DHS and Coast Guard release plan to prevent attacks by small vessels

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard recently announced publication of the Department of Homeland Security's Small Vessel Security Strategy Implementation Plan (SVSSIP).

The SVSSIP identifies appropriate strategies to diminish the possible exploitation of small vessels to be used by terrorists and other threats upon America's ports, waterways and shores.

According to the Coast Guard, there are about 17 million small vessels using the country's waterways. The plan aims to make it more difficult for these craft to be used as potential weapons while maintaining their freedom of movement. It is based upon the 2008 Small Vessel Security Strategy that was created to increase maritime security by promoting partnerships with the small vessel community and private and public sectors through the use of technology to spot vessels posing a threat to maritime security and by promoting cooperation among tribal, local, state, federal and international agencies.

Read the Small Vessel Security Strategy Implementation Plan in our article library here.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard