By Sumit Kumar Singh New Delhi, Nov 26th : .Thirteen years have passed since Mumbai was hit by the worst terror attack India has ever witnessed on November 26, 2008.
The management of maritime and coastal security has changed dramatically since then.
The overall approach to coastal security after ’26/11′ was a whole-of government one.This includes the allocation of coastal security responsibilities and the establishment of institutional mechanisms for policy coordination and operational coordination among all stakeholders at multiple levels of governance.
“Major initiatives have been taken to enhance the capacity and develop the capability of maritime security agencies, and to develop Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
A senior government officer said that community engagement is also a new area of focus.
According to the 2009 Cabinet Committee on Security directives, the Indian Navy has been designated as the authority responsible overall maritime security.This includes coastal security and off-shore security.The existing Naval Commanders in Chiefs have been designated as Commanders in Chiefs for coastal defense.
The Coast Guard, state maritime police, and other Central and State agencies for coastal defense will assist the Indian Navy.The Indian Coast Guard has been designated as the authority responsible to ensure the security of the coast in territorial waters.
This includes areas that will be monitored by the coast police.
The Marine Police are now responsible for patrolling waters up to 12 nm (nautical mile).
This is currently limited to 5 km until the capability and capacity enhancement of forces.
A number of steps were taken to improve coastal and maritime security.
This includes active participation from all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Shipping/DG Shipping, Department of Fisheries and the Registrar-General of India.
These steps are reviewed at the highest level by Cabinet Secretary through meetings with the National Committee on Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security.
A steering committee and sub-committee are functional for monitoring at the working level.They meet regularly.
Indian Navy-Coast Guard Joint SOPs
Over the past 13 years, the Indian Navy-Coast Guard Joint SOPs for Coast Security have been stable and are regularly reviewed as part of coastal security exercises.They have proven their worth in both exercises as well as actual contingencies.
The establishment of four joint operation centers at Mumbai, Kochi and Visakhapatnam has significantly improved inter-agency coordination for coast security.This allows for centralised command and control during times of crisis.
Coastal security exercises are used to regularly exercise the respective operation centres and joint operation centres of different agencies.This has helped improve inter-agency coordination.
In January 2019, a pan-Indian, multi-agency biennial coastal defense exercise called ‘Sea Vigil’ was created and implemented to further improve coordination between state and national agencies.
The Indian Navy coordinated the second edition of this exercise, which was held in January 2021.
This exercise has been very beneficial in assessing the national maritime security structure.
Maritime Domain Awareness
After the 26/11 attacks, a major focus area was the generation of accurate Maritime Domain Awareness.
Among the most important initiatives were the establishment of the Coastal Security Network and the National Automatic Identification System chain.
Coast Guard has established the Coastal Security Network (CSN), which includes 46 radar stations.This project is used for electronic surveillance.Phase II of this project includes 38 additional static radar stations and eight Mobile Surveillance Systems, (MSS), as well as integration of Vessel Traffic Management Systems for the Gulf of Khambat and Gulf of Kutch (VTMS).
The project will double radar coverage along Indian coastlines when it is fully implemented.
Based on the license issued by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), BEL has established similar Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems in other friendly countries.
The indigenous capabilities for coastal security have not only helped to strengthen India’s coast security but also increased the defence industrial base and made it possible to implement the SAGAR vision.
The National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence Network (NC3I), which connects 51 Indian Navy and Coast Guard stations along India’s coast, has been established.
The Information Management and Analysis Centre in Gurugram fuses feeds from the Coastal Surveillance Network, National Automatic Identification System chain (NAIS), Long Range Identification and Tracking System(LRIT), Space-based AIS, Merchant Shipping Information System, (MSIS), World Registry of Shipping, (WRS), and Vessel and Air Traffic Management System.
The Indian Navy is pursuing the National Maritime Domain Awareness Project, which will allow for comprehensive maritime domain awareness (MDA), over a network.
The project will bring together all maritime surveillance sensors, databases, and data, such as those for fisheries and ports under one umbrella.The NC3I network will be the backbone of the entire project.
It will also include the Indian Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), and is being developed into the Nation Maritime Domain awareness Centre.
The Defence Minister has approved the MDA project and it is currently being considered by the government.
The Indian Navy, in collaboration with the Coast Guard, and other state agencies, conducts regular awareness drives to inform the fishing and coastal communities about the threats from the sea.These efforts have been successful and regular inputs regarding maritime security are being received by the fishing community and the population.
The Navy also conducts training for BSF, CISF Marine Wing and state Marine Police personnel in specialised sea-faring areas such as navigation, boat-handling, and seamanship.
Also, assistance was provided for the conceptualization, site survey, design of training curriculum, and establishment of the National Academy of Coastal Policing, Dwarka, Gujarat.
Coastal Mapping
The states have also done coastal mapping to increase awareness about the coast.
ISRO has developed a coastal information system in collaboration with West Bengal state police.
It has the dual goals of creating a digital database and creating a framework to visualise and analyze coastal geospatial data.
Other coastal states are also developing such customised systems and other innovative fisheries management and coastal security initiatives.
This is done with the aim of increasing maritime domain awareness and to better manage the fishermen community to ensure their safety and security at sea.
The large number of fishing boats makes it difficult for security agencies to identify them.
One of the areas of interest has been the development a system that can track smaller vessels, which are not required to be equipped with an automatic identification system.
Satellite-based Transponder Systems
Nearly 5,000 Tamil Nadu mechanised boats have been fitted with the satellite-based transponder systems after successful proof-of concept trials by the Indian Navy (ISRO) and Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO).
This marks the end of a long-running process of developing an indigenous solution to address domain awareness gaps.
The officer stated that the Centre and the coast state governments are also looking into commercially-available systems.
Given India’s close to 3 lakh fishing boats, it is imperative to implement tracking systems across India on a rapid track basis.
Other measures taken by stakeholders to increase monitoring, control, regulation and safety of the fishing industry include uniform registration of boats and licensing of fishing using the ReALCraft portal created by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
The biometric identity cards for fishermen and National Population Register (NPR), cards for coastal communities are also issued.Regulation of fishing traffic in ports and fishing harbours is also done.
Sumit Kumar Singh can reached at sumit.k@ians
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