Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/284910
35 Spring 2014 Proceedings www.uscg.mil/proceedings The National Strategy for Maritime Security Collectively, fve actions achieve strategy objectives: • enhance international cooperation, • maximize domain awareness, • embed security into commercial practices, • deploy layered security, • assure continuity of the maritime transportation system. These are not stand-alone activities. Maritime domain awareness is a critical enabler for all strategic actions. Ulti- mately, the backbone of protecting the United States from maritime threats is an active, layered defense. Maritime domain awareness is the critical link in achieving this efec- tive defense through persistent awareness and decision superiority. Maritime domain awareness: • entails knowledge in all aspects of the maritime domain; • requires knowledge of people including vessel crew, passengers, owners, and operators; • necessitates knowledge of cargo and the cargo supply chain infrastructure (facilities, services, systems, vessels, and other conveyances); • consists of knowledge of the operating environment, which includes weather, environmentally sensitive areas, and living marine resources; • requires knowledge of shipping routes, migration routes, and seasonal changes; • provides the ability to recognize and analyze threats and challenges from terrorism, illegal fshing, narcotics smuggling, and illegal migration. The maritime domain is vast, complex, and extends well beyond traditional waterways. It encompasses all things on, under, or bordering a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway including all maritime related activities, infra- structure, people, cargo, vessels, and other conveyances. As such, the maritime domain is a vital pipeline necessary for a strong national economy. Maritime domain awareness predates 9/11 and is defned as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact security, safety, the economy, or the environment. Maritime domain awareness has been an essential part of a national strategy for maritime security, which is an outgrowth of the Coast Guard's special interest vessel tracking program. The ini- tial study examined the means by which specifc vessels could be effectively tracked in the broad approaches to the United States. In the post-9/11 era, maritime domain awareness was added to service priorities for the Coast Guard and radi- cally altered its scope and objectives. However, unlike the immediate aftermath of 9/11 when resources were freely available to address homeland security defciencies, the Coast Guard now operates in a completely different bud- getary environment. Today, fscal restraints leave little choice but to carefully examine the assets and resources devoted to maritime domain awareness. Therefore, it is critical that the U.S. Coast Guard continues to foster and cultivate marine security relationships. Formalizing the Partnership For example, on September 23, 2002, the National Cargo Bureau (NCB) signed a maritime security memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard, which recog- nized that NCB has exceptional experience with, and a deep understanding of, the maritime domain. In 2013, a second extension enhanced maritime domain awareness The National Cargo Bureau Partnering to achieve maritime domain awareness. by Mr. iAn lennArD President National Cargo Bureau Plans, Partnerships, Policies Spring2014_FINAL.indd 35 3/21/14 11:14 AM