Maritime security operations

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The Dutch ship HNLMS De Zeven Provincien (F802) responding to the South Korean-flagged fishing vessel Dong Won (628) in the Indian Ocean, April 4, 2006 HNLMS De Zeven Provincien (F802).jpg
The Dutch ship HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802) responding to the South Korean-flagged fishing vessel Dong Won (628) in the Indian Ocean, April 4, 2006
US Navy officers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) monitor defense systems during maritime security operations. US Navy 100913-N-4973M-012 Lt. j.g. Craig Mueller, from St. Louis, Mo., and Lt. j.g. Zach Decker, from Boulder, Co., monitor the defense systems ab.jpg
US Navy officers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) monitor defense systems during maritime security operations.

Maritime security operations (MSO) are the actions of modern naval forces to "combat sea-based terrorism and other illegal activities, such as hijacking, piracy, and slavery, also known as human trafficking." [1] Ships assigned to such operations may also assist seafaring vessels in distress. These activities are part of an overall category of activities which fall short of open warfare called military operations other than war (MOOTW). MSO also involve the marine environmental protection, creating a safer and clean environment.

Contents

The United States Coast Guard, [2] along with several other agencies such as Navy, Maritime Administration, [3] the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Maritime Commission are American agencies that have a role in the regulation of U.S. ports. Their mission is to create a safer and reliable international ocean transportation system, to protect the public from any unfair and deceiving practice.

A primary component of MSO requires inspections and, at times, forced boardings of vessels at sea. These actions are called visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS). Also arrests and VBSS of ships which may have been sighted (via lookouts) from a distance to be underway and not responding to communications made to her or may have some form of smaller attached crafts which may be seen to be used as other means to attack larger crafts.

Who

Maritime Security Operations are conducted by many international navies, coastguards and border forces.

In the United States there are two major naval forces that conduct such operations; the United States Coast Guard and the United States Navy. Although they both have very distinct jobs from one another, one of their major jobs is to be able to provide security operations.

The U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces, they have eleven official missions. Their role is to provide port & waterway security, drug interdiction, search and rescue, marine environment protection, ICE operations, aids to navigation, living marine recourses, marine safety, defense readiness, law enforcement and migrant interdiction along with several other missions. Overall, their role is to provide a safer maritime industry.

Along with the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy is also another branch if the United States Armed Forces. Unlike the Coast Guard, the Navy is a projection of force in areas beyond the U.S. shores. Their operations go beyond the shores; they provide aid to military out on the sea, carry troops to other countries, strategic plans for attacks and protect the sea lanes.

Operations

Sailors from the USS Normandy conduct visit, board, search, and seizure operations in the Gulf of Aden in 2019 Members of the visit, board, search, and seizure team conduct maritime security operations (48953029922).jpg
Sailors from the USS Normandy conduct visit, board, search, and seizure operations in the Gulf of Aden in 2019

Today's modern naval force have been able to detect, strategize, and prevent dozens of several illegal activities. Piracy, being one of the most known crimes in the maritime industry has not been able to control its activities. Piracy was known to have a great presence during the early 1500s, up to this day the number of piracy activity is still significantly large. From the beginning of the twentieth century, the number of piracy attack have been found to be cyclical in nature, taking its high points in 2003 and 2010. In spite of this high point, several organization against anti-piracy such as the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) [4] have been able to disrupt pirates attacks protecting vessel and their crew member along with their cargo. As a safety measure, the U.S. Coast Guard encourage the ships' captain to know his crew, deliver a detailed plan of his sea trip to a trusted friend, final check before departing, notify Coast Guard of any suspicious activity, and finally consider clearing local customs before departing on a foreign cruise. Taking these protective measures will lessen the possibility of piracy or high jacking. [5]

A significant amount of contraband such as drugs has entered many ports through vessels claiming to be caring different types of cargo. Drug Interdiction is one of the eleven Coast Guard official missions, they aim to prevent drug traffic by intersecting drug carrying vessels out at sea. Mariners aboard a vessel that have information that a ship is involved in narcotics trafficking are required to contact their nearest Coast Guard unit. Several cargo ships have been contained with thousands of kilos on board. In the mid-year of 2015, the USS Gary (FFG 51) marked its tenth successful interdiction since October 2014. Joining forces with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Navy they contained 11,700 kilograms of cocaine off the coast of Central America. While conducting a regular patrol the USS Gary tailed and located a small coastal freighter. After observing the crew discarding suspicious contraband overboard Gary launched a small boat to recover the suspected contraband. [6]

Slavery, also known as human trafficking in modern days, is the act of forcing some type of labor or sexual act upon someone. As the years go by the number of men, women, and children being trafficking are significantly large, this is happening around the world including the United States. Human trafficking comes second to drug trafficking generating billions of dollars per year. This crime is hard to follow up due to the victim's language and fear to the traffickers and law enforcement. The Department of the Navy (DoN) and the Department of Defense (DoD) along with other offices have come together to fight and ensure that the Combating Trafficking in the Persons (CTIP) policies are properly implemented and integrated. In the month of January 2017, the SDPD was able to arrest 38 men involved with human trafficking during an undercover operation. Even though the Coast Guard and the Navy were not involved in this operation, they also have operations similar to drug trafficking. [7] [8]

Search and rescue missions is also considered a maritime security operation, it is one of the oldest Coast Guard missions. As the leader in the field of search and rescue missions, worldwide, to do so the coast guard keeps facilities on the East, West, and Gulf coasts. When a search and rescue(SAR) mission is being conducted, it involves cutter, aircraft, and boats. Their goal is to minimize the loss of life and injuries, to provide aid to those in need of it. Using the coordinates of the vessel in need gives the Coast Guard and an idea of where to look for. These coordinates are given by a device called a "Black Box". [8]

An example of such operations is the involvement of the multinational coalition Combined Task Force 150, which performs Maritime Security Operations in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. During the Somali Civil War, they provided anti-piracy operations along the coast of Somalia in international waters. During the 2006–2007 war, they performed a cordon along the coast to prevent the escape of Al-Qaeda operatives by sea.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast guard</span> Maritime security organization

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Coast Guards</span> Maritime security, anti-narcotics, and law enforcement branch under the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Pakistan Coast Guards is a maritime law enforcement agency of the Civil Armed Forces of Pakistan. It is managed and controlled by the Pakistan Army, with a mission of riverine operations and coastal operations including conducting anti-narcotics missions, anti-human trafficking, illegal immigration through the coastal areas, and anti-smuggling initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law Enforcement Detachments</span> Team of United States Coast Guard

Law Enforcement Detachments or LEDETs are specialized, deployable maritime law enforcement teams of the United States Coast Guard. First established in 1982, their primary mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct counter-drug operations and support maritime law enforcement, interdiction, or security operations. LEDETs are the operational elements of the Coast Guard’s two Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (TACLETs) which are part of the Coast Guard’s Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF). As of April 2010 there are seventeen LEDETs.

The United States Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight uniformed services. It carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnam Coast Guard</span> Vietnamese Armed Forces maritime law enforcement component

Vietnam Coast Guard is the coast guard and a uniformed people's armed force of Vietnam. Being a paramilitary maritime law enforcement agency, Vietnam Coast Guard is purposed to protect the Vietnamese state's interests and sovereignty rights at sea while also responsible for search and rescue duties, along with their duties of combating and preventing smuggling, piracy, and trade fraud in Vietnamese waters.

USCGC <i>Hamilton</i> (WHEC-715) Hamilton-class cutter of the US Coast Guard

USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance cutter and the lead ship of its class. It was based at Boston, Massachusetts from commissioning until 1991, then out of San Pedro, California before it was moved to its last home port in San Diego, California. It was launched on December 18, 1965 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana and named for Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. It was commissioned on March 18, 1967.

USCGC <i>Tampa</i> (WMEC-902)

USCGC Tampa (WMEC-902) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. She was commissioned 16 March 1984. Her motto, "Thy way is the sea, thy path in the great waters", matches the inscription that is engraved on the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for the 131 persons lost following the sinking of a previous cutter Tampa on September 18, 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MNDF Coast Guard</span> Military unit

The Maldivian Coast Guard is the naval or maritime arm of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Because the Maldives does not have a navy, the MNDF Coast Guard functions as the armed maritime force of the nation with a charter to contribute to national defence and by and large to respond to issues related to the maritime security of the nation. Therefore, the Coast Guard is documented as the custodian of the Maldives Maritime Domain. Maritime security is a constituent ingredient of the national security in a maritime nation such as the Maldives and its significance is best understood when one perceives the island or the archipelagic nature of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined Task Force 150</span> Intergovernmental naval operations

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 34-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terror" and in the Horn of Africa region (HOA) includes operations in the North Arabia Sea to support operations in the Indian Ocean. These activities are referred to as Maritime Security Operations (MSO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visit, board, search, and seizure</span> United States military term

Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections.

Maritime Security Regimes are codes and conventions of behavior agreed upon by coastal states to provide a degree of security within territorial waters and on the high seas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belize Coast Guard</span> Maritime law enforcement agency

The Belize Coast Guard is the maritime security, search and rescue, and the maritime and law enforcement service branch of Belize. The BCG is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Coast Guard</span> Coastal security and paramilitary force of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Coast Guard is the maritime law enforcement force of Bangladesh. It is a paramilitary force which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Its officers and sailors are transferred from the Bangladesh Navy, and most of the medical officers are transferred from the Bangladesh Army. The Bangladesh Coast Guard also performs the duty of maritime border security of Bangladesh. The headquarters is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The coast guard has 3,339 personnel and 63 ships. A modernisation plan named Coast Guard Goal 2030 was undertaken to enhance its capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined Task Force 151</span> Multinational naval task force

Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to engage with regional and other partners to build capacity and improve relevant capabilities in order to protect global maritime commerce and secure freedom of navigation. It operates in conjunction with the EU's Operation Atalanta and NATO's Operation Ocean Shield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Infantry Corps</span> Military unit

The Naval Infantry Corps, also referred to as the Mexican Marines, are the naval infantry force of the Mexican Navy. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country. To accomplish these responsibilities, the corps is trained and equipped to take on any type of operations from sea, air and land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deployable Specialized Forces</span> Military unit

The Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) —formerly Deployable Operations Group— are part of the United States Coast Guard that provide highly equipped, trained and organized deployable specialized forces, to the Coast Guard, United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Department of Defense (DoD) and inter-agency operational and tactical commanders. The command was formerly headquartered in Arlington, Virginia where it was established on 20 July 2007, and was commanded by a captain. It was decommissioned by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Robert Papp on 1 October 2013, with units previously assigned to the DOG being split between Coast Guard Pacific and Atlantic Area commands. The units were subsequently reorganized under Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrol Forces Southwest Asia</span> Military unit

Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) is a United States Coast Guard command based in Manama, Bahrain. PATFORSWA was created in November 2002 as a contingency operation to support the U.S. Navy with patrol boats. The command's mission is to train, equip, deploy, and support combat-ready Coast Guard forces conducting operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in the Naval Forces Central Command's area of responsibility. It was commissioned as a permanent duty station in June 2004. In July 2003, PATFORSWA moved from its own compound to facilities at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Martillo</span>

Operation Martillo is an ongoing multi-national anti-drug operation that began on 15 January 2012 which "aims to combat international drug trafficking, and promote peace, stability in Central and South America", according to the U.S. Southern Command. It is a defense project led by the United States Southern Command with help of multi-national forces from Latin American and European countries. News coverage of their activities and results began in 2012, which was mainly from defense-focused media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Guard (Albania)</span> Maritime law enforcement force of Albania

The Albanian Coast Guard is the maritime law enforcement force of Albania. It is a paramilitary force which is under the authority of the Ministry of Defence and its operational duties in peacetime are organized and commanded by the Inter-Institutional Operational Maritime Center (QNOD). The Coast Guard has the responsibility for the security of Albanian territorial waters, maritime surveillance and law enforcement, as well as search and rescue. In operational combat situations in peacetime or wartime, the direction and command of the Albanian Coast Guard passes to military authorities and Albanian Naval Force.

The Colombian Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. Equipped with modern electronic surveillance and location systems at land stations, the Coast Guard covers the Caribbean and Pacific coasts and focuses on the repression of crime at sea, the control of the preservation of the marine environment and search and rescue operations.

References

  1. ↑ "Maritime Security Operations". US Navy. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
  2. ↑ U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve Archived 2017-04-20 at the Wayback Machine . (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017
  3. ↑ About Us. Archived 2017-04-20 at the Wayback Machine (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2017
  4. ↑ Counter-piracy operations Archived 2016-09-13 at the Wayback Machine (Archived). (2016, December 19). Retrieved April 9, 2017
  5. ↑ Nincic, D. J. (2013, October 1). Maritime Security: Current Threats and Implications Archived 2017-04-20 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved April 9, 2017
  6. ↑ Singer USS GARY (FFG 51) Public Affairs Officer, %. %. (2015, July 23). Official U.S. Navy website - Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Archived 2017-04-12 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved April 9, 2017
  7. ↑ Human Trafficking Archived 2017-04-19 at the Wayback Machine . (2017, March 22). Retrieved April 9, 2017
  8. 1 2 U. S. Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue (CG-SAR) Archived 2017-06-21 at the Wayback Machine . (2016, December 21). Retrieved April 9, 2017
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