Coast Guard And Homeland Security Department News

Ports making up for lost timeDespite the critical role the maritime transportation system plays in the economic health of the United States, and despite its fairly recent embrace of all things automated – cranes, vehicles, surveillance and even vessels – the sector has been slow to warm to the need to protect its digital systems and assets.Post 9/11, security concerns about the nation’s borders, air space and infrastructure, including ports, moved front and center for a brief moment before other concerns…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the launch of an Orbcomm satellite in an initiative to increase maritime situational awareness and security.  The launch of the Orbcomm satellite is part of the Coast Guard and Homeland Security Department's Nationwide Automatic Identification System project. The satellite, launched from , , was equipped with automatic identification system technology capable of tracking and identifying ships as far as 2,000 nautical miles from coastlines, the Coast Guard reported. Officials expect the Orbcomm satellite will begin transmitting operational data within the next three months and will then improve maritime domain awareness and provide increased security to coastal waters from potential threats. Source:  UPI