Future Technologies for Choke Point Monitoring By Randolph L. Nichols Naval Research Laboratory Code 8103 (Mission Management Office) 4555 Overlook Ave S.W. Washington D.C. 20375 In the 1950s • The United Kingdom controlled Straits of Gibraltar, Suez Canal, English Channel, Straits of Malacca, Cape Towne and the United States controlled the Panama Channel – Making it relatively easy to monitor and control maritime traffic through these critical areas • Today with the exception of the Straits of Gibraltar and English Channel the remaining choke points are now under the influence of many different nations – Making the ability to monitor and control much more difficult – The free flow of commerce now depends on ability to work diplomatically with these nations – US Warships are not allowed to freely patrol these controlled waters except to transit these areas • So how are we able to meet these new realities 12/18/2014 2 Todays Technologies • Today there is very limited persistent surveillance of these vital areas – Limited ground access to these areas – Shore-based sensors have limited range and detection capabilities and coverage is determined by sensor heights – Typical shore based sensors are radar, Automatic Information System (AIS), and Electro Optic /Infrared (EO/IR) – Use of manned and unmanned aircraft • • • Lacks persistence over targeted area In many cases can only fly through a choke point without the ability loiter if they detect something of interest Sensors (radar, EO/IR, AIS, acoustic on select platforms, and electronic monitoring) – Naval vessel patrols in open ocean (not within the close confines of choke points) – Limited data sharing between US and other nations responsible for these areas • The advent of AIS has also help asymmetrical and geopolitical players access to valuable maritime information for targeting – AIS receivers are extremely inexpensive and easily to use • • • Todays technologies focus more on large vessel tracking Large volume of maritime data available Data fusion efforts are focused on assimilating data 12/18/2014 3 Future Technologies Challenges • How to maintain existing coverage and capabilities but improve them while reducing overall life cycle cost? • How to maintain persistent surveillance over these areas? • How will technology address the changing of the threat dynamics, state vs non-state actors? • How to maintain communications connectivity with autonomous sensor platforms with and ever increasing density of unmanned platforms? • How does geopolitics affects access to choke point areas? • How to take advantage of the vast amounts of maritime data available now and in the future? • How does the US move from post event analysis to doing predictive analysis? • How will we gain the technological advantage over non-state players? 12/18/2014 4 Future Technologies • Long Endurance – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) • • • Longer Endurance (months not just days) at medium altitude and high altitude Reduce bandwidth Improved standoff sensor capabilities – Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) – Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) • Wave gliders – Long endurance working autonomously or with UUV and/or patrol vessel • Tether Aerostats – Ability to remain aloft at higher wind speeds • • • • • • Improved shore base radar detection and tracking of small vessels Improved data sharing technologies with host nations Development of predictive algorithms Development of improved commercial non-lethal, anti-piracy technologies Wave powered buoys/sensors Leverage of commercial space 12/18/2014 5
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