Improved Coastal Security
As previosuly reported by Maritime Security Review (see Coastal Surveillance System), a new integrated radar and automatic identification system coastal surveillance system has been successfully installed in Tanzania with the support of the IMO.
New maritime surveillance system improves coastal picture for Tanzania
By Kate Tringham, IHS Jane’s
A new integrated radar and automatic identification system (AIS) coastal surveillance system has been successfully installed in Tanzania as part of a broader project headed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which aims to significantly enhance maritime situational awareness in the region.
The maritime surveillance system was delivered over the past 12 months by the IMO in partnership with the Tanzanian and US governments, with Forward Slope, a privately owned company based in San Diego, California, acting as prime contractor. Forward Slope told IHS Jane’s that the system included a 12 ft Raytheon X-band radar.
According to the IMO the system will provide a coastal picture to both the Tanzanian Peoples’ Defence Forces and civilian authorities at the Dar es Salaam Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre and the integral Information Sharing Centre. This will allow resource-limited seagoing forces to have a better chance of effectively reacting to maritime security threats such as piracy, the IMO said.
Originally conceived as a bilateral military project between the US and Tanzania, the IMO took over responsibility for the initiative in order to integrate the system for civil and maritime law-enforcement use, bringing all maritime agencies together to counter maritime security threats such as piracy.
