Underwater Port Security System
Encyclopedia
- See UIS and IAS for other meanings of these initials.
- For other diver-detector sonars, see :Category:Diver-detector sonars.
Underwater Port Security System (UPSS) was developed for the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and the Maritime Safety and Security Team
Maritime Safety and Security Team
A Maritime Safety and Security Team or MSST is a United States Coast Guard anti-terrorism team established to protect local maritime assets...
s (MSSTs) as an anti-frogman technique
Anti-frogman techniques
Anti-frogman techniques are security methods developed to protect watercraft, ports and installations, and other sensitive resources both in or nearby vulnerable waterways from potential threats or intrusions by frogmen or other divers....
. It includes the Underwater Inspection System (UIS) and the Integrated Anti-Swimmer System (IAS). Recent developments in terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
have highlighted the need for underwater anti-frogman
Frogman
A frogman is someone who is trained to scuba diving or swim underwater in a military capacity which can include combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer....
security. The UPSS is made in the United States and is reported to be compact enough fit in a large suitcase
Suitcase
A suitcase is a general term for a distinguishable form of luggage. It is often a somewhat flat, rectangular-shaped bag with rounded/square corners, either metal, hard plastic or made of cloth, vinyl or leather that more or less keeps its shape. It has a carrying handle on one side and is used...
.
The Coast Guard unveiled the system in February 2005 at the Coast Guard Integrated Support Command
Coast Guard Integrated Support Command
Coast Guard Integrated Support Command, as a US Coastguard component, could mean:*Integrated Support Command Kodiak in Alaska*Integrated Support Command Alameda in Alameda, California*Integrated Support Command New Orleans...
in San Pedro, California.
Ship Protection System
The Ship Protection System or SPS is a ship based underwater threat detection system manufactured by FarSounder, Inc. Based on FarSounder's 3D forward looking sonar, their SPS offers 360 degree coverage of underwater threats to vessels on anchor or at dock. This is a commercial product suitable for mega yachts.Underwater Inspection System
The Underwater Inspection System or UIS is a system manufactured by CodaOctopus and consists of the unique Echoscope Real Time 3D Sonar that is used to scan the underwater environment in zero visibility waters. The UIS system can be mounted on a small boat to scan harbor walls, piers, bridges for an underwater threat and can be used to complement long range diver detection systems by classifying the threat in 3D in real time. The same system can be mounted on remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to create 3D ship hull scans detecting small mine size objects.Integrated Anti-Swimmer System
The Integrated Anti-Swimmer System is a United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
underwater anti-diver ultrasound weapons
Sonic weaponry
Sonic and ultrasonic weapons are weapons of various types that use sound to injure, incapacitate, or kill an opponent. Some sonic weapons are currently in limited use or in research and development by military and police forces. Others exist only in the realm of science fiction...
system. IAS includes:-
- SM2000 (Underwater Surveillance System), a search sonarSonarSonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
made by Kongsberg MaritimeKongsberg MaritimeKongsberg Maritime is a Norwegian technology enterprise within the Kongsberg Gruppen . Kongsberg Maritime deliver systems for positioning, surveying, navigation and automation to merchant vessels and offshore installations...
. - An underwater warning loudspeakerLoudspeakerA loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
. - An underwater shockwaveShock waveA shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
emitter that can force divers to surface, or stun or kill them. The US Coast Guard calls it an "nonlethal interdiction acoustic impulse".
It can track underwater objects, similarly to an air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. Like other systems, such as the Cerberus
Cerberus (sonar)
Cerberus is a blue egg-shaped ultrasound device to detect submerged divers. It is made by Qinetiq. It can distinguish a diver from a seal or dolphin or porpoise. Its range is about 700 meters = 0.435 miles. It was unveiled at UDT2003...
, it is semi-intelligent and can distinguish humans from marine animals, partly because of their different shapes and typical movements underwater. This is not impeded by darkness or fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
or low underwater visibility
Visibility
In meteorology, visibility is a measure of the distance at which an object or light can be clearly discerned. It is reported within surface weather observations and METAR code either in meters or statute miles, depending upon the country. Visibility affects all forms of traffic: roads, sailing...
, and is a great improvement on scanning the water surface by eye from above. Various test attempts by MSST divers to trick the system did not work.
In most cases the detected diver would be warned by the underwater loudspeaker; after that, the shockwave emitter would be fired once as a warning, before it is fired to stun or kill.
Other Anti-Swimmer-based systems that have been invented, instead of shock-waves, use sound-waves which 'disrupt' the diver causing sickness and disorientation. This technique is considered non-lethal and has been developed using an array of underwater speakers.
External links
- Mission Detection: The Underwater Port Security System
- CNN: Coast Guard to unveil security system
- Port Security Systems
- Naval-technology.com/ press releases about Sentinel Intruder Detection Sonar (IDS) made by Sonardyne: http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/sonar/sonardyne/press1.html http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/sonar/sonardyne/press2.html http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/sonar/sonardyne/press3.html
- FarSounder's FS-SPS: Ship Protection System