The Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), the chief agency for maritime data fusion initiated post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is soon going to transform into a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre.
The Imperative of Enhancing Coastal Security
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) surfaces as a crucial area for improving coastal security. The task becomes notably challenging as India is situated in one of the world’s busiest maritime traffic regions. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) serves as a commercial highway with large traffic, vital for numerous nations’ prosperity. Therefore, it is essential to suppress threats like maritime terrorism, piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, and others consistently.
Understanding Maritime Domain Awareness
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) explains Maritime Domain Awareness as the effective comprehension of anything related to the maritime domain that may impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. This includes all maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, vessels, and other conveyances linked to a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway.
In March this year, India became an Observer in the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), a significant regional institution in the Western/African Indian Ocean. Additionally, in 2018, the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) was established within the IMAC to coordinate with regional countries on maritime security, serving as a regional repository of maritime data.
A Look at the Proposed NDMA Centre
The upcoming NDMA Centre will function as a multi-agency centre, employing information to various stakeholders, ranging from the fisheries department to local policing authorities, regarding developments or movements across the coast. This strategy aims at predicting and preventing any transnational risk.
Profile of Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC)
Positioned in Gurugram, Haryana, IMAC is the primary center of the Indian Navy for coastal surveillance and monitoring. It became operational in 2014 as a joint initiative by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and Bharat Electronics Ltd under the National Security Adviser (NSA). The centre functions as the nodal center of the National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network (NC3I Network).
Functions and Principles of IMAC
The core activities of IMAC involve tracking vessels on high seas and procuring data from coastal radars, white shipping agreements, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders installed on merchant ships, air and traffic management systems, and global shipping databases. IMAC’s operations align with the Security and Growth of All in the Region (SAGAR) principles.
Automatic Identification System and White Shipping Agreement
The Automatic Identification System is a tracking technology installed on specific commercial vessels. Post the 26/11 terror attack, all fishing vessels exceeding 20m length were mandated to have AIS transponders installed, and now efforts are to include vessels less than 20m as well.
According to the White Shipping Agreement, the white shipping information indicates the exchange of relevant advanced details about the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels. Ships are categorized into white (commercial ships), grey (military vessels), and black (illegal vessels).
Recent Initiatives by IMAC
In 2019, IMAC organized a coastal security workshop for BIMSTEC countries. During the MT New Diamond fire incident off Sri Lanka’s coast, IFC-IOR played a significant role in the early mobilization of resources, leading to a swift reaction.
National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network
The Indian Navy has launched the NC3IN, connecting 51 stations, inclusive of 20 naval and 31 coast guard stations, with a nodal IMAC. The NC3I network generates a seamless real-time picture of India’s nearly 7,500-km long coastline.