Future Maritime Surveillance

The Committee has serious concerns following the decision in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) to cancel the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) programme. Although the MoD's own capability investigations have concluded that a MPA is the solution to the UK's maritime surveillance requirements over the next 20 years, the MoD has postponed any decision on a further MPA until at least the next SDSR in 2015. The MoD has acknowledged that the resultant capability gap cannot be completely covered by an existing single asset or collection of assets. The Committee is concerned that the MoD is sending mixed messages in respect of the need for a maritime patrol aircraft. On one hand it says that there is no requirement for such an aircraft and that it is not funded or in the programme but on the other hand it acknowledges that its absence is a risk and something may need to be done. The Committee is also concerned about the withdrawal of other maritime surveillance assets. However the report acknowledges the work the MoD has undertaken to explore the potential options for maritime surveillance in the longer term, such as unmanned systems, lighter-than-air vehicles and space technology. The report welcomes the establishment of the Maritime Security Oversight Group and the National Maritime Information Centre as first steps towards a more strategic and co-ordinated output and as a way of mitigating some of the capability gaps

Response to HC 110, session 2012-13 (ISBN 9780215048479)

This report contains the results from a research project aimed at identifying new capabilities for the future Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). With the type of naval operations and tasks for the period up to 2030-35 largely enduring, the current "regional power projection" profile of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) must be strengthened and renewed. We envisage the core of the future naval force to remain a versatile mix of surface and sub-surface combatants, shipborne helicopters and unmanned systems for intelligence purposes and extended force projection, modern amphibious forces and long-range land attack capability to counter Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2AD) threats. All main vessels should be ocean-going, able to navigate the main operating theaters in the European seas and the Carib under all conditions. But even while we expect that naval operations and tasks, as well as the overall force profile of the RNLN, will evolve rather than drastically change, the RNLN must substantially innovate — but not beyond recognition — its personnel, materiel, doctrines and processes, organization and structures.

This book reexamines the whole of maritime strategy, exploring likely future developments while putting forward a new overall empirical theory of sea power.

Information is always required by organizations of coastal states about the movements, identities and intentions of vessels sailing in the waters of interest to them, which may be coastal waters, straits, inland waterways, rivers, lakes or open seas. This interest may stem from defense requirements or from needs for the protection of off-shore resources, enhanced search and rescue services, deterrence of smuggling, drug trafficking and other illegal activities and/or for providing vessel traffic services for safe and efficient navigation and protection of the environment. To meet these needs it is necessary to have a well designed maritime surveillance and control system capable of tracking ships and providing other types of information required by a variety of user groups ranging from port authorities, shipping companies, marine exchanges to governments and the military. Principles of Integrated Maritime Surveillance Systems will be of vital interest to anyone responsible for the design, implementation or provision of a well designed maritime surveillance and control system capable of tracking ships and providing navigational and other types of information required for safe navigation and efficient commercial operation. Principles of Integrated Maritime Surveillance Systems is therefore essential to a variety of user groups ranging from port authorities to shipping companies and marine exchanges as well as civil governments and the military.

Today, alongside its all-important operations in direct support of the Global War on Terrorism, naval aviation also continues its now 60-year commitment to shaping the maritime and littoral environment through persistent forward presence. In the longer term, naval aviation is also adapting to a series of geopolitical revolutions which will dramatically increase the future demand for a secure sea base capable of projecting dominant power ashore in wartime against the full spectrum of possible opponents. It is adapting to these demands by exploiting technologies and operational practices developed in the last decade that will greatly increase its ability to surge and concentrate forces rapidly; protect the sea base from new air, surface, and undersea threats; and find, identify, locate, track, and strike mobile as well as fixed targets ashore, under all weather conditions, and in timely enough fashion to produce the desired effects. This report discusses the following topics: (1) Formal Alliances Provide Predictable Access, Informal Coalitions Do Not; (2) Distributed Ground Forces Require Persistent, Distributed Air Support; (3) The Sea Shield Must Be Dominant If the Sea Base Is to Be Effective; (4) Adapting; (5) The Spectrum from Presence to Major Combat; (6) Technology and the Spectrum of Threat; (7) The Value of Robust Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Aircraft; (8) No Substitute for Range in Carrier Aviation; (9) The Need for Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) is Not Going Away; (10) Land-Based Maritime Patrol Aircraft; (11) Multimission Helicopters; (12) New Capabilities and Challenges; (13) Eliminating the Weather Sanctuary for Mobile Targets; (14) Providing a Dominant Defense of the Sea Base; (15) Shoot Archers Not Arrows; (16) Make Opposing Submarines Pay for Their Inevitable Indiscretions; (17) Get Back in the Counter-Surveillance Business; and (18) The Force of the Future.