Civilian Earth Observation Satellites for Global Maritime Awareness. Effective? Affordable?

This article describes how the National Security Presidential Directive-41/Homeland Security Presidential Directive-13 establishes U.S. policy for enhancing national security and protecting the country's interests in the maritime domain. Specifically, it directs that maritime domain awareness efforts be undertaken: “… to develop an enhanced capability to identify threats to the maritime domain as early and as distant from our shores as possible by integrating intelligence, surveillance, observation, and navigation systems into a common operating picture accessible throughout the United States government.” One of the main ways to accomplish this may well be to collaborate with international partners to build a common operational picture on a global scale by combining terrestrial maritime surveillance systems with commercial and civilian space systems that have significant Earth and ocean observation capabilities. This capability would be in addition to any classified undertaking either now underway or planned and would have the benefit of being able to be shared with all seafaring nations. Civilian earth observations satellites have been operating since the mid-1980s, but it is only in the past few years that the industry has expanded both in number and capability of the individual spacecraft. Even more capable systems are now being planned. However, with only a very few exceptions, no one is planning to take advantage of these systems for the global maritime awareness they could provide if operated collaboratively. Many of these systems have significant ocean surveillance capabilities, which—if bundled together and used intelligently—could provide the maritime nations of the world with a much better picture of who is sailing the seas, and provide indications of their intentions.

• Record URL:
  http://uscg.mil/proceedings/archive/2010/Vol67_No2_Sum2010.pdf
• 
• Authors:
  • Thomas, Guy
• Publication Date: 2010

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: pp 38-40
• Serial:
  • Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council
  • Volume: 67
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: U.S. Coast Guard
  • Serial URL: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Awareness; Cooperation; Maritime mobile satellite system; Maritime safety; National security; Navigational satellites; Security; Surveillance; Water transportation
• Identifier Terms: National Plan to Achieve Maritime Domain Awareness
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01167009
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 30 2010 8:22AM