DHS Approves Eight Supporting Plans For its National Strategy for Maritime Security

1. National Plan to Achieve Maritime Domain Awareness
2. Maritime Transportation System Security Plan
3. Maritime Commerce Security Plan
4. Maritime Infrastructure Recovery Plan
5. International Outreach and Coordination Strategy
6. Global Maritime Intelligence Integration Plan
7. Maritime Operational Threat Response Plan
8. Domestic Outreach Plan

(See ITT's Online Archives or 09/26/05 news, 05092605, for BP summary of the September 2005 National Strategy for Maritime Security.)

DHS states that together, the National Strategy for Maritime Security and its supporting plans represent the beginning of a comprehensive national effort to promote global economic stability and protect legitimate activities, while preventing hostile or illegal acts within the maritime domain.

Only Two of Eight Plans are Currently Available to the Public

While there are eight supporting plans, only two are currently available - Maritime Transportation System Security and Maritime Domain Awareness, highlights of which are provided below.

Maritime Transportation System Security Plan. According to DHS, the Maritime Transportation System Security Plan responds to the President's call for recommendations to improve the national and international regulatory framework regarding the maritime domain.

The primary goal of the recommendations in the plan is to improve the security of the maritime transportation system, while preserving its functionality and efficiency. The following are the recommendations contained in the Maritime Transportation Security Plan:

Risk Management. Risk assessment methodologies must be developed and applied consistently to prioritize and track the outcomes of security improvement efforts.

Security Information Management.An interagency security data management plan will improve the quality, transparency, sharing, and protection of critical security information among all appropriate maritime transportation system stakeholders, including federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as maritime transportation system operators.

International and National Regulatory Framework. The international and national regulatory framework established by the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) and Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) must be continually improved.

Stakeholder Responsibility and Coordination. A coordinated network of stakeholders must be created and managed, who understand and accept their roles/responsibilities for ensuring maritime security and are actively engaged in collaborative efforts to reduce security risks in the maritime domain.

Credentialing. U.S. authorities must be able to identify with confidence: individuals working aboard commercial vessels and operating recreational boats; whether an entity in the U.S. maritime domain is foreign or domestic; and workers at land-based facilities and critical infrastructure components within the U.S. maritime transportation system.

Leverage Safety Frameworks. We must examine international, national, and industry transportation safety frameworks with respect to potential terrorist attack scenarios and determine whether or not reasonable safety enhancements can significantly improve the inherent security of the maritime transportation system.

Security Technology. By promoting the development of security technologies, the U.S. will be able to address security gaps and improve the current maritime transportation system security network.

Security Training. The U.S. must ensure that port and maritime personnel both domestically and internationally are properly trained in maritime security, in accordance with their function within the maritime transportation system

Maritime Domain Awareness Plan. This plan outlines the national priorities for achieving maritime domain awareness and includes near-term and long-term objectives, required program and resource implications, and recommendation for organizational or policy changes.

DHS states that in order to make it easier to implement this Plan, efforts to enhance capabilities or processes are grouped into three general priority areas and associated actions:

Information and standards. The Plan recommends setting standards and enhancing how information is collected and shared.

Technology. The Plan recommends using technology to improve maritime C4ISR capabilities, as well as to enhance information collection and maximize its use. Actions include using or enhancing sensors, platforms, and communications equipment.

Organizations and personnel. Recommendations include building coalitions and partnerships, increasing human intelligence collection (in addition to technology-based intelligence collection and information gathering), developing global maritime communities of interest, and establishing integrated, national-level maritime command centers for maritime operational threat response.

DHS press release (dated 10/26/05) available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4908.

DHS summary of supporting plans available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0597.xml.

Maritime Transportation System Security Plan available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0752.xml.

Maritime Domain Awareness plan available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0753.xml.

BP Note

According to the October 28, 2005 issue of Shippers NewsWire, DHS plans to unveil the Maritime Commerce Security Plan during U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) Trade Symposium to be held November 2 - 4, 2005 in Washington, D.C. (Shippers NewsWire, dated 10/28/05, www.americanshipper.com.)