Maritime Domain Awareness is the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment as defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The maritime domain is defined as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, and vessels and other conveyances.
IMAC will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre, a multi-agency centre that would provide information to various stakeholders. After the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Indian Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), the nodal agency for maritime data fusion, was set up.
IMAC became operational in 2014 at a cost of ₹450 crore and is located in Gurugram. It is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (NC3I), which was established to link the operational Centres and lower echelons of the Navy and the Coast Guard spread across the country’s coastline, including the island territories.
IMAC tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders fitted on merchant ships, air and traffic management systems and global shipping databases. It functions in line with the principles listed under ‘Security and Growth of All in the Region (SAGAR)’. In 2019, IMAC conducted a coastal security workshop for BIMSTEC countries. Also during the MT New Diamond (vessel) fire incident off the coast of Sri Lanka, IFC-IOR played a key role in the early mobilization of resources that resulted in a quick reaction.
India is located in one of the busiest maritime traffic regions of the world, therefore, enhancing coastal security through Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is extremely challenging. Existence of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) makes it even more difficult as it is the commercial highway for large traffic and critical for the prosperity of many nations. Hence, threats such as maritime terrorism, piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing etc. are required to be kept subdued at all times.
India has joined the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as Observer. The Commission is an important regional institution in Western/African Indian Ocean. This also demands India’s navy security system to be even more rigid. Also in 2018, the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region (IFC-IOR) was set up within the premises of the IMAC to coordinate with regional countries on maritime security and act as a regional repository of maritime data.
National Maritime Domain Awareness centre will be established to be a multi-agency centre that would provide information to various stakeholders, from the fisheries department to local policing authorities on development or movements across the coast. This will ensure that any risk, especially transnational can be prevented.
A White Shipping Agreement was also initiated; it refers to an exchange of relevant advance information on the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels. As part of improving transparency on maritime traffic on the high seas, the Navy had been authorised to conclude white shipping agreements with 36 countries and three multilateral constructs. In phase 1, 46 coastal radar stations were set up followed by 38 static radar stations and four mobile radar stations.
Ships are classified into white (commercial ships), grey (military vessels), and black (illegal vessels). An automated tracking system was also installed on all commercial vessels of specific tonnage. After the 26/11 terror attack, all fishing vessels more than 20m long were mandated to have AIS transponders installed, while efforts are on to have such a system on less than 20m fishing vessels as well.
With the growing security concerns and ocean agreements with other nations, India’s Navy security system needs a revamp. India is a country with busy ports this also creates added security pressure. Schemes like these will assist in making our ports safer and promote greater communication.
