institute of Hydrography (NIH), Goa. This pursuit to empower the hydrographic capability has
VICE ADMIRAL SK JHAChief Hydrographer, Government of India
paved the way for availability of well trained manpower, enhanced effi ciency of data collection, production of nautical charts/ ENCs and publications.
You also impart training to personnel from various countries. Can you tell about it ?
The INHD provides hydrographic training to Indian Navy offi cers/ sailors, civilian personnel from various maritime authorities/ ports and Foreign Service as well as civilian personnel. The National Institute of Hydrography (NIH) has been recognised as the regional hydrographic centre by the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO). The NIH also conducts capsule course towards the hydrographic capability development for participants of various nations under the aegis of the IMO/ IHO. We have conducted regular training for most of the countries of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). NIH, Goa has trained about 500 foreign students till now.
Cooperation in hydrography is increasingly seen as an important instrument of diplomacy. How relevant is this in the present scenario when China is trying to strengthen its presence in the IOR?
In consonance with the policy of Indian Navy to foster good relations with foreign navies and build bridges of friendship across the oceans, Indian Naval Survey Ships have been deployed by the Ministry of Defence/ Indian Navy on hydrographic forays in the IOR from 1993. In the IOR, India is regarded as a regional power in the fi eld of hydrography. Under the Government of India initiative of capacity building, we have provided hydrographic assistance by undertaking hydrographic surveys, disaster relief during tsunami and also provided regular training to the countries of IOR. These gestures have improved the bilateral
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entire marine trade fl owing from either direction. It is imperative that we keep our sea lines of communication open and safe for the trade to fl ourish. Towards this, the role of the INHD is to provideupdated hydrographic charts and nautical products so that mariners safely navigate in our waters. Today, our Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is far better than a decade ago and our navigational charts play a pivotal role in providing critical information to decision makers from security perspective. Since the navigational chart forms the base information layer for any security application, NHO would continue to provide updated paper charts, electronic navigational charts, nautical publications etc. I foresee usage of 3-D electronic charts and various layers containing maritime information in the near future.
It has been almost a year since you took over as Chief Hydrographer. What do you describe as your major achievement?
INHD is in constant endeavour to provide international quality hydrographic services across the globe. In addition to undertaking hydrographic surveys in Seychelles and Mauritius, the INHD has made inroads in African countries this year by undertaking hydrographic surveys in Mozambique. We have also commissioned, the fi rst time ever, indigenously built catamaran hull type Indian Naval Ship ‘Makar’ in September; and fi ve more of the same class shall be delivered shortly.
<< INHD has metamorphosed to one of the premier
hydrographic offi ces of the world in the last two
decade and has constantly amalgamated the new
technology in its stride >>
relations with several countries especially Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Oman, Mozambique, Kenya, Indonesia, etc. Furthermore, as the NAVAREA VIII (Navigation Warning) coordinator on behalf of the Indian Navy, I am duty bound to provide maritime safety services in our assigned area which encompasses the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and major section of the Arabian Sea. The INHD provides maritime safety services in the area with close coordination of all the national coordinators of various nations such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius. Presently in the IOR, most of the countries look up to India as far hydrographic assistance is concerned. India would continue to provide hydrographic assistance as it has done in the past.
India had sometime back laid its claim to the UN to extend the EEZ from 200 to 350NM. What is the progress on that front?
The Indian submission to the UNCLOS is steered by the Ministry of Ocean Sciences, Government of India. INHD is one of the constituent members responsible for ascertaining/ obtaining the bathymetric data. INHD undertook the mammoth task of collecting bathymetry data in 90s and completed the task. The claim has been submitted to the Commission on Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) of the United Nations in 2010 and is presently awaiting its ratifi cation by the world body.
The maritime dimension is a relatively new factor in the Sino-Indian strategic equation. In this scenario, what do you think is going to be the role of NHO?
As we are aware, major resources of various countries pass through IOR. The Indian peninsula is strategically gifted as it projects into the Indian Ocean and monitors the
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odern naval strategy is fundamentally based on various means to locate potential enemy forces across the oceans, a problem
complicated by the vastness of the maritime environment, the huge number of legitimate users, and the wide variety of means by which an enemy can exploit the oceans to his advantage. The oceans are complex medium whose nature provides ample opportunity for an enemy to avoid
detection — weather, sea states and coastal land masses, all present considerable challenges to modern sensors. Peacetime economic use of the seas complicates this problem enormously. Oceans are the world’s foremost (and most unregulated) highway, home to a vast and wide variety of international neutral shipping that possess no apparent threat. Determining an enemy in such a crowded and complex environment is diffi cult during conventional war or in an asymmetric confl ict such as the
<< Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is important in ensuring safety and security in waters. However, MDA in itself is not enough and needs to be integrated with Oceanic Domain Awareness (ODA) for effective and complete maritime knowledge >>
ODA:ODA: An ImperativeAn Imperative
Global War on Terror (GWOT). It is undoubtedly a formidable task.
It is the asymmetric nature of terrorism that forms the core of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). In a conventional naval war, the enemy is relatively well-defi ned and almost universally a combatant. Pursuit of GWOT, where literally any vessel could be a potential enemy or weapon carrier, or when any maritime event can have an impact on the security of India, demands a much higher level of
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awareness than that normally required in a conventional naval confl ict. This is recognised by the formal defi nition of MDA as articulated by the US government vide their document National Security Presidential Directive 41, 2004:- Maritime Domain Awareness is “the effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime environment that could impact the security, safety, economy or environment of the US.” This is accomplished through the integration of intelligence, surveillance, observation and navigation systems into one Common Operating Picture (COP) that is accessible throughout the US government.
Unlike traditional naval operations, it is apparent that the goal of MDA is far more than simply looking for potential maritime enemies poised to attack India. The implications of “anything associated” with the maritime environment that can impact the security, safety, economy or environment, go far beyond a classic maritime threat. As per the US interpretation, these include smuggling of people or dangerous cargoes, piracy, proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), identifi cation and protection of critical maritime infrastructure, oil spills, weather and environmental concerns among other things.
Maritime events that could potentially impact India are not the only wide-ranging elements of MDA, but it is also essential that threats be identifi ed as early as possible and far away from the coast. The global nature of MDA activities occurring overseas and in foreign ports is very much a part of MDA. For example, if a cargo is loaded in Aden and its ultimate destination is India (via several other international ports), the loading, transport, security and all matters associated with that container would be part of MDA. MDA must therefore be exercised over all oceans
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worldwide, and potentially cover all maritime interests that ultimately impact India. Putting in place an effective MDA is a herculean task - viewing the range of potential security challenges and enormous geographic area represented by the maritime domain. In India, a plethora of agencies possessing a wide range of operational and intelligence capabilities would require information fusion under the over-arching MDA.
Although many factors are considered in MDA, its core process is ultimately monitoring vessels and the vessels’ cargo, crews and passengers to rapidly generate geo-locating information on vessels of interest. This is an analytical process that includes tracking, data base searches for unknown linkages and anomaly detection. Fundamental to this is the detection, monitoring, tracking of vessels. This tracking process comprises fi ve elements designed to focus on a narrow area of tactical dimension where threats can be identifi ed and isolated namely; maritime surveillance, detection, tracking, classifi cation and identifi cation and targeting. Targeting involves interpreting detection and identifi cation of information fused with intelligence to sort vessel intentions and determine risk.
MDA’s core is applying the vessel tracking process to a layered defence model centred on the coastline of India, the ultimate goal of which is to detect potential threats early and as far away from the Indian coastline as possible. As there is no single high value unit to protect MDA, ‘layers’ are expanded to include an entire coastline with the overall goal of coordinated surveillance. Not all areas in these ‘layers’ are considered equally, but rather additional attention is given to areas that are potential targets for terrorists/ enemies.
The US has the 2,000 NM limit of the Maritime Detection and
Identifi cation Zone (MDIZ). It is based on the legislated 96 hour notifi cation requirement for foreign vessels entering US ports. A vessel travelling 20kts will arrive at its destination in roughly 96 hours. MDIZ’s aim is to gather more timely information on the vessel as it approaches closer to the US coast. When entering the MDIZ, obtaining position of vessels every four hours is a norm, while in territorial waters the goal is to obtain positional data every three minutes. There are many systems that could provide a high degree of surveillance and tracking data, but the actual fusion of this data remains a problem area. In order to derive a comprehensive MDA picture, information needs to be fused, correlated, and analysed; and for it to be relevant to national security, it must be designed to operate cohesively at tactical, regional and strategic levels.
Strategic MDAAt the national level, maritime strategy is critical for long term planning, operational insight and providing national decision makers with support to establish priorities, determine strategies of interdependent organisations, allocate national resources and determine level of overall maritime threat. This is a diffi cult process during normal peacetime operations and is particularly challenging in the constantly changing asymmetric maritime environment that MDA is designed to address. MDA’s ultimate goal is to GE
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<< MDA’s core process is monitoring vessels,
cargo, crews and passengers to rapidly
generate geo-locating information on vessels
of interest >>
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obtain a sense of global awareness that reaches beyond the confi nes of the tactical and regional levels. If MDA was simply a defensive strategy against a known military or terrorist threat, it could be obtained by forming defensive layers around India. But as an informational/ awareness system, its goals are far broader, seeking to understand all potential maritime threats to India, many of which could originate overseas in an inoffensive manner. Strategic MDA requires a broad perspective and capabilities at the highest levels of analysis, intelligence and policy. It requires the realignment of bureaucracy and the re-tasking of national assets towards the overall goal of global awareness. A centre for strategic MDA must have experience in multi-organisation operations and procedures that can transcend the gap between the military, law enforcement and regulatory agencies that are a part of MDA. In the maritime arena, this is possible through expansion of existing infrastructure, specifi cally developing such a fusion/ analysis point. Two areas of sensor technologies that have particular applicability to strategic MDA are satellite based sensing capability and a network of underwater surveillance sensors.
Structure of theIndian MDA
The November 26, 2008 attack on Mumbai has been analysed and security gaps addressed to formulate the MDA. The fundamental principle for the MDA has been the application of data
>> Registration of fi shing vessels by states, and provision of battery operated Distress Action Terminals (DATs) for vessels below 300 tons. DG Shipping would provide smaller fi shing boats with AIS transponders which has enforced ISPS code for port security with port security plans. Providing biometric/ recognition identity cards for fi shermen which can be identifi ed on a machine onboard surveillance platforms.
>> Setting up of a Marine Police force with 73 coastal police stations across nine states and provided with 5 and 10 ton craft which can patrol inshore waters.
>> A continuous synopsis of record of shipping with World Customs Organisation has been enforced and MARSEC security levels are exercised and coastal villagers educated on need to be vigilant by the Indian Navy (IN) and ICG.
>> The Indian Navy has instituted Marine Commandos Rapid Reaction Forces and a Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) of 100 seamen who are being equipped with 80 Fast Interceptor Crafts (FICs) for protection of naval bases, VAs and VPs. UAVs and aerostats are also planned for induction.
>> Coordinated coastal and offshore asset patrolling has been strengthened by the IN and the ICG.
>> All steps for MDA are networked with the Indian Navy’s fl eet of ships, submarines and MR aircraft.
The Government of India has put in place a formidable plan for MDA, and the individual systems are being set up prior to fi nal integration and fusing of data. It is expected that the MDA would be fully functional by 2015.
However, in near future, it can be presumed that IN would aspire to acquire formidable sea denial and sea control capabilities. It is
fusing to get actionable intelligence inputs to measure, compare, identify, engage and prevent sea-
borne criminal activities. The number of different agencies at central and state level involved is 13, and therefore effective coordination is an issue. Some of the initiatives include:-
>> Launch of GSAT7 satellite in geosynchronous orbit by lSRO, with Rukmani terminals (ex Israel) placed
on major warships for instantaneous data transfer to meet the
requirements of the Navy. ISRO is also likely to put in place seven satellites under Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) by 2013 which would provide data within 1,000 miles of India.
>> Setting up of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence network (NC3IN).
>> Setting up of a radar chain (X-band AIS receiver VHF and electro-optics) of 46 sensor stations being linked with the AIS inputs (covering the entire Indian coast), and Long Range Identifi cation and Tracking (LRIT) and Vessel Traffi c Management Systems. Coastal plots are maintained by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Regional HQs to support the Joint Operations Centres (JOCs) set up next to naval Maritime Operations Rooms (MORs) in all naval commands and at New Delhi.
>> Setting up of Multi Agency Centres (MAC) for intelligence inputs and reports.
Monitoring oceans involves surveillance from land as well as above- and below-earth surface
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opined that the terms Sea watch/ denial/ control are likely to expand and transform into ‘Oceanic space watch/ denial/ control.’ The term Oceanic space denial/ control would embrace a cylindrical space in 3D+ dimensions; that is, the sea surface, the atmospheric volume above, the outer space at least up to low earth orbiting satellite heights, the water volume up to the sea bed, the sea bed itself and also security of the deep sea mining assets in the EEZ.
The above premise implies that a broader oceanic horizon is in fact inclusive of not only extensive and broader spatial operating arena, but also much wider and broader foray into the verticals below the surface to the sea bed and above, upto periphery of the atmosphere. Unless implications of this nature are anticipated and factored in, technological forecasts themselves would trail behind the rapid advancing pace of technology and the synergies being achieved due to harmonisation and adaptation of inter- and intra-scientifi c fi elds. Therefore, it is imperative that holistic perspectives into the information consciousness arena include the Oceanic Domain Awareness (ODA) and its connect with India’s security and MDA.
ODA
Scientifi c study of the oceans originated in the US essentially as a function of national security. Navy operations successfully addressed many challenging naval requirements; but oceanographic inquiry in support of naval needs also triggered unexpected results. In many instances the knowledge of the oceans that was acquired through directed studies - and through complementary lines of inquiry that were enabled by tools developed for naval oceanographic research - further impacted national security in ways that were not anticipated and which transcended tactical and operational signifi cance
and could be considered of more strategic consequence.
The primary impetus to the rapid development of oceanography during its 20th century days as a science is without a doubt the submarine and the fundamental changes that occurred when naval warfare became truly three-dimensional. Prosecuting submarines was feasible principally through the transmission of underwater sound, actively by sonar to echo-locate targets and passively by hydrophones and triangulation. The scope of oceanographic efforts in the pursuit of submarine opened all of the oceanographic disciplines (physical, chemical, biological and geological oceanography) to increased investment, research effort and importantly, to integration. Twentieth-century oceanography was fundamentally a security-based endeavour to reduce the opacity of the oceans to anti-submarine warfare in WWI, WWII and the Cold War, and harness that opacity for offensive submarine operations along with a host of other security based naval concerns.
Fundamental progress in basic knowledge of the ocean sciences has occurred due to advances in sensor technologies. Understanding
of plate tectonics and sea fl oor spreading was discovered during large scale mapping of the sea fl oor after the World War II. This led to the revamping of theories of evolution and structure of the earth. Subsequently, the investigation of mid-ocean ridges carried out by submersibles and towed deep sea vehicles led to detection of many unknown forms of life in the hydrothermal vents and microbes below the seabed at great depths. In the past, ocean geologists, physicists, biologists and chemists have used an array of tools, from deep-sea drilling to instrumented buoys, to improve their understanding about the role the ocean plays in controlling longer-term climate change and weather.
Scientists have now commenced a long term exploration of the chronological variations in ocean systems both for very short and prolonged time periods. Advances in technologies that have spurred this study are primarily based upon:-
>> Availability of new sensors which can be placed and report about chemical, biological and physical characteristics.
>> Advances in computers and software that has enabled storing, retrieving
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and manipulating large volumes of sensor data. Real-time availability of data to large number of research communities for interpretation, modelling, simulation and prediction.
>> Advances in telecommun-ications through undersea cables and satellites allowing real-time control of sea based sensors and transmission of bulky sensor data.
Technologies (for example, robust sensors and infrastructure, autonomous vehicles) must be developed to enhance data collection in all weather conditions to support high-spatial resolution and near real-time forecasting throughout the open ocean and coastal zone. Providing accurate and comprehensive environmental information will require expanding observational networks to monitor, record and present real-time surface-monitoring data (for example, high-frequency, coastal-based radars). This expansion will require advancing sensor and technology development, particularly for autonomous and persistent observations, as well as for long-term observing systems; expanding real-time or near real-time data collection on environmental variables by incorporating observational capabilities of ships of opportunity (for example, fi shing, cargo, and passenger vessels); and enhancing
automated and autonomous bottom-mapping capabilities for change detection to improve rapid, full-scale survey scheduling.
Data collected by the observing systems must be accessible through a comprehensive national data network, either through a single system or a distributed network. Developing this data network will require new methodologies that address gaps in data collection, sharing and interoperability of technologies, and should permit integration of existing research into operational systems (for example, systems providing real-time navigation data to vessels). This data network should be able to link with other databases such as those focussing on ecosystem data, and developed in accordance with international standards for data exchange. The national data network will also provide the data needed for models simulating multiple scenarios to better understand potential impacts, weather events or man-made disruptions on marine operations, and to support operations restoration plans.
The coast and open ocean are critical domains for the security of a nation with sea as boundaries, both at home and abroad. National-security operations in the ocean take place globally and often require continuous, near real-time monitoring of environmental conditions using tools such as autonomous sensors, targeted observations and adaptive modelling. These capabilities, combined with improved understanding of the ocean environment enabled by other ocean science research activities, will support accurate ocean-state assessments and allow future forces to conduct joint and combined operations in near shore and deep-ocean operating environments, anywhere anytime. Thus, it can be surmised that the MDA focusses upon the maritime
security environment specifi c to naval operations; the ODA focuses upon the overarching oceanic environment. Both are technology intensive and require sophisticated sensors and computational capabilities. MDA has tactical, regional and strategic components whereas the ODA is strategic knowledge based architecture. Both require elaborate data and information fusing interface with myriad of interconnected agencies. The MDA primarily needing vast inputs from commercial, intelligence and security agencies and the ODA from advanced research, academic and scientifi c communities.
Conclusion
MDA needs to be integrated within ODA for completeness of maritime knowledge, the lack of which can lead to serious consequences as has been brought out in a recent assessment of naval exercises and weapon fi rings in the US, where it was found that over 90 per cent of them were affected adversely due to imperfectly assessed or little known environmental factors. In an actual confl ict, these would have led to mission failures. This along with the sinking of HMS Bounty off North Carolina due to the recent cyclone SANDY when it was 160 miles away from the eye of the storm, only underpins the gaps in oceanic knowledge that need to be bridged and the fact that ODA is an enabler for the future and an imperative for a nation like India.
<< National-securityoperations in the ocean
take place globally and often require continuous, near
real-time monitoring of environmental
conditions >>
Radm Dr S Kulshrestha (Retd) [email protected]
THANK YOUFOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GEOINT SYMPOSIUM!
Keynotes from community leaders…
Watch all the presentations and highlights from GEOINT 2012 at…
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C-SIGMAC-SIGMAA
Counter-piracyCounter-piracyoperations start in spaceoperations start in space
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<< For an effective Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), there is a need to build international collaboration >>
il may be the world’s lifeblood, but oceanic commerce is its backbone, if not the entire skeleton. Piracy
is a cancer on that skeleton which must be dealt with. The maritime entities of the world - military, civil and private alike – are looking at their situation in the new reality of spreading piracy and are coming to understand their vulnerabilities, especially the potential consequences of increased piracy. Added to the threat of piracy or sea-borne attack is a growing realisation that misuse and mistreatment of oceans is causing signifi cant environmental damage, which, coupled with the theft of oil and fi sh, is leading to the loss of substantial economic resources. Little wonder then that a
Identifi cation System (S-AIS), their utility over the world’s waterways has increased dramatically. As the potential contributions of space-based earth observation systems to all facets of global maritime awareness is becoming known, interest of the world’s naval and law enforcement forces as well as of environmental preservationists, ship operators, brokers and others in the maritime industry have grown apace.
Much of this increased utility can be attributed to S-AIS, but it is not alone. There has also been signifi cant increase in the capabilities of unclassifi ed imaging (optical and radar) satellites.
However, S-AIS has a unique story. Just as GPS was originally designed
wide variety of organisations either have, or are developing systems and Concepts of Operations (ConOps) dealing with regional, if not global, maritime awareness.
Piracy and maritime resource theft have become endemic and must be countered with all resources which the law abiding people of the maritime world can muster. Those resources should include unclassifi ed space systems in order to have an effective and effi cient global maritime awareness system, but many are unaware of what opportunities, especially if used in conjunction with each other, the new space systems provide. Indeed, in the last few years, there has been a revolution in unclassifi ed space-based Earth Observation Systems and, led by Space-based Automatic
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to assist in improving the accuracy of our submarine launched ballistic missiles but has now become ubiquitous, S-AIS was conceived as an anti-terrorism tool, and as the system evolved, so has the thinking as to its potential in a wide range of uses. For sure, S-AIS is one of the tools needed for global maritime awareness, but it is also the enabler for the rest of the set. S-AIS dramatically enhances the utility of the imaging systems over water by a variety of means including identifying traffi c patterns of legitimate vessels, identifying most, if not all, of the legitimate traffi c in an area, and providing indications of anyone trying to spoof the system. Thus S-AIS can be used to tell the imaging systems, optical and radar, where to focus their attention, making them much more effi cient.
It is widely recognised in the space industry that no one country has the stature, breadth and depth to protect the oceans’ environment, oceanic commerce, and the fi nite resources of the seas, especially its fi sh and oil, with its own space systems. It will take international collaboration and cooperation on a nearly unparalleled scale to assure the safe, secure and equitable use of the world’s oceans. This effort, while simple in concept, has such a range of entities and interests involved that it may need to be managed by an agency like United Nations. The core need, as well as the greatest opportunities for international collaboration, is to focus on the technology required to detect, identify and track vessels well offshore. While that technology exists today, scattered among a range of nations, there is very little coordination in its use except in several demonstrations run in the past fi ve years by such diverse groups as the Defense Intelligence Agency, The United States Coast Guard and, the biggest, by the European Commission (the governmental body of the European Union) to examine the feasibility of global maritime awareness
from space. All experiments and demonstrations have been highly successful in showing the utility of space systems, used together, in a maritime situation awareness role.
One of the primary steps the nations of the world could take would be to create a global space partnership (GSP) initially focused on the maritime domain. Such a concept has been under informal discussion for sometime by many people, especially in counties with large, exposed shorelines such as Canada, Norway, Japan and Italy, or a history of environmental damage caused by intentional or unintentional dumping of oil, such as Ireland. The proposed maritime focused portion of the GSP has come to be known as ‘Collaboration in Space for International Global Maritime Awareness (C-SIGMA).’
The critical vulnerabilities of our maritime assets and the potential huge economic impact their loss could generate has necessitated the pressing need for better awareness of the global maritime domain. Most practitioners and researchers who have looked at the state of the art of unclassifi ed space systems have come to believe that they will play a crucial role in any effective maritime awareness system. Space systems cannot do it all. Thus collaboration and coordination with terrestrial systems as well as the mining and analysis of data contained in hundreds, if not thousands, of data bases, and linking it to the location and track histories developed by the space-based systems is also needed. Likewise, it is recognised that data dissemination and coordination is needed down to the responding tactical units.
The political will of forging that collaboration is a real challenge. Still, a tangible and attainable goal, with both technical and policy aspects to work towards, aids in focussing the political and policy discussions. Building C-SIGMA is
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one such attainable goal. The two critical segments of that universal maritime awareness are shared surveillance assets and a universal common operational picture (COP). Many are already working the COP issue with such programmes as Cooperative Nations Information Exchange System (CNIES), Virtual Regional Maritime Tracking Center- Automated (VRMTC-A), Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) and the Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSSIS). And many others are looking at the front end of the chain - the sensor end. One needs to look at both, in balance.
Why and how to use the required surveillance assets?
Many different groups have studied what collection systems (platforms and sensors) are needed to support Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and what technology is available or will be available in the near future. Thus, whatever specifi c concept of operations is fi nally agreed to by all concerned, the
<< It is widely recognised in the space industry
that no one country has the stature, breadth and
depth to protect the oceans’ environment,
oceanic commerce and the fi nite resources of the seas with its own
space systems >>
basic technology to carry it out is reasonably well understood by the required subject matter experts, if not the current operational planners. Possibly the number of collection systems, where and how data will be fused and analysed, or what the decision making sequence
will be, may change slightly, but the basic technological choices remain pretty much the same. C-SIGMA is a paradigm shift in that. In the realm of international collaboration, the output from such surveillance systems could be put to very different uses by each of the international participants. Piracy is gaining in priority as it expands and becomes endemic. Environmental protection is also high on many people’s lists.
MDA requirements span areas from coastal and harbor surveillance and warning to persistent and pervasive surveillance of the broad ocean area. The bottomline is that we will need ‘systems of systems’ in each zone. There is no doubt that much can be gained by building a collaborative information environment, with a user-defi nable interface to arrive at a robust user-defi ned operational picture, tunable by each user to his particular needs. The hurdles to be overcome in this area are now much more policy derived rather than technological. But the fact largely ignored by many is that if we are to provide persistent and pervasive surveillance of all the areas needed to establish the MDA, we need to make better use of the space systems we now have. Doubtless, we need the means to process, fuse, analyse, display and disseminate all available data in order to make accurate decisions and interdict any suspicious vessel before it enters any of our ports or that of our allies or partners. However, we also need more information at the front end of the Detect-Analyse-Decide-Act
chain if we are to be successful in most scenarios. Unclassifi ed space systems can provide much of that.
The most promising class of systems for pervasive ocean surveillance is that provided by satellites operated by a broad range of commercial interests, both the US and foreign. As indicated earlier, no one system or even type of systems can do it all. This is true even when considering the most sophisticated space systems. Indeed, there are at least four basic types of space-based systems that need to be used in conjunction with each other. Two of the four employ sensors are:
>> Synthetic aperture radar satellites/ SARSats (Day/night, clear/cloudy collection -Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan, India)
>> Electro Optical/ EO imaging satellites (Day/clear, but very high resolution - US, Germany, France and others)
The other two are based on communications systems:
>> Individual transponders linked to communications satellites like Iridium, OrbComm, etc.)
>> AIS - a system originally designed for collision avoidance and safety of navigation but more and more coming to be used as a primary ship tracking system. This is especially true of S-AIS.
What is the concept of operations? How would one use these space systems is the question? It really is quite simple in concept, but probably diffi cult in execution until it has been exercised several times. The concept is to use S-AIS and such self-reporting systems as Long Range Identifi cation and Tracking (LRIT) and IMARSAT polling to locate the good guys. These systems set the baseline for subsequent analysis.
Then EO and SAR, especially SAR, GEOI
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<< MDA requirements span areas from
coastal and harbor surveillance and warning
to persistent and pervasive surveillance of the broad
ocean area >>
George Guy ThomasScience and Technology AdvisorUnited States Coast [email protected]
would be used to detect all activity in the area of interest, such as the location of a ship where it was last attacked, etc. The two data sets would be compared using dynamic analysis tools which can both help refi ne the search area as well as give indications of who might be a bad guy in the images gathered in that area. Getting ‘eyes on target’ in a tactically signifi cant time frame is critical here, as the longer the delay, the larger the search area. The location of uplink terminals for tasking, and downlink terminals to receive the data collected, and the connectivity of both to the decision makers, and the connectivity of the decision makers to the action takers is also critical here.
Proactively imaging areas of potential interest to establish operational norms, to expand the baseline of operational information beyond what S-AIS and LRIT gives, to compare with what is happening immediately after an attack is reported, is also necessary.
As terrestrial interdiction systems (ships/ aircraft) are being vectored towards contacts of interest, space assets need to continue to be tasked to study the area, especially employing hi-res EO systems and SARs in their hi-res modes, in an effort to more clearly defi ne the real target, with the updates being passed to the interdicting tactical units.
Each of these systems clearly plays a unique role, but the problem is compounded when one realises that no one country has a suffi cient number of satellites to make an effi cient ocean surveillance system. International collaboration must take place for the proposed maritime surveillance system to work most effectively.
TECHNOLOGY
<< Maritime authorities throughout the world are using Satellite AIS technology to help them achieve better MDA. The article talks in-detail about leveraging this technology for maritime defence and security >>
he global deterioration in maritime security is continuing to make international headlines and has forced
maritime authorities to reevaluate current operations to combat these ever-evolving threats. There has been a reported 71 piracy incidents as of October 2012 occurring in Somalia alone according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre; confl ict continues to shroud maritime activity in the South China Seas as the dispute between China and
Japan concerning sovereignty in these waters is seemingly never ending; and the smuggling of contraband and arms by sea has virtually become an industry in itself as Latin American drug cartels have turned Caribbean waters into easy streets for traffi cking.
It is in these areas where Satellite Automatic Identifi cation System (S-AIS) technology is already helping to turn the tide on the suspects and enable maritime security forces to focus upon organised
crimes, criminals or terrorists and ever-present strategic threats. The global picture for maritime activity provided by S-AIS has become intrinsic in defence operations worldwide as authorities are gaining the high quality, long-range maritime domain awareness (MDA) requirements for both defence and civil applications across a wide range of mission operations.
Maritime authorities in countries such as Canada, the United States, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Denmark, India as well as NATO, are all utilising S-AIS technology to help them see beyond the horizon. Authorities using exactAIS technology from exactEarth for example, can analyse ship traffi c patterns and fl ag anomalous behaviour, collect data in the world’s remotest regions including the Arctic and along the African coastline, and can compare and correlate with other detection means such as radar to validate ship positions and identify ships which are not transmitting an AIS signal, indicating suspicious behaviour.
Combining optical and radar imagery with S-AIS enables the rapid identifi cation of vessels in those images. The great strength of S-AIS is the ease with which it can be integrated with information received from other sources such as different radar types, optical instruments and electronic support measures (ESM). Space-based radar and other sources can contribute to maritime surveillance by detecting all vessels in specifi c maritime areas of interest. Combined imagery and
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transit times were much longer and overall time available in the patrol areas was signifi cantly reduced. To direct the CP-140 more effectively, project teams tested the viability of using remote active and passive sensing using two relatively new capabilities: RADARSAT-2 (RS2), a satellite providing space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and COMDEV’s CanX-6 Nano-satellite Tracking of Ships (NTS) satellite. This operation provided space-based detection of AIS transmissions and laid the groundwork for the future use of new remote sensing capabilities.
Another project aimed at addressing the problem of borderless oceans or maritime problems that transcend international boundaries, demonstrated the ease of integration S-AIS is able to have with existing operational platforms. The African Maritime Outreach Project was sponsored by the US Navy (USN) Sixth Fleet to provide multiple agencies as well as regional and global coalition partners, with the ability to share data/ information and view common maritime threats. Key to the project’s success was the ability to visualise data in an operational context, to specifi cally view the location of the vessels in relation to critical infrastructure, marine protected areas and Economically Exclusive Zone (EEZ) boundaries. GE
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S-AIS confi rms all the known vessels and aims to identify unknown vessels by associating the AIS track information with parameters of Vessels of Interest (VOI).
S-AIS supports a comprehensive MDA picture compilation by providing near real-time data that can be easily correlated to another source. This helps to improve the accuracy of vessel identifi cation as AIS information and attributes are then associated with the closest S-AIS message. This early refi nement allows for dark targets (non-AIS transmitters) to be detected more readily. Correlating S-AIS with search and rescue radar or other optical imagery also helps to improve track validation by comparing the dimensions of the image with the attributes contained in the AIS message.
S-AIS played an integral role in the 2009 Operation Driftnet, a programme established to control driftnetting and other forms of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fi shing in the North Pacifi c Ocean. Traditionally, this annual operation had been conducted from the Aleutian Islands using a CP-140 Aurora Long Range Patrol Aircraft, but runway maintenance in 2009 necessitated an alternative base in Hawaii. As this placed the CP-140 aircraft further away from the historical driftnet fi shing areas,
Under this project, SSC (Pacifi c) accomplished this visual integration of S-AIS data into both SeaVision, a web-based analysis tool, and the Computer Aided Maritime Threat Evaluation System (CAMTES) which is used to highlight anomalous vessel behaviour and known threat tracks. The benefi ts of this integration success are being seen now in joint naval exercises across the African region.
Most recently, exactAIS data was used in support of the 2012 Rim of the Pacifi c (RIMPAC) exercises. RIMPAC is designed to foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security in the world’s oceans. Staged in Hawaiian operation areas
By fusing radar and digital imagery with S-AIS data, authorities are better able to verify a ship’s identity by correlating ship measurement tools.In this example, the ship Diklo was confi rmed by comparing its measured length and comparing it with its reported length.
Operation Driftnet was implemented to combat global overfi shing and improve the way the world’s fi sh stocks are managed.
<< Today’s maritime environment hosts a variety of potential threats to national
security. The safety and economic security of
global states depends largely upon the secure
use of oceans >>
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<< S-AIS supports a comprehensive MDA
picture compilation by providing near real-
time data that can be easily correlated to another source >>
in late June 2012, this fi ve-week exercise involved 25,000 personnel from 22 nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, and about 200 aircraft operated in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The use of S-AIS was sponsored by Canadian Forces, the US Director General Space, US Naval Research Laboratory, and the US Naval Center for Space Technology. This demonstration showed the Canadian Polar Epsilon system’s ability to contribute to MDA in a tactical mission setting and further developed lessons identifi ed from Operation Driftnet, in the fused use of space-based radar and AIS. The Polar Epsilon Data Exploitation System (DES) was deployed to Hawaii where it was collocated with the US Air Force Eagle Vision 5 (EV-5) ground station at Hickam Air Force Base. The Polar Epsilon team established and operated the DES and validated its connectivity with EV-5, S-AIS and the RIMPAC Global Command and Control System track server. Polar Epsilon DES received RADARSAT-2 imagery from EV-5 and processed it to extract potential targets. DES also received exactAIS information, which added to the common operating picture (COP). This fused MDA system supported the decision-making process of the Commander Combined Component Task Force (CCTF), located at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
S-AIS can offer utility across a wide variety of defence and security applications, including signifi cant benefi ts for Search and Rescue (S&R) operations as authorities can compare the traffi c image and follow an event to locate probable survivors as well as refi ne the search area and use of adjacent maritime resources in S&R operations. S-AIS provides a complete set of dynamic vessel information, which can be used to determine risk of casualty using heading and course over ground. The data can also then be used to aid in determining what happened in a given incident.There is also an increasing
importance placed on protecting the marine environment and the fi sh population within it. S-AIS plays a crucial role in establishing best practices for the safeguarding of oceans as it provides tracks to assist governments in determining violations of existing regulations surrounding prohibited discharges and the observance of speed restrictions close to shore. This will be particularly important in maintaining the strict environmental regulations put in place in order to preserve the polar environments and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) such as the Great Barrier Reef. S-AIS can also be used to cue other highly discriminate sensors to gain intelligence on vessel behaviour and activities. Alternatively, S-AIS can assist in enforcing compliance to fi shing regulations as it can validate a vessel’s reported position information into a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). By establishing legitimate fi shing activity, S-AIS can assist in determination of non-cooperative IUU vessels.
Today’s maritime environment hosts a variety of potential threats to national security and the safety and economic security of global states depends largely upon the secure use of oceans. The infrastructure and systems that span the maritime domain have increasingly become both targets of and potential passageways for dangerous and illicit activities. Moreover, much of what occurs in the maritime domain with respect to vessel movements, activities, cargoes intentions or ownership often remains diffi cult to discern.
As an important maritime operational tool, S-AIS has already made a signifi cant impact upon government agencies that are responsible for maritime security, marine safety and environmental protection. As demonstrated by Canadian, American and African maritime authorities, S-AIS provides
high quality, long-range MDA requirements for both defence and civil applications across a wide range of mission sets. To date, S-AIS has successfully provided mission commanders with access to readily correlated information to support vessel identifi cation, behaviour patterns and more effective detection of non-transmitting targets.
Global MDA is increasingly a key strategic requirement for naval/ defence forces, coast guards, and port authorities who seek actionable intelligence and proactive security. These authorities have, in recent years, build a fused global maritime traffi c picture, but the advent of S-AIS increasingly offers them unprecedented opportunities to integrate data in a more timely and effective manner. In today’s climate of heightened security to protect national borders and waters, the pertinence and applicability of S-AIS cannot be under-estimated.
David Mugridge Maritime Security [email protected]
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MAGNUS PERSSONVP Operations, Saab TransponderTech
INTERVIEWINTERVIEW
“NAIS is one of the largest national“NAIS is one of the largest national AIS-based coastal surveillance AIS-based coastal surveillance systems ever to be deployed” systems ever to be deployed”
<< Saab recently successfully implemented National Automatic Identifi cation System (NAIS) network in India. In a tete`-a-tete´ with GeoIntelligence, Magnus Persson, VP Operations, Saab TransponderTech, talks about the critical role of geospatial intelligence in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), and what Saab is doing in this direction... ... >>
Q. How important, do you think, is the role of geospatial intelligence in surveillance today, especially, in maritime domain?
Geospatial intelligence is important in the maritime domain, since it is a reliable form of intelligence gathering. As it becomes easier to traverse borders, new challenges in the form of transnational threats, cross-border illicit trade and piracy, to name a few, have emerged. These sometimes go unnoticed, and at other times, it is too late. Constant physical/ manned surveillance of coasts is not possible, and requires a large investment in terms of manpower and resources. To neutralise threats, it is important that they are discovered before they become lethal. In this context, geospatial intelligence is critically important.
As more cost effective solutions and new technologies are developed and adopted, the importance of geospatial intelligence will increase. The maritime market has now become truly global and with technologies which connect the major ports and harbours in the world, a truly maritime geospatial solution can be designed.
Q. What kind of geospatial solutions do you provide in maritime sector?
Today, Saab TransponderTech delivers civil maritime traffi c surveillance solutions. Sensor fusion with radar, Automatic Identifi cation System (AIS) and camera solutions together with IHO S.63 charts forms a Recognized Maritime Picture (RMP). Different operations on RMP provides for monitoring, ship speed or course deviations and different types of behaviour detection. CoastWatch is a state-of-the-art surveillance system designed for accurate detection and fast response to suspicious behaviour, such as subversive activities, piracy, smuggling or illegal immigration. It also provides support for search-and-rescue operations, disaster-relief and environmental-protection operations.
Q. What solutions do you offer to India?
Saab TransponderTech offers an entire suite for AIS maritime picture with ambitions to expand this with radar and cameras, and possible other sensors, to form an even more detailed and sophisticated RMP for the coastal waters of India.
Q. You recently announced
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the customers were happy that the project was completed well within the time frame, considering the size and the technical complexities of the project. The customer’s comments and suggestions during the implementation phase were implemented as the project went along.
Q. Apart from NAIS, what other programmes are you currently involved with the Indian Navy/ Coast Guard?
NAIS is a project involving the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard as well. Beyond the functionality of the NAIS, several exploratory discussions are on to build on the platform created with this system.
Q. What next from Saab in this sector in the coming 10-20 years?
Saab is heavily involved in the European research project MONALISA. The future implementation of AIS 2.0 and MONALISA project involves dynamic and proactive routeing worldwide together with satellite based AIS. This new technology forms a truly global RMP and provides new set of operational requirements/ opportunities for merchant fl eets, advanced logistic chains and civil security. A truly positive identifi cation of all cooperating ships will leave a smaller number of vessels to inspect for suspicious behaviour.
<< NAIS gives India an AIS maritime picture
over the entire Indian coastline. Operators
can observe and make decisions in real-time in
the CoastWatch traffi c management system >>
successful implementation of National Automatic Identifi cation System (NAIS) network in India. Can you tell us about NAIS? What kind of challenges did you face in completing the project? How has been the response so far?
NAIS gives India an AIS maritime picture over the entire Indian coastline. Operators can observe and make decisions in real-time in the CoastWatch traffi c management system. NAIS is one of the largest national AIS-based coastal surveillance systems ever to be deployed. This is a standard product from Saab.
One of the main challenges was the WAN connections from remote locations, often in rural areas, where the AIS base stations are connected to the main control centres. This was solved with VSAT technology. Our Indian partner, Elcome Marine, did an excellent job to adapt standard VSAT technology to our system.
The response to the system has been very good. Representatives from the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) Offi ce have said that they are very pleased with the performance of the system. This project was done in collaboration with Elcome and
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COASTAL SECURITYCOASTAL SECURITYThe way aheadThe way ahead
he serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993, the infamous 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and the incidents of MVs Wisdom
and Pavit drifting undetected onto Juhu beach as well as the sinking of MV Rak off the coast of Mumbai reinforces the common understanding that the Indian coastline is vulnerable to foreign intrusions. On the other hand, however, MV Nafi s-I was detected and towed to Porbandar and handed over to the local authorities. This shows that there is a mix of failure and success in coastal surveillance. The Government of India has thus taken strong measures to rapidly improve the national coastal security architecture. These initiatives include:-
>> A tiered structure of coastal security involving the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Marine Police of the states and Union Territories (UTs).
>> The creation of a ‘National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security’ under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary
with representatives from all concerned ministries/ departments/ organsiations in the Government of India and the coastal states/ UTs.
>> Indian Navy, assisted by the Coast Guard, State Marine Police and other central and state agencies, was designated as the authority responsible for overall maritime security which includes coastal and offshore security.
>> Designation of the Flag Offi cer Commanding-in-Chief as the C-in-C Coastal Defence. Four Joint Operations Centres at Mumbai, Kochi, Vizag and Port Blair would be manned by the Coast Guard and the Navy with inputs from the concerned central and state agencies.
>> Designation of the Director General, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) as the Commander Coastal Command with responsibility for overall coordination between the central and state agencies in all matters relating to coastal security.
>> Creation of a 1,000 strong Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) with an initial force level of 95 Fast Interceptor
Crafts (FICs). The SPB is responsible for force protection, security of naval assets and co-located vulnerable areas and vulnerable points.
>> Creation of 73 coastal police stations, 97 check posts, 58 outposts and with assets comprising 120 (12 ton) and 84 (5 ton) boats, 10 infl atable boats, 153 Jeeps and 312 motor cycles. Manpower would be provided by the states/ UTs with training being undertaken by the ICG.
>> Procurement of 15 interceptor boats and establishment of three coast guard stations in the two states - Maharashtra and Gujarat. Nine additional coast guard stations on the western coastline of the country have been since approved.
>> A National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence Network (NC3I) for real-time maritime domain awareness linking the operations roomsof the Navy and the Coast Guard, both at the fi eld and the apex level.
>> A coastal surveillance network, to be implemented by the Ministry of Shipping, Road
<< It is no easy task to protect India’s coastal borders as it has a coastline measuring 7,517 kilometres. The challenge assumes even more signifi cance
given the fact that anti-Indian forces have tried and are trying to use waterways to spread terror in the country >>
frontier. The worrisome issues are four fold. First, the core issue of responsibility, accountability and authority where a single point contact is not clearly established. The Indian Navy is responsible for coastal security, the Indian Coast Guard is responsible for coordination between the Centre and states, the Ministry of Home Affairs (border management) and Ministry of Petroleum are responsible for fi nancial outlays, fi tment of AIS on fi shing craft is with the Department of Fisheries and the Ministry of Shipping is responsible for registration of all craft. In Sir Creek and Jakhau, both the Indian Coast Guard and the Border Security Force are deployed for surveillance and patrolling. Despite good intentions, it is a fact that accountability remains diffused.
The second issue is of operations. Whilst the surveillance infrastructure is professionally managed by the Coast Guard, operation of vessels and the equipment therein are with the state marine police trained by the Coast Guard.
The third issue is that of specifi cations for these GE
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>> The Registrar General of India (RGI) has been mandated to issue Multi-purpose National Identity Cards (MNICs) to the population in the coastal villages including fi shermen.
>> Standard operating procedures for all coastal States/ UTs have been fi nalised.
Post a vulnerability gap analysis carried out by the coastal states, Phase II of the Coastal Security Scheme would be implemented. The Phase II would see inclusion of another 131 marine police stations, 60 jetties, 10 marine operation centers, 180 (12 ton) boats, 35 RIBs (Rigid Infl atable Boats), 10 large vessels (A&N), 131 jeeps and 242 motorcycles added to the coastal security infrastructure. In addition, the Coast Guard Fleet of 15 Offshore Patrol Vessels, 15 Fast Patrol Vessels, 10 Inshore Patrol Vessels, 46 interceptor crafts and boats and a proposed doubling of force levels in the next 4-5 years would supplement the national effort of securing the coastal frontier.
From the foregoing, it is evident that a substantial investment has been made towards building a credible and deterrent security architecture to secure India’s coastal
Transport and Highways in coordination with the Coast Guard, consisting of a chain of static radar, Automatic Identifi cation System (AIS), electro-optic sensors VHF sets and Met equipment interfaced with the Vessel Traffi c Management Systems of major ports, Fishing Vessel Monitoring System, Long Range Identifi cation and Tracking (LRIT) and NC3I of the Indian Navy, to provide a single composite maritime coastal picture up to 25 NM at the Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi.
>> Installation of Vessel and Air Traffi c Management System for all offshore development areas by Ministry of Petroleum supported with Immediate Support Vessels for offshore security by Ministry of Petroleum and Indian Navy.
>> Ministry of Shipping has been mandated to streamline the process of compulsory registration of all vessels, and also to ensure fi tting/ provision of AIS on these boats.
>> Department of Fisheries to issue biometric ID cards to all fi shermen.
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sophisticated boats. For the 150 12-ton boats, under procurement by the MHA, the specifi cations for the propulsion package includes turbo-charged engines with electronic control, Twin Screw Arneson Surface Piercing Drive (ASD), auto pilot steering, Rolla propellers and reversible gear box-technologies that neither the Indian Navy or the Coast Guard has till date. The hull is single piece GRP mould-not the easiest to repair-and the electronics package includes a navigation radar with console, GPS, echo sounder, satellite communications, VHF sets and various electronic alarms.
The fourth issue is on the specifi cations for the coastal radar network and the maximum speed of the boats. The maximum range of the shore based radars and supporting electro-optics is only 24 NM and such radars can usually detect boats at no more than 10 NM which is not adequate to offer any gainful alert to the response forces. Also, the MHA boats have a minimum speed of 25 knots maintainable for about 30 minutes only. So, it is not clear how any apprehension can take place even after detection if the ingress speed is anything over a modest 20 knots. Hence, both surveillance and response equipments require review.
Whilst positive steps have been taken, some course corrections need to be considered. These include:-
>> The perception of duality of responsibility, accountability and authority must be removed which possibly arises from the designation of the Director General, ICG as the Commander Coastal Command and the FOC-in-C reduced to being C-in-C Coastal Defence.
>> For harbour and port security, ‘mounted’ sea marshals on new generation water crafts such as Jet Skis and high speed water scooters could be considered.
These assets should be owned and operated by the Coast Guard.
>> Modern sophisticated long range coastal surveillance requires a network of high frequency surface wave radars with ranges of 250-400 km, X Band Over the Horizon Radars with a range of 120 km, sophisticated image intensifi ers and hyper spectral imagery to enable 24x7 simultaneous staring surveillance of the Indian EEZ is now mandated. These assets should be owned and operated by the Indian Navy.
>> Build-up maritime air surveillance through extensive use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These assets would be owned and operated by the Navy but the data would be shared with the ICG.
>> Amphibious aircraft combine the capabilities of rapid surveillance and prompt response, whether for relief or arrest, meeting both constabulary and benign missions in a single platform and is thus a veritable force multiplier for the Navy.
>> Rapidly build-up a rapid reaction force of 900 fast interceptor crafts to protect 200 ports and a mainland coastline of 5,422 km. For the islands which have a total coastline of 2,094 km about
120 fast interceptor boats in the A&N island chain and about 90 fast interceptor boats in the Lakshwadeep Islands would be required. All these boats would be owned, operated and maintained by the ICG.
>> Semi-submersibles and remote underwater vehicles are threats looming on the horizon, having proved quite successful in Sri Lanka. Harbours need to be protected against such craft and this requires diver detection sonars, very high defi nition radars, image intensifi ed optics, electronic support measures for interception of mobile and VHF data and voice communications, remotely operated underwater physical/ electric fi eld barriers and a command and control system with heuristic capabilities. Therefore, the future requires a sophisticated and networked multi-spectral data fusion command and control engine which enables real-time maritime domain awareness.
In conclusion, the foregoing clearly establishes that giant strides have been made by the Government of India in making coastal security a national success. However, neither the government nor its agencies can rest on their oars as the future may open up new threats and provide better opportunity to an attacker and enhanced challenges for a defender in achieving their respective objectives. The administrative skill required is to outthink the innovative ingenuity of an attacker and thwart his evil plans through continuous improvements in leadership, organisation and coordination, induction of topical technology and apposite equipment and engendering a well-trained, motivated and committed work force.
<< Neither the government nor its
agencies can rest on their oars as the future
may open up new threats and provide
better opportunity to an attacker in achieving his
objectives >>
Cmde Sujeet Samaddar (Retd)[email protected]
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NOVEMBER
Global MilSatCom 2012November 27 - 29, 2012London, UKwww.smi-online.co.uk
DECEMBER
I/ITSEC 2012December 3 - 6, 2012Orlando, FloridaUSAwww.iitsec.org
Software Defi ned Radio Europe 2012December 4 - 6, 2012 Meliá Galgos, MadridSpainwww.sdreurope.com
Armoured Vehicles NordicDecember 11 - 13, 2012Oslo, Norwaywww.armouredvehiclesnordic.com
JANUARY 2013
DGI 2013January 21 - 23, 2013QEII Conference CentreLondon, UKwww.dgieurope.com
Soldier Technology USA 2013 January 28 - 31, 2013Marriott Gateway
Crystal City, USwww.wbresearch.com
FEBRUARY
International Armoured Vehicles 2013February 5 - 8, 2013 Farnborough, UKwww.internationalarmouredvehicles.com
Aero India 2013February 6 - 10, 2013Air Force Station YelahankaBengaluru, Indiawww.aeroindia.in
Marine West 2013February 13 - 14, 2013 Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton CA, USAwww.marinemilitaryexpos.com/marine-west.shtml
IDEX 2013February 17 - 21, 2013ADNECAbu Dhabi, UAEwww.idexuae.ae
Fourth International Missile Defense (BMD) Conference and ExhibitionFebruary 26, 2013 Airport City, Israelwww.technologies.co.il
Underwater Defence and Security 2013February 26 – 27, 2013
Royal Navy Dockyard Portsmouth, UKwww.underwater-defence-security.com
Avalon 2013 Australian International AirshowFebruary 26 – March 1, 2013 Geelong Airport, VictoriaAustraliawww.airshow.com.au/airshow2013/index.html
MARCH
Heli Expo 2013March 4 - 7, 2013 Las Vegas, NevadaUSwww.rotor.com/Events/HELIEXPO2013.aspx
LIMA 2013 – International Maritime & Aerospace ExhibitionMarch 26 - 30, 2013Langkawi. Malaysiawww.lima.com.my
APRIL
Global Security Asia 2013 April 2 - 4, 2013 Sands Expo & Convention CenterSingaporewww.globalsecasia.com
LAAD 2013 April 9 - 12, 2013 Riocentro, Rio De Janeiro, Brazilhttp://laadexpo.com.br/english
Offshore Patrol & Security 2013 April 23 - 25, 2013 Old DockyardPortsmouth,UK www.offshore-patrol-security.com
Counter Terror Expo 2013 April 24 - 25, 2013Olympia Expo CenterLondon, UKwww.counterterrorexpo.com
SPIE Defense & Security 2013 April 29 – May 3, 2013Baltimore Convention CenterBaltimore, MarylandUnited Stateshttp://spie.org/x6776.xml
Events
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he ever increasing threat from the sea has necessitated strengthening of our coastal security
mechanism. There is an urgent need to keep our vast maritime zones under effective round-the-year surveillance by utilising all the assets at our disposal.
To appreciate the quantum of problems faced by the security agencies in maritime domain, one needs to visualise the mercantile traffi c transiting through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) or approaching the Indian Coast. Approximately one lakh ships transit through the IOR annually. This includes 66 per cent of the world’s oil traffi c, 33 per cent of the bulk cargo and 50 per cent of the container shipments. Within this world wide fl ow of maritime trade, Indian maritime trade forms a signifi cant part of the IOR fl ow. With 618 ships and 6.5 million (approx.) Gross Register Tonnage (GRT), the Indian foreign trade transacted over sea is 90 per cent by volume and 77 per cent by value.
<< 26/11 Mumbai attacks in India demonstrated that the threat from sea is real. There is thus a need to maintain continuous vigil at the waters and detect threats before they cross the borders. One of the country’s premier DRDO laboratory, Centre for Artifi cial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) is working in this direction… >>
The high traffi c density in the IOR and the traffi c that approaches to the Indian coast is further increased due to the presence of fi shing vessels and dhows. India has more than three lakh registered fi shing vessels with an approximate annual catch of eight million tons. Also there is a large amount of dhow traffi c. The high density of merchant traffi c in our area of interest has made vessel identifi cation one of the biggest problems in maritime reconnaissance. This is further complicated because of factors like maritime terrorism, piracy, traffi cking (drugs, human) and gun running.
To safeguard the maritime domain and specifi cally the approaches to the Indian Coast, it is important that the various security agencies, in the effective discharge of their responsibility in respect of maritime and coastal security, must have enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) of the IOR. To meet the same, Indian maritime stakeholders have entered/ are entering into partnerships for
information exchange using online information exchange portals with regional navies having substantial presence in the IOR or the countries straddling the entrance gateways of the Indian Ocean. Other multiple initiatives are underway to enhance the situational awareness and strengthen the coastal security like National Automatic Identifi cation System (NAIS) Chain, Long Range Identifi cation and Tracking (LRIT) and Static Sensor Chain by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
All these initiatives cater for commercial vessels or the vessels with capacity of 300 GRT and above. The identifi cation and tracking of traditional fi shing boats and sub 20 meter vessels are not accounted in these initiatives. To fi ll this gap, Indigenous AIS (IAIS) is being developed which targets vessels with size < 20 m or gross weight < 300 GRT. The IAIS is a Mobile SATCOM Services (MSS) based tracking system fi tted on vessels for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with SATCOM based AIS Management System (SAMS) running at a central hub. SAMS in turn passes this information to a Central Control Station (CCS). Information such as vessels unique identifi cation, position, course and speed are displayed on a screen at the CCS. IAIS information helps to isolate unknown or suspect vessel by correlating it with radar information. SAMS also provides value added information from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS),
SURVEILLANCE
Track management inTrack management in GIS for maritime securityGIS for maritime security
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regarding Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ), sea states and ocean weather information, etc. to the registered vessels installed with the IAIS terminal.
In view of the above requirement, maritime situation awareness system is being developed for generating a combined synthetic operational picture with feeds from various sensors like radars, electro optic sensors, MET sensors, AIS, IAIS and underwater sensors. This facilitates sharing of information for the generation of Common Operational Picture (COP) among the various nodes across the hierarchical echelons and among various maritime stakeholders. The system enables the maritime security agencies for early detection and monitoring of unregistered or suspicious vessels operating in a given controlled area of the country’s coastal waters with minimal operator’s intervention.
GIS for MDAGIS is a crucial component of any maritime system since it enables the user to view the COP, assess the current operational scenario, grasp the situation and quickly act upon it. Here the main function of the GIS is to display tracks and alerts
with S57/ S63 charts as underlay using S-52 display libraries. The other functionality of GIS includes fi ltering, object selection, overlay management, spatial queries and geodesic and geometrical calculations.
The design of the GIS system decouples the rendering module and other GUI components from the GIS engine. This gives the fl exibility of integrating the GIS engine to any other suitable rendering system and GUI packages. The GIS engine performs the core function of managing layers and features, datum, projections, spatial query, etc. The rendering system displays the GIS information to the user on a suitable graphical user interface. The important modules are shown in the Figure 1.
The application is designed
to handle a large number of targets captured by sensors and communication systems. Even though the system is capable of processing large number of targets in the background, displaying targets every second in the graphics view is a compute resource intensive task. Hence multiple performance enhancement techniques have been employed to meet the performance requirements while processing, managing and displaying a large number of tracks on the GIS. Further, area based and speed based clusters have been implemented to improve the visualisation and make the presentation more user friendly. The following challenges were observed:
Extrapolation performance
The refresh rate of tracks perceived by the user is different and higher than the track update frequency of various sensors. To achieve the continuous visualisation, tracks are extrapolated based on the previous parameters such as speed, course, last-position and time. It was observed that at higher zoom out, the tracks with very low speeds do not change the position signifi cantly enough and do not require a redraw.
Speed based clustering
Speed based clustering of the tracks is envisaged to reduce the overhead of computing too many extrapolations. To reduce the extrapolation overhead of CPU, we maintain a cluster of tracks based on speed of the tracks. For example, Figure 1: GIS system modules
<< Maritime situation awareness system is being developed for generating a combined synthetic
operational picture with feeds from various sensors. This facilitates sharing of information for the generation of Common Operational Picture >>
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a track with higher speed such as air tracks needs to be extrapolated at faster rate whereas a submarine track which runs at slower speed are extrapolated at slower interval without any perceptible loss of accuracy. Further, even if we use a highly accurate geodesic algorithm for the extrapolation of track, the accuracy is lost during world-coordinate to device-coordinate conversion. Hence, for the extrapolation of tracks, two types of geodesic algorithms are to be used:
Spherical extrapolate: Thisextrapolate uses the spherical earth model which consumes less CPU resources, but it provides reduced accuracy. When the required level of detail is less (that is, if the tracks are to be extrapolated only for drawing on the GIS), then the spherical extrapolate is used.
Ellipsoid extrapolate: The ellipsoid extrapolate is used for highly accurate calculations
based on the WGS84 (World Geodesic System) ellipsoid model, but it consumes more CPU resources. Hence, whenever a user is examining the tracks in detail (which are fewer in number), the ellipsoid extrapolate algorithm is used.
However, periodically the ellipsoid extrapolate algorithm is applied to all tracks to remove the accumulated error generated by the spherical extrapolate.
Track symbol performance
The system draws each target on the screen at frequent intervals, that is, refresh rate defi ned by the user. For example, every second for surface tracks and 100 milliseconds for air tracks. The track symbols are vector images consisting of, on average, 10-15 lines. The symbols are to be represented on the screen with a correct orientation with respect to its course; so all the symbols need to be rotated before displaying them. This introduces an additional overhead of rotating the track symbols. Similarly, displaying text labels for each track introduces a lot of overheads. This reduces the overall system performance.
Look-up table: The rotation of track symbols requires multiplication by trigonometric functions. Instead of rotating the symbols at run time, the system stores the rotated symbols between zero and 359 degrees in a lookup table in the memory. Similarly, the trigonometric functions that are extensively used by extrapolation function are evaluated for various parameter values and these computed values are stored in an indexed memory.
Cluttered display
If within a small geographical area, the concentration of tracks is high, then the display becomes cluttered
Figure 2: Track display after zoom In
Figure 2: Track display after zoom out
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and it is diffi cult to distinguish the tracks. The display becomes further cluttered due to rendering of the track history and track labels. If the number of tracks is very large then this overlapping is so extensive that the user is not able to identify tracks. Therefore, it was noted that even after carrying out resource intensive processing to display all tracks, the user does not get any benefi t from this visualisation.
Keeping in view the above observations, the following design is being used to handle millions of tracks effi ciently:
Area based clustering: To reduce the cluttering on the screen and display the large number of tracks in a small geographical area, we use the technique called clustering. In this technique, the tracks are grouped into a single icon when the number of tracks within an area is greater than a certain threshold. This benefi ts the user by removing the excessive clutter and displaying the information in a more comprehensive manner. The clustering also reduces the number of objects to be drawn on the screen resulting in a drastic improvement in performance. With experimentation and prototyping, we have found that by using clustering we can extrapolate and draw one million tracks within 1.5 seconds. This includes the cluster creation time also. This result was calculated by using only area based cluster. The combination of both area and speed based cluster further improves the performance.
Future work – Decision support system
At a particular node, the track data received from various sensors (radar, sonar and comint, etc.) is processed and verifi ed against data inputs from the AIS/ IAIS receivers for identifi cation. The data from all these sensors is fused to generate the situational awareness picture. The situational awareness picture generated at a node is shared among the multiple nodes to generate the COP. Given the vast amount of data which is generated using multiple sensors, it is humanly impossible to detect the suspicious objects on COP. Hence the system uses various self learning artifi cial intelligence (AI) algorithms to detect the variance from the regular patterns and detect the anomalies/ irregularities that occur in the domain. The
Figure 3 : Track display after track clustering
Vinay Aggarwal Scientist ‘D’, [email protected]
<< The system uses various self learning AI algorithms to detect the variance from the regular patterns and identify anomalies. The precision for
the alarms raised is improved using the information extracted by investigating the behaviour over both
space and time for individual objects >>
precision for the alarms raised is improved using the information extracted by investigating the behaviour over both space and time for individual objects.
The system maintains a knowledge base of the normal course of events extracted from the track data received over a period. System operates autonomously, fi nds objects that do not behave according to what is considered normal, raises the alarm for the detected anomalies and highlights the same to the user to enable effective and timely action using the limited human resources optimally.
Pankaj K TiwariScientist ‘C’, [email protected]
he ninth edition of the annual geoint conference, GeoInt Symposium 2012, was held from October
8 to 11, in Orlando, Florida, USA. Organised by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), the theme of this year’s conference was “Creating the Innovation Advantage.” A total of 4,300 attendees registered for the
CONFERENCE REPORT
to focus on ‘things we don’t have’ in the current economic climate. Instead, the purpose of the event was to focus on things we do have, namely innovation. “Innovation is at the forefront of everyone’s mind,” he added. “A relentless collaboration forged by USGIF and GeoInt on behalf of the nation’s intelligence community will leverage the community’s energy, dedication and innovation to GE
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event including 264 representatives from 23 countries.
Welcoming the record number of attendees to the conference, K. Stuart Shea, Chairman and CEO, USGIF, said that this represents the growing need for ‘actionable intelligence’ around the world. Talking about how the theme for this year’s event was selected, Shea said that usually the tendency is
The four-day GeoInt Symposium 2012 was held at the US recently and was attended by prominent defence experts and
technocrats from around the world
improve our ability to react to the numerous and serious threats worldwide.”
Intelligence integration is the key
James R. Clapper, Jr., Director of National Intelligence, USA, who delivered the keynote address at the opening session, noted that geointelligence has rapidly matured from modest beginnings, and is focussed on bringing together industry, academia and the broadening national intelligence community. Clapper described intelligencer as a combination of ‘science and art’ and said that, as Director, his primary focus was to emphasise intelligence integration. While intelligence would never achieve perfection, Clapper believed that better integration would ultimately lead to ‘truth’ in intelligence operations.
He also stated the value of collaboration in solving seemingly intractable problems. Another major focus of his talk was on ‘Multi-Int,’ or the better integration of various intelligence domains to achieve heightened agility in responding to issues facing the intelligence community as a whole.
Recent egregious security leaks would also remain high on the national security agenda, according to the Director. He mentioned increased security auditing, better polygraph screening for those positions requiring such measures, and pursuing leaks more aggressively as ways to mitigate security breaches. He noted that security is ultimately based on levels of trust and that violations are likely not be completely eliminated.
During his address, he also stated that while signifi cant accomplishments in the intelligence community have been made, perfect security is a quest and not a reality.
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NGA shows the way
Letitia A. Long, Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), articulated the agency’s mission and role in bringing terrorists to justice and in supporting troops in the fi eld, among various other activities. She also listed three primary goals of current efforts to improve the way NGA is seeking to streamline data access and improving content: easier overall access to content, providing access in an open environment, and creating new value for users.
Stressing upon the importance of making NGA products, data and knowledge ‘easily usable,’ she said that the agency is 40 per cent of the way towards making its data ‘smart’ or service enabled. The goal is to achieve 100 per cent by July 2013. Benchmarks would include elimination of redundancy (ideally only one copy of everything), all data smart/ service enabled, completely catalogued and supported by OGC standards. Overall, the burden on geospatial data analysts would be greatly reduced, with more availability for use rather than analysis, she added. A major
development resides in the effort to establish an open IT environment under the title of Intelligence Community IT Enterprise, or ICITE. ICITE (‘eyesight’), a common desktop environment, would have 2,000 users by March 2013 and over 60,000 users by March 2014, according to Long.
The ‘smart enabled’ system would allow users to fi nd relevant data and get to applications across entities in a common cloud-based infrastructure. Furthermore, users would be able to serve themselves, doing “what they need to do,” she said. She also urged users to share any improvements or additions to NGA data. By sharing and incorporating these improvements and additions into NGA’s hosted data, the agency would be better able to provide enhanced benefi ts to the intelligence community, she added.
As an example of what the benefi ts of a ‘self service’ environment might look like, Long referred to recent experience involving Hurricane Isaac. She described how no hard copies were issued and how FEMA was able to reduce response time from a typical four to fi ve weeks to 24 to 48 hours. A signifi cant
part of this trend is a new array of applications created by NGA. Long urged outside developers to create additional applications with NGA data so that eventually fully 75 per cent of all applications are created outside the agency. The reason for this goal is simple, she said: innovation. More and better uses for data would arise from the innovative efforts of developers outside the agency, which would enable more focus on internal activities, such as enhanced training of analysts. She said that a competition model based on use rates and user ratings would determine which applications would be effective.
Long concluded by emphasising the importance of the open IT approach. She referred to NGA’s Integrated Working Groups currently involved in a variety of research activities aimed at increasing interaction,
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promoting the multi-int perspective, experimenting with new ways to solve problems, pushing integration and maximising the talents of analysts and developers. NGA’s vision is an Integrated Analytic Environment (IAE), web browser based, with content in place and a myriad of applications available from a ‘store.’
There are challenges, she noted, most related to entrenched culture and an unwillingness to consider different perspectives. Synchronisation of content is also a hurdle, but Long expressed confi dence in the capabilities and enthusiasm of members in the geospatial intelligence community to successfully overcome these obstacles.
A glimpse into the UK Joint Forces Command
Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sir Stuart Peach provided an interesting glimpse into the organisation he commands, the Joint Forces Command (JFC) of the United Kingdom.
Describing the JFC as ‘an idea of its time,’ ACM Peach termed it a one-stop intelligence command and characterised his leadership role as one of ‘smashing things together’ to achieve effi ciencies. He said that geography underpins
decision making in the fi eld, and that puts a premium on thinking about how to fi ght in future. Peach advised attendees not to expect that future battlefi elds would look like Afghanistan. Anticipating the future – and future battlegrounds – is certainly a challenge, but one that intelligence agencies, including the JFC, must address carefully and thoroughly. “We are at a culmination point of geography,” he said, “and we have to maintain an edge in foundation data.” Accuracy is vital to our ability to best carry out our missions.
Peach cautioned that technology products must be put in the context of a person, organisation or nation that is using them to make decisions in order to be maximally effective. Offering an example of his organisation’s role in supporting operations around Libya, Peach said that they had to create products relevant to the unique needs of users in that theater when it was not a priority. Requested by the UN to provide support in Libya when primary organisational focus was elsewhere, the JFC was able to respond quickly. That capability, he said, was based on preparatory exercises in a variety of areas.
He cited several lessons learned in that example, in addition to other experiences, including Afghanistan. Peach referred to an ‘embarrassment of riches’ in technology deployed in Afghanistan that suddenly was required to be focused on Libya. Responding to such situations requires an ability to “pay attention, everywhere – somehow.”
Another recent event challenged the capabilities of the JFC – the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Peach noted that over two years of preparation was required to pull together a “rainbow coalition” of intelligence and other agencies, including the Ordnance Survey of the UK. An important takeaway
from the Olympic experience was a deeper understanding of the role of social media, especially in advance of the event. In Afghanistan, Peach explained, the role of historical geography really came to the fore. An analysis of where opponents had fought from, lived and travelled 150 years ago, revealed basically the same patterns today. For example, places where ambushes occurred in 1842 are still suitable in 2012, so a good grasp of human geography is vital for understanding the complete picture. As Peach put it, we need to “turn mapping into predictions.” Understanding where and how people live can reduce civilian casualties, which is a strategic issue.
Calling for more geoint thinking beyond intelligence, Peach stressed the need for aligning policy and capability development in a coordinated way that reduces duplication. “We need to root out those who rely on outdated policies,” he said. In an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, fl exibility is paramount, and the need for sharing data to protect national assets has never been greater., he added. The next edition of Geoint Symposium will be held from October 13 to 16, 2013.
Penman R. Gilliam receives Lundahl Lifetime Achievement Award
Penman R. Gilliam was awarded the 2012 Arthur C. Lundahl Lifetime Achievement Award during the GEOINT 2012 Symposium. According to USGIF, Gilliam was recognised for laying the foundation of the digital innovations that drive the GEOINT tradecraft today.
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Tension between Israel and Palestine escalated recently when Israel launched its military offensive against Gaza killing Ahmed Jabari, commander of Hamas’s military wing. Israel also subsequently announced the launch of Operation Pillar of Defence, which it said was meant to protect its civilians from rockets and mortars fi red by militants in Gaza. The government maintains that besides protecting its citizens, the Operation’s purpose is to “cripple the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza”. Meanwhile, Hamas, which came to power in Gaza in 2007, is reported to have said that Jabari’s assassination has “opened the gates of hell”. Even though the two countries have so far exchanged hundreds of aerial bombardments, international pressure led by the Egypt has forced the two to accept the ceasefi re. But the question that everyone is asking is, ‘How long would this truce last?’
Text courtesy: BBC
The fragile peace agreement?
The map shows areas where bombardments have resulted in destruction to property and loss of human lives
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