Anti-piracy application for SitaWare

Richard Scott

Thursday, 10 September, 2009

Mindful of ongoing maritime security operations in and around the Gulf of Yemen, software house Systematic (Stand 1073) has brought its SitaWare Maritime Boarding situational awareness and reporting tool to DSEi to demonstrate its application in anti-piracy operations.

The system has already been demonstrated by the Royal Danish Navy, having been installed on board the flexible support ship HDMS Absalon for test and evaluation. Absalon was the flagship of Combined Task Force 150 (a multinational coalition naval task force responsible for the maritime security operations in the Middle East and the north Indian Ocean) for a six month period from August 2008. SitaWare Maritime Boarding technology was used on board the command ship HDMS Thetis when it was in action off the coast of Somalia in early 2008 to support the UN World Food Programme.

Systematic’s technical solution provides crews on patrolling vessels with a real-time overview of the waterspace. It ensures connectivity between boarding teams and the mother ship so that the boarding team maintains contact and can receive instant notification of dangers in the operation area.

SitaWare Maritime Boarding also enables the boarding team to collect evidence and intelligence when inspecting a vessel. Previously, the boarding team would have to physically bring the evidence back to the mother ship and subsequently board again when necessary. Now the boarding team can remain on board the vessel until the evidence has been scrutinised.

For example, fingerprints can be compared instantly against a global database, aiding the search for wanted persons. Pictures of the cargo, crew and log books or other documents can be sent electronically to the mother ship to be scrutinised.