Consistent identification of threats to the maritime industry has been an urgent thought for sailors for over hundreds of years. Maritime Domain Awareness is the effective comprehension of whatever is related to the global maritime industry that could affect the security, environment and power of the country. It is one of the critical and vital segments of maritime security. It very well may be accomplished through the capacity to gather, exchange, examine and show data and knowledge to law enforcement agencies.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) characterizes maritime domain awareness (MDA) as “the effective understanding of any activity associated with the maritime environment that could impact upon the security, safety, economy or environment”. The wide range of purposes for which MDA is viewed as fundamental, including the geographical span over which such awareness is looked for, produces huge difficulties. With expanding international and geo-financial prominence of the maritime industry, the requirement for security and likewise domain awareness will ostensibly fill in significance and intricacy.

As a fundamental component of maritime security activities, accomplishing domain awareness is a complicated process. India’s unquestionable maritime geography places it at the vanguard of endeavors to guarantee security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The country’s ideal location which places roughly 50% of the Indian Ocean inside a 1000-mile sweep of the Indian landmass bears to it the essential duty, and the greatest conditions to lead domain awareness endeavors in the region. India’s maritime security system record recognizes the supremacy of India’s role in local MDA endeavors, and states: “in order to reduce the information gaps and enhance maritime security for the common benefit, the Indian Navy will promote mechanisms for developing regional MDA”.

The Indian Maritime Doctrine characterizes MDA as a widely inclusive term that includes being cognizant of the position and goals, everything being equal, regardless of whether own, unfriendly or impartial, in the continually developing maritime environment in the domains of interest. This definition outlines MDA as a generally restricted focal point of maritime activities for maritime security. The direct mention of hostile and neutral actors shows a manner of thinking revolving around stressful situations. Resulting advancement in conceptualizing maritime security and domain awareness is in the Indian Maritime Security Strategy (IMSS). While this record emphasizes the prior definition, it weaves the fiber of MDA through every one of the functional settings of discouragement, structuring the maritime environment, conflict, and coastal security – expressly perceiving the significance of thorough MDA in each of these contexts.

In the advanced maritime field, war is a more perplexing suggestion than in the times of Sun Tzu (the renowned Chinese Strategist), yet foreknowledge is still a critical element. Today, the enemy is often unrecognizable such as a pirate, criminal or terrorist. Such individuals or groups of individuals have an imperceptible presence and sneak behind ordinary mariners. Law enforcement agencies today must be significantly more careful, exceptionally dependent on high-grade sensors and correspondence networks that notice and track suspicious activities and constantly share data.

In order to encompass all the components of MDA, India must establish a new framework for Maritime Security that would be overlooked either by DG Shipping or a dedicated organization. This framework would be a uniform system to ensure India’s national and international maritime security interests by forestalling attacks, and defending the sea and its assets through greatest risk and situational awareness across the immense maritime area.

The motivation behind this undertaking would be to introduce a model for Strategic Maritime Domain Awareness that will improve India’s maritime security by connecting the national and international maritime areas. This would be done so by utilizing the capacities of the Indian Naval force, Indian Coast Guard, Central, State and local governments along with international partners. Vital Maritime Domain Awareness will give consistent and straightforward awareness of the whole maritime domain to help Indian Strategy for Maritime Security by deflecting, upsetting or annihilating risks and improving worldwide participation, reinforcing business security, and guaranteeing the progression of the marine transportation framework.

The immensity of the maritime area, the exceptionally industrialized nature of the world’s business seaports and the gigantic volume of every day global shipping presents a plenty of chances for terrorists, hoodlums, pirates and other international offenders to undermine, upset or attack India and all throughout the planet through both customary and whimsical means. Countering dangers, improving national maritime security and ensuring Indian maritime interests are together, intricate endeavor that requires close coordination between the maritime powers of India and its companions and partners.

The National Strategy for Maritime Security is the all-encompassing direction and vital idea for accomplishing these significant targets, yet it can’t be acknowledged without the Strategic Maritime Domain Awareness Model. The Strategic MDA Model gives upgraded usefulness, coordination and loyalty through a hearty multi-organization knowledge and data sharing build that when applied, will significantly improve the execution of The National Strategy for Maritime Security.

Marex Media