Homeland Security News » Maritime Security

Maritime Domain Awareness Conference, 20 - 21 June 2011, London

Daniel — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:33:59 +0000

SMi are delighted to invite you to attend our 2nd annual Maritime Domain Awareness conference, held in London on the 20th – 21st June 2011, Crowne Plaza – The City Hotel.

In a time where Naval Forces around the world are facing budget constraints and piracy continues to plague all corners of the globe; it is vital to maximise co-operation between maritime authorities and private industry in order to create enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness.

Maritime Domain Awareness 2011 will feature an exceptional line-up of keynote speakers, thought-provoking presentations exploring multiple MarSec threats and the chance to network with key professionals from within the maritime community. Make sure you don’t miss this opportunity and register today

Hear from our industry-leading keynote addresses:

Rear Admiral Charles W. Martoglio, Chief of Staff, HQ U.S. European Command
Rear Admiral Cristiano Aliperta, Head of Safety Navigation Department, Italian Coast Guard
Colonel Richard Spencer OBE, Chief of Staff, EU NAVAL FORCE
Vice Admiral (Ret’d) Fernando Del Pozo, Maritime Surveillance Wise Pen Team, European Defence Agency

Speaker presentations will also cover key topics including: The Fight against Piracy in the Somali Basin; Maritime Domain Awareness and Italian Coast Guard Operations; National Maritime Intelligence Centre; Maritime Force Protection and Counter Piracy; Towards a European Maritime Security Strategy; Maritime Domain Awareness in the Port of London; Examining the Legal Issues Arising from Piracy.

For more information and to register visit: www.mda-security.co.uk or contact Steven Myers: smyers@smi-online.co.uk / +44 (0)20 7827 6090

Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. Awarded $500,000 Contract for Port Security by US Navy

Daniel — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 10:57:04 +0000

Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. (AMEX:IDN), a provider of identity technology, access control and wireless security solutions, has been awarded approximately $500,000 of additional R&D funding for the Company’s Floating Area Network (FAN) technology and Littoral Sensor Grid (LSG) wireless security buoy project by US Navy.
The wireless security buoys provide a high-capacity sensor and communications network that provides real-time monitoring and reporting of littoral marine environments. The project’s key focus is anti-terrorism, with sensors integrated into the network to provide an outer perimeter early warning capability. As a secondary function, the buoys measure and report critical water quality factors that affect fragile marine ecosystems.

Resolution Recognizes Israel’s Undeniable Right to Defend Itself Against Security Threats

Daniel — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:54:08 +0000

In recognition of the State of Israel as a strong and steadfast ally to the United States, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a resolution to express the sense of the Senate that Israel has an undeniable right to self-defense and to condemn the recent destabilizing actions by terrorist operatives and extremists aboard the Mavi Marmara.

Mavi Marmara Photo, Courtesy of IsraelPictures.org

Senator Cornyn said:

“Every country has a right to defend itself, and Israel is no different. The flotilla was a disgraceful and premeditated attempt to provoke a violent confrontation with Israel, hidden under the cloak of a humanitarian relief effort. This type of despicable conduct must be condemned and I hope my colleagues will join me in cosponsoring this important resolution to help remind the world that the United States stands with Israel.”

On May 28th, 2010, the “Free Gaza” flotilla, sponsored by a Turkish organization and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which included the Mavi Marmara and five other ships, departed from a Turkish port and sailed towards Israel’s defensive naval blockade of Gaza. On May 31st, 2010, after repeated Israeli calls to turn around or be peacefully escorted to a port outside of Gaza, the Israeli Navy intercepted the Mavi Marmara 75 miles west of Haifa, Israel, to maintain the integrity of blockade and prevent the potential smuggling of arms and other materials to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Upon boarding, the Mavi Marmara passengers brutally and violently attacked members of the Israeli Navy with knives, clubs, pipes, and other weapons. Israelis used lethal force in self-defense and killed nine attackers.

Senator Cornyn’s resolution places these events in their historical and strategic context. Since 2001, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations have fired more than 10,000 rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel, which killed at least 18 Israelis and wounded dozens more. Currently, approximately 860,000 Israeli civilians—more than 12 percent of Israel’s total population resides within range of the rockets fired from Gaza. In 2007, Israel put in place a legitimate and justified blockade of Gaza out of concern for the safety of its citizens, which has been effective in reducing the firing of rockets from Gaza into southern Israel.

Senator Cornyn’s resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that Israel has an undeniable right to defend itself against any threat to its security. Senator Cornyn’s resolution also makes clear that recent criticism of Israel at the United Nations undermines Israel’s inherent right to self-defense, compromises its sovereignty, and helps legitimize Hamas.

Cruise Ship Security: Some Concerns Remain

Daniel — Sat, 15 May 2010 19:12:10 +0000

Over 9 million passengers departed from U.S. ports on cruise ships in 2008. Cruise ships are attractive terrorist targets and GAO (United States Government Accountability Office) has made an assessment of risks associated with cruise ships and measures to prevent terror attacks.

Here are the report’s conclusions:

Given the number of passengers that travel on cruise ships each year and the attractiveness of these vessels as terrorist targets, it is important that the risk to cruise ships is assessed and actions are taken to help ensure the security of these ships and their facilities. Federal agencies and maritime security stakeholders, including cruise lines, have implemented various measures to better secure cruise ships and their facilities. As examples, the Coast Guard provides escorts for cruise ships to prevent waterside attacks and CBP screens passengers using manifest data to prevent terrorists from boarding cruise ships. Although these measures have been implemented and there has been no recent credible terrorist threat against cruise ships, this does not preclude the possibility of such an incident occurring in the future, particularly given the existence of terrorist groups that have the capability to attack a cruise ship. Moreover, the President’s 2010 memorandum directing DHS to aggressively pursue enhanced screening efforts further underscores the potential importance of this type of security action. By conducting a study to determine whether requiring cruise lines to provide automated Passenger Name Record data on a systematic basis is cost effective and addresses privacy implications, CBP would be in a better position to determine whether additional actions should be taken to augment security through enhanced screening of cruise ship passengers.

Click here to view full version of the report.

Click here to view coming maritime security events.

Commercial Vessels Should Arm Themselves to Combat Piracy

Daniel — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:06:02 +0000

Navy Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald, commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa and of NATO’s Allied Joint Task Force Command Naples, suggested that commercial vessels should arm themselves when traveling through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast. told Pentagon reporters that the scope of the piracy problem is too great to be policed by military vessels alone. Fitzgerald, a top Navy commander, told that the scope of the piracy problem is too great to be policed by military vessels alone.

“We could put a World War II fleet of ships out there,” Fitzgerald said, referring to the Gulf of Aden and the Mozambique Channel off the Indian coast, “and we still wouldn’t be able to cover the whole ocean.”

On an average day, 30 to 40 ships comprising international maritime forces monitor pirate activity in the Somali basin and the western Indian Ocean, Fitzgerald said, adding that five to 10 of these ships at any given time are American vessels.

Another issue, the admiral said, is what to do with pirates who are captured. The international community, he explained, has not yet answered the question of how to bring to justice pirates captured at sea. This issue has come to the fore with the recent capture of five suspected pirates by the crew of the USS Nicholas in the Indian Ocean west of the Seychelles.

“Catch and release is not a very good option,” Fitzgerald said. “How do we deal with this? We’ve got to come to some kind of solution.”

“Commercial ships should take appropriate protections,” Admiral Fitzgerald added, “because we cannot offer 100-percent guarantees of protection as the ships go through.”

Photo by PhotoStudio.org

Due to the intricacies of international law, ship security guards do not always carry weapons. Israeli practice of placing armed security teams on commercial vessel proved the most successful today. Israeli maritime security teams find themselves in high demand due to their experience, reputation and military training.

Shortage of Helium 3 Stalls Nuclear Detection in US Ports

Daniel — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:00:06 +0000

A program to detect plutonium and uranium in US ports has stalled because the US has run out of Helium 3. Helium 3 is a light non-radioactive isotope of helium that is formed when tritium decays. Helium 3 is a crucial raw material for the screening machines that were to be utilized in shipping ports for the detection of nuclear weapons.

GateKeeper USA, Inc., a Maryland company developing proprietary detection and identification technologies for the maritime container industry, announced that it is unaffected by the recent shortage of Helium 3:

“The shortage of Helium 3 does not have any effect on GateKeeper USA’s CAMS devices ability to detect radiation, as GateKeeper USA is not reliant on this antiquated method of detection.”

Maritime Security Market: Good prospects for Asia Pacific

Daniel — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:24:50 +0000

A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Asia Pacific Maritime Security Market Assessment, finds that Asia Pacific maritime security market reached revenues of over $5.1 billion in 2008. The Frost report forecasts Asia Pacific maritime security markett will grow to $9.8 billion by 2015. The market covers the maritime security and seaport security sectors.

Frost & Sullivan Consultant Amartya De says:

Growth of the overall Asia Pacific seaport security market, comprising of port, container, and ship security is pegged at a CAGR of 9 percent between 2009 and 2015. The maritime security and the total seaport security market accounts for about 10.6 percent and 13.4 percent respectively in homeland security spending in the Asia Pacific region. Lack of coordination among government agencies in the implementation of security measures and the scattering of funds among government and semi-government agencies have diluted efforts and as a result, accountability has been compromised. However, governments in the region are taking positive steps to ensure that their homeland security (HLS) agencies work in a cohesive manner.

Homeland Security Market Research Review

Daniel — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:57:47 +0000

We present here the latest market reports covering the wide scope of markets and technologies related to homeland security:

U.S. Airport Security Screening Markets Report covers the inspection and detection technology used to screen checked baggage, carry-on baggage, passengers and air cargo.
Publisher: Frost & Sullivan
U.S. Handheld and Trace Explosives Detection Market
This research service explores the handheld and trace explosives detection market. The study is segmented to analyze handheld detection, desktop detection, and research and development opportunities across the U.S. DoD, DHS, and commercial markets.
Publisher: Frost & Sullivan
Global Homeland Security 2009-2019 - examines one of the defence industry’s newest and most promising sectors. Governmental spending on products and services for homeland security should reach $141.6bn worldwide in 2009.
Publisher: Visiongain
IED Defence Market 2009-2018 - Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are a significant threat in many conflict zones, most notably in Afghanistan and Iraq currently. Those makeshift bombs can be presented surreptitiously and used without warning, to devastating effect, especially against patrolling troops. Main threats take the form of roadside bombs, car bombs and suicide bombing. The IED countermeasures and defence market is an important defence sector that will exhibit significant growth over the coming years, as this new visiongain defence report shows.
Publisher: Visiongain
Maritime Security Market Assessment - European Union -
The European Union Maritime Security Market is set to decline from 2008 to 2015. The ports and ships have upgraded their security systems in 2004 keeping in line with the International Ships and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) regulations formulated by the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations.
Publisher: Frost & Sullivan
European First Responders C3I Market Assessment - The European first responders’ C3I market is undergoing a shift in the adoption of new technologies that link legacy systems as well as implement next-generation solutions. With increasing public and private initiatives, the growth opportunity is immense in this market. This study on the first responders’ C3I market primarily focuses on the command and control (C2), communications and intelligence used by first responders (law enforcement, fire brigade and emergency medical response teams) only and does not take into account C3I systems used by the military, paramilitary, border control, maritime security, airport and port security or other groups.
Publisher: Frost & Sullivan
Border Security Market Assessment - European Union - Border Security Market is gaining significance at the wake of stringent immigration laws being drafted by the European Union and all countries across Europe are implementing biometric passport process. The surveillance technology segment is gaining importance as more countries are opting for state of the art UAVs in border surveillance. The major technologies identified as having the greatest potential to enhance security are biometrics, explosive (and other) detection/screening systems, closed-circuit television, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Publisher: Frost & Sullivan

Maritime Security Court in Acco

Daniel — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:32:57 +0000

In the Crusader period (12-13 centuries) here was the center of Royal Cathena Quarter, the probable site of the Court of Khan which judged on the matters of maritime security and commerce.

The Acre Port came under the Rashidun Caliphate from 638, the Umayyad Caliphate and the Abbasid Caliphate until its capture by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1104 in the First Crusade. The Crusaders made the Acre their chief port in Palestine. It was re-taken by Saladin in 1187, besieged by Guy of Lusignan in 1189 at the Siege of Acre, and again captured by Richard I of England in 1191. It then became the capital of the remnant of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1192. In 1229 it was placed under the control of the Knights Hospitaller. The Crusaders called the city “Acre” or “Saint-Jean d’Acre” since they mistakenly identified it with the Philistine city of Ekron, in northern Philistia, now southern Israel. It was the final stronghold of the Crusader state, and fell to the Mameluks of the Ayyubid Sultanate in a bloody siege in 1291.

Maritime Security Market on Rise

Daniel — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:56:42 +0000

Waterways and ports are absolutely important to both international security and national defense, and in the wake of Mumbai terror attack and recent increased pirate activity their security has become a major concern. Seaports and waterways are vulnerable due to their large area, combination of water and land perimeter, intensive ship traffic, and close proximity to city infrastructure. Ports and waterways are loopholes for smuggling weapons, dangerous materials, drugs and illegal immigrants.

According to statistical data collected by the American Association of Port Authorities, about fifteen US seaports handle most of the country’s imports and exports, representing over $1.3 billion worth of goods moving in and out of US ports daily. The US major ports are critical for moving over 99% of the country’s international trade by volume and 61% by value. About 2 billion tons of cargo are moved annually and this volume is expected to double in the next 15 years. Worldwide, there are 3,000 ports employing millions of workers that handle 40,000 ships transporting billions of dollars of cargo every day.

Congress and the administration have been active, through legislation, presidential directives, and international agreements, in enhancing maritime security. Key agencies such as the Coast Guard, the Customs and Border Patrol, and the Transportation Security Administration have been reorganized under the Department of Homeland Security and tasked with strengthening seaport security. The Department of Homeland Defense has spent $28 billion over the 22-month period ended in August 2006 on security-related goods and services in all areas including seaport security while issuing more than 115,000 contracts.

A global recession will drastically effect maritime industry but economy slowdown will not ease any of counter-terror security issues threatening the maritime industry and the movement of cargo in international trade. Recession or not, U.S. Coast Guard crews will get the 45-foot Response Boat and the 24-foot Special Purpose Craft with enhanced capabilities for maritime security missions.