U.S. Maritime Security: Sustainability Challenges
Abstract
The U.S. maritime domain includes vast resources and enables the transportation of goods and services across the globe. Similar to all critical infrastructures and key resources, the maritime domain can be exploited to cause harm to people and disrupt economic stability. The President's National Strategy for Maritime Security and the U.S. maritime security framework are designed to deter, prevent, and respond to a broad range of threats and exploitations. The U.S. maritime security system has evolved over the past decade and faces significant challenges, including severe budget reductions; gaps between national guidance and specific roles and responsibilities assigned to federal agencies; and lack of interoperability among disparate logistic processes, training processes, and operational command centers within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Within the DHS, the United States Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection execute the preponderance of maritime security missions. They struggle with aging air and marine assets and continuous interoperability challenges. The long-term solution includes a new alignment of air and marine resources and capabilities under one agency within the department, which will increase efficiency and reduce duplication of effort and costs, while maintaining a sustainable and layered maritime security posture in support of the President's strategy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA552299
Entities
People
- Laura J. Thompson
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School