Friend or Foe?

[The IMO] urges Contracting Governments to take, as a

matter of high priority, any action needed at national level to give effect to implementing and beginning the long-range identification of ships

I

MO Conference Resolution

10, dated 12 December 2002

In this era of enhanced security awareness, the capability to identify ships at long-range and verify their recent ports of call is a necessary and worthwhile objective of any national administration. With the forthcoming implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code (as implemented by a new Chapter XI-2 to SOLAS 1974), there is also a mandatory requirement for visiting ships to provide foreign ports with their vessel and voyage data, including details of their last 10 calls at port facilities and any ship-ship transfers between ports.

Whilst the introduction of such initiatives has been applauded in general, the practicalities of achieving such data recording and provision have remained open to discussion. While the IMO outlined the requirements, the onus to develop such capabilities remained firmly within the commercial sector and diverse attempts have been made to achieve compliant systems.

The main problem regarding ship identification is the fact that once the vessel disappears over the horizon, and beyond the comparatively short 30 to 40 mile range of radar tracking, it effectively becomes invisible. Only satellite technology offers a dependable means of staying in touch with its movements, which in practical terms has meant the use of Inmarsat-C.

Already proven in military applications, the Inmarsat-C capability has been used with some considerable success to track and monitor fishing vessels operating within Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) management where, in the main, it has even overcome the ingenuity of fishing skippers wishing to disguise the specific location of their favoured catching grounds.

A product that makes use of this existing technology is the Tracs-Ships? Security Alert System (SSAS) from Thales Navigation Ltd. Based on a well-proven Thales Inmarsat-C tracking system, the unit has been refined to exceed the IMO specifications for SSAS units and, as a result, can now provide land-based security organisations with ship movement information on a global basis.

Between July and December 2004 all SOLAS registered vessels must be fitted with an SSAS unit that automatically transmits an alarm message via Inmarsat-C from anywhere in the world when a button is pressed. Once activated, the Thales SSAS unit will continue to transmit the vessel?s GPS location so that it can be tracked and, hopefully, intercepted by the security authorities.

The Tracs-SSAS exceeds these capabilities by tracking and storing the vessel?s location continuously regardless of whether an alarm button has been pressed. As with conventional SSAS units, the vessel location information will only be transmitted to the designated authority when it has been activated. However, the stored information can be called-up and made available to the shipping company for its own management purposes and, more significantly, it can also be remotely interrogated by a Coast Guard or security organisation wanting to verify the ship?s ports of call.

The Tracs-SSAS unit functions continuously without any operator input and maintains a continuous record of the ship?s position and speed for up to two years. The download facility now means that a port authority can check the previous activity of a visiting ship without requiring any input from its crew or even their knowledge of it happening (although pre-approval from the vessel?s owners for anonymous call-up must be obtained).

This information has not been available to port authorities until now even though it is regarded as being crucial to verifying the security status of a visiting ship. Deviations from a predicted route, unusual changes in speed and other forms of erratic behaviour revealed by the data will draw the attention of the interrogating security authority and highlight the ship as a target for closer investigation.

Data verification

Although considerable optimism is being placed upon the introduction of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) by the end of 2004, it is widely expected to prove ineffective as an aid to national security. Designed as an anti-collision and traffic routing device, the AIS does not contain any record of the ship?s movements prior to its activation by another interrogating AIS unit. It may declare a port of origin but this could be difficult to verify and give no indication of the route taken after departure.

The only equipment capable of providing a record of sailing activity has, until now, been the Voyage Data Recorder. Some of these installations offer the capability of remote data downloading the volume of information supplied far exceeds the requirements of a port.

“In terms of enhanced security measures, the IMO places great store on the long-range identification of ships. This capability is now proven and readily available,” David Wilson-Le-Moine, Sales Manager, Thales Navigation Ltd told The Motor Ship recently. “Tracs-SSAS is most likely to be used in conjunction with the ship?s AIS which will provide the first contact with the port?s shore-based security. The identification data provided by the AIS will enable the port controllers to decide whether additional information is required from the ship and to download route data from the SSAS as necessary.”

When the Tracs-SSAS is activated by an alarm button, it will transmit the vessel?s identification, GPS position, speed and heading. In standard tracking mode numerous additional reports can be produced that include maximum speed measured, vessel performance figures and details of any zone violations. Zones can be defined by the control centre so that an alarm is sounded if the vessel deviates significantly off route, as might occur in a hijacking, or if it enters a prohibited security or economic zone. The IMO requirement under the ISPS Code for the covert installation of two alarm buttons around the ship can also be supplemented by wireless key fob buttons that can be carried by ships? personnel and used to activate the alarm from anywhere on board. A wireless version can also be used to relay e-mail messages to the user and to enable the transfer of specific information such as those connected to cargo sensors.

“The technology of satellite tracking has evolved to the point where it can be widely and confidently used,” confirmed David Wilson-Le-Moine. “Once satellite tracking becomes compulsory, we steadfastly believe that the maritime world will become a safer place.”

MO Conference Resolution

The Conference

Having Adopted amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974, as amended (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), concerning special measures to enhance safety and security,

Recalling that long-range identification and tracking of ships at sea is a measure that fully contributes to the enhancement of the maritime and coastal States security as a whole,

Having Acknowledged that Inmarsat C polling is currently an appropriate system for long-range identification and tracking of ships,

Recognising Also that the equipment installed on board and ashore is available for immediate use and will allow the early implementation of such measures,

Urges Contracting Governments to take, as a

matter of high priority, any action needed at national level to give effect to implementing and beginning the long-range identification of ships

;

Invites Contracting Governments to encourage ships entitled to fly the flag of their State to take necessary measures so that they are prepared to respond automatically to Inmarsat C polling, or to other available systems

;

Requests Contracting Governments to consider all aspects related to the introduction of long-range identification and tracking of ships, including its potential for misuse as an aid to ship targeting and the need for confidentiality in respect of the information so gathered.