Globalization and Maritime Power

Globalization
Globalization can be defined in two ways: -

as a phenomenon, meaning expansion of cross-border networks

and flows, which may include the creation of global financial
market, expansion of democratic governance, or the use of
modern information technology.

As a long term process leading to globality-a more interconnected

world system in which interdependent networks and flows
surmount traditional boundaries.

Thus, globalization has become the dominant element of

the current security environment- and suggest the need

for new responses to these changes.
Due to the nature of the maritime world, as 90 percent of
world trade is happens through oceans, and still the open
ocean is the primary medium and symbol of globalization.

The risk factor for maritime

security in globalized
Increases in Maritime Trade and Traffic - A key effect of economic
globalization is theenvironment
continuing increase in maritime trade and traffic,

ongoing trends could make maritime trade more vulnerable to

disruption. This increases the workload of Navy and Coast Guard in
providing the maritime security, whether against bellicose states or
against piracy and international crime.
Since the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and the
Pentagon, maritime security has become the major concern not only
for US but also for other nations, and due to this reason ISPS code
(International Ship & Port facility security code) also being
introduced to enhance the maritime security.
The use of ship as a weapon, for e.g. if a ship carrying liquid
petroleum gas were to explode in the Turkish Straits, scientists
estimate the impact would be the same as an 11.0 earthquake on
the Richter scale, & it will threaten the whole of Istanbul like an
atomic bomb, and it can also reach 50 kilometres in diameter.

The risk factor for maritime

security in globalized
environment
Terrorist activities-

Biological, Chemical, and Nuclear Proliferation.: - The proliferation of both weapons

of mass destruction and their delivery systems has been rising for the last decade.

Cyber threats -Extensive use cyber for critical infrastructure likefinancial

institutions, transportation, communications systems, electric power, and oil and

gas supply.

US Navy is global navy - being navy forward and having its presence in

ports and seas worldwide makes it the prime potential target for attacks
in times of regional wars
Smuggling & Trafficking of Military Hardware, Drugs, Humans.
Increase in piracy especially in regions like the Strait of Malacca
(between Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore), Nigerian waters
etc.
Corruption - prime socially damaging activity which helps criminal
groups achieve their aims. This helps them in conducting terrorist
attacks and other organised global crimes

The risk factor for maritime

security in globalized
of hub-and-spoke networks in the container
The emergenceenvironment

liner industry in the past decade, the issue of chokepoint

(defined by physical geography e.g. Strait of Hormuz, Suez
Canal, South China Sea vulnerability comes into the picture.
an even more potentially disruptive effect resides within hub
ports such as Singapore and Rotterdam, which possess
similar attributes of a chokepoint, since they collect
numerous trades at a single concentrated point; hence, the
name hub port, such regions possess indirect threats
such as piracy, collisions (due to narrow and heavy traffic
density) and instability in the region than from direct
attacks.

Role of Information System and Sensors to improve Port Safety Operations

Information Technology and High-technology sensors has more

military applications in command and control and battle

management
Due to the proliferation of commercial technology, military
applicable sensors and intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance techniques are now available commercially
Few examples:

Commercialization of Satellite imagery

Satellite communications

GPS based commercial global locating system used in tracking shipments

and direct transportation

Role of Information System and Sensors to improve Port Safety Operations

Availability of advanced weapons systems such as nuclear,

chemical, and biological systems and their integration with IT

and advanced sensors have created advanced antiaccess or area
denial systems.
The commercial targeting data are now widely available which is
of growing concern due to the availability of such information to
the potential opponents.
Neither sensors nor the display of sensor data are ever perfect.
So the sensors and surveillance systems need to be improved
such that observations are likely to be closer to the reality.
Operational Architecture, often referred as combinations of
information technology, can be used to focus on how existing
and future systems can be combined to achieve best effects with
respect to organizing, equipping, and training the military units
to achieve greatest tactical efficiency.

Role of Information System and Sensors to improve Port Safety Operations

The combination of space-based sensors, sea-bottom sensors, wide

area mobile sensor arrays and long-range acoustic detection by
submarine sonar makes the ocean vastly more visible for protection
from future attacks on port.
Unlike space-based sensors, submarine sensors have agility since they
form a segment of sensor networks, can be moved whenever needed
with little regards to threat or logistics consideration. The agility of this
sensors further advances the detection of enemy maritime operations.
Information system is useful for improving the signal recognition, data
stowage, knowledge-based comparison, data compression computer
processing and communications through the signals received from the
sensors. Also Information system can be used for combining data from
both space and submarines in near real time.

Conclusion
Due to the globalization in recent decades and the political issues such

as in Syria, the security of ports is now one of the major concerns for
not just USA but also for countries around the world.
The information technology and sensor will play a major role in shaping
this new world and making it more secure and a better place to live.
Terrorists can target ports by using ships such as petrochemical
carriers as a weapon that can create a devastating damage that could
be almost similar to a nuclear attack.