NCAGS Toolbox

From ATP 2(B) Vol IPresented by:

LCDR Stephan Freeman

NCAGS

The Toolbox101 Issue OPTASK NCAGS

102 Establish NCAGS Area

103 Establish CRGs

104 Liaise MERSHIP Community

105 Collect OSINT

106 Collect Focused INT

107 Establish Communications

108 Collect MERSHIP Info (Format Alfa)

109 Inputs to White Shipping Picture

110 Spare

111 Deconfliction

112 Brief Masters

113 Spare

114 Establish SCPs

115 Establish SRA's

116 Deploy NCAGS Liaison Officers

117 Sailing Instructions

118 Accompaniment of MERSHIPS

119 Dispersal/Emergency Movement

120 Service to CRS

121 Lead-through

122 Routeing for NCAGS Purposes

123 WWNWS/AWNIS

201 Mandatory Routeing

202 Convoy Operations

100 Series Tools

NCAGS Toolbox comprises a series of procedures and tactics available to support maritime operational objectives

May be used in combination or alone List is in no particular order or priority for

implementation Descriptions and measures are generic and may

be modified to meet specific mission objectives

101 – Issue OPTASK NCAGS

Done by the NCAGS CDR Details NCAGS contribution to the mission

102 – Establish NCAGS Area

NCAGS Area = AOO = AOR Usually coincides

with the mission’s established AOO

Established in NCAGS OPTASK

103 – Establish CRGs

A Communication Reporting Gate is established to provide a position for merchant ships to call NCAGS in order to establish initial contact or update previous information

Uses a time (ex. 40 hrs out) or a location (lines of latitude/longitude – most common)

Should be positioned so that merchant ships check in (via Format Alfa) and receive passage instructions a minimum of 36 hrs or 600 nm prior to reaching AOR

Promulgated through NOTMARs, etc.

104 – Liaise with Community

Develop, foster, and maintain a collaborative working relationship with the merchant shipping community

Enables rapid collection and dissemination of vital information

Also develop and maintain a collaborative working relationship with: Commercial trade organizations Insurance organizations Foreign governments/military

105 – Collect OSINT

Collect information by researching and data mining Open Sources

Open Sources include: Classification society

information (Lloyd’s-Fairplay Register of Ships)

National information sources (NSAs, shipping centers, gov’t departments)

Maritime internet websites and links (shipping companies, shipbuilding companies, etc)

NATO Shipping Center (NSC) Media (company schedules,

Journal of Commerce, newspapers, etc)

Maritime industry magazines and databases

106 – Collect Focused INT

Collect information by using NCAGS personnel and other assets in theater to augment OSINT

Sources include: Liaise with Intelligence Staff Observing port activities, anchorages, activities on board ships,

etc Contacting local shipping companies, ship owners, ship

operators, ship agents, and ship masters Direct communication with merchant ships Monitor infrastructure in ports of interest Photograph ships and facilities (if permitted by local authorities)

107 – Establish COMMs w/ MV

Provide merchant ships with directions for contacting NCAGS

Provide information of interest to shipping Collect data on ships for White Shipping Picture Mandatory for vessels over 300 GT Vessels encouraged (but not required) to establish

COMMs: Fishing vessels Warships Pleasure yachts not engaged in trade Wooden ships of a primitive build Sailing vessels

108 – Collect MERSHIP Info

Collect information on merchant ships in the AOO through submission of a Format Alfa (Ship’s Data Card) and subsequent position reports

As a general rule, the Format Alfa should be kept as short as possible and limited to the information determined to be essential

Pre-made Format Alfa’s can be obtained from the Exercise LOI

108 – Format Alfa

Section A: Basic Details of Vessel Ship’s name International Callsign Type of Vessel Flag of registry IMO # Port of registry Overall length Vessel’s width Maximum draft Gross tonnage Speed

service maximum minimum

Significant appearance of vessel for optical recognition

MMSI (Maritime Mobile Services Identity) #

Name of communication stations being copied

INMARSAT telephone #s INMARSAT fax #s INMARSAT telex #s INMARSAT Data #s Other communication means,

such as email address

108 – Format Alfa (cont)

Section B: Details of Current Voyage Intended movement (description of passage) Last port/country of call including actual date/time of

departure Next port of call including ETA Current position Date/time and position entering the region Waypoints of intended track through AOO Position and date/time of departing the region

108 – Format Alfa (cont)

Section C: Details of Ship’s OperatorName of ship owner/operatorAddress of ship ownerName of agentAddress of operator/agentEmail of owner/operator/agentTelephone # of owner/operator/agentFax # of owner/operator/agent

108 – Format Alfa (cont)

Section D: Cargo Data Quantity and nature of main/relevant cargo Shippers of main/relevant cargo (name and address) Origin of main/relevant cargo Consignee of main/relevant cargo Final destination of main/relevant cargo Special queries appropriate to current operation

Example: “State if any cargo/person is carried being subject to UN sanctions, YES or NO – if YES, describe on separate sheet”)

109 – Inputs to White Shipping Picture

Exercise purposes: C2PC, NAMESIS

111 - Deconfliction

Minimize interference between military operations and merchant ship movements

Persuade masters to comply with NCAGS guidance and recommendations

Benefit to masters: by complying, the interruptions to their voyages by military units will be minimized and the safely of their voyage will be enhanced

111 – Deconfliction (cont.)

Identify potential interference:Separation zonesTraffic lanesFishing areasChokepointsMain shipping routes

Generate and promulgate alternative routes

112 – Brief Masters

Enhance their safety Minimize disruption to their voyages Improve awareness and understanding of

military situation

***Do not disclose Classified information***

114 – Establish SCPs

A Shipping Co-operation Point is used to execute and coordinate NCAGS operations in a specific geographic area

Can be either ashore or afloat

115 – Establish SRAs

Delineate an area of higher or specific risk to merchant ships within area

Clearly defined by geographic boundaries Should be kept as small as possible All participating merchant ships within SRA will be given an

SI (Sailing Instructions) with a recommended route to follow Those not complying should be briefed clearly on the

dangers that may result Used to achieve deconfliction, reduce risk, and/or minimize

movement of merchant ships due to: Increased threat of opposing forces Increased threat by own naval operations

116 – Deploy Liaison Officers

For merchant ship embarkment LNO makes military knowledge available

to masters to help them understand naval/military requirements

LNO acts as an interpreter of military language/expressions

117 – Sailing Instructions

Issued to all ships transiting an SRA and any ships requiring specific routeing direction

118 - Accompaniment

Recommend and Facilitate It is a voluntary arrangement by which merchant ships can be

organized for passage through an area of increased risk in company with military units

A military presence in the vicinity of merchant ships acts as a deterrent from any unlawful interference to included merchant ships

Primarily used for transiting an SRA Generally, not enough military assets to accompany all merchant

ships, so prioritization must be used Ships directed to gather at defined assembling (marshalling) points NOT ESCORT or CONVOY

119 – Dispersal/Emergency Movement

Dispersal: May be ordered when it is considered that the concentration of ships in a port or area is such that the likelihood of an attack is increased Ships may be moved to other berths/anchorages in same port Ships may be moved to holding/working anchorages or other

ports Empty ships may be sailed out of threatened area

Emergency Movement: Preserve hulls and cargoes when attack in a port of area is imminent or has occurred Four elements:

Diversion Port Evacuation Area Evacuation Subsequent Movements

120 – Service to CRS

Crisis Response Operations (CROs) are multifunctional operations involving military, diplomatic, and humanitarian agencies that are designed to achieve humanitarian goals or long-term political settlement and are conducted impartially in support of UN mandates

Crisis Response Shipping (CRS) – the role of military and merchant shipping in a CRO

Recent CROs

Operation Unified Assistance (2005)

Operation Focus Relief (2001)

Operation Atlas Response (2000)

United Shield (1995) & Operation Restore Hope (1992-93)

Relief efforts following the tsunami in SE Asia

Peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone

Relief efforts following torrential rains and flooding in southern Mozambique and South Africa

Humanitarian assistance in Somalia (“Black Hawk Down”)

121 – Lead-through

Minimize the risk to merchant ships transiting potential mined areas

Liaise with MCM Potentially embark NLOs

122 - Routeing

Provide guidance for the selection of specific routes for merchant ships within or through the operational area

Used

primarily for

deconfliction

123 – WWNWS/AWNIS

Produce navigational safety warnings AWNIS = Allied Worldwide Navigational Information

System Provides a complete navigational safety information service for

allied military commands and civil shipping during crisis or conflict

As a general rule, should be activated if mine warfare forces are deployed or NCAGS is implemented

WWNWS = World Wide Navigational Warning System AWNIS uses WWNWS for disseminating unclassified

navigational information to the merchant marine

200 Series Tools

200 Series Tools are for implementation during Naval Supervision of Merchant Ships which requires NAC/DPC (North Atlantic Council/Defense Planning Committee) approval to implement 201: Mandatory Routeing for

Merchant Ships 202: Conduct Convoy Operations

The Toolbox101 Issue OPTASK NCAGS

102 Establish NCAGS Area

103 Establish CRGs

104 Liaise MERSHIP Community

105 Collect OSINT

106 Collect Focused INT

107 Establish Communications

108 Collect MERSHIP Info (Format Alfa)

109 Inputs to White Shipping Picture

110 Spare

111 Deconfliction

112 Brief Masters

113 Spare

114 Establish SCPs

115 Establish SRA's

116 Deploy NCAGS Liaison Officers

117 Sailing Instructions

118 Accompaniment of MERSHIPS

119 Dispersal/Emergency Movement

120 Service to CRS

121 Lead-through

122 Routeing for NCAGS Purposes

123 WWNWS/AWNIS

201 Mandatory Routeing

202 Convoy Operations

Questions?

TerminologyTerminologyTricks of the TongueTricks of the Tongue

Between US and International CommunitiesBetween US and International Communities

Presented by:Presented by:LCDR Stephan FreemanLCDR Stephan Freeman

COPCOP Common Operational PictureCommon Operational Picture Definition: A correlated and fused near-real time Definition: A correlated and fused near-real time picturepicture

of a battle space including geo-locational track of a battle space including geo-locational track information on friendly, hostile, and neutral land, sea, information on friendly, hostile, and neutral land, sea, and air forces. and air forces.

We have agreed to use the term “White Shipping We have agreed to use the term “White Shipping Picture”Picture”

RMPRMP Recognized Maritime PictureRecognized Maritime Picture Definition: A composite picture of activity of a maritime Definition: A composite picture of activity of a maritime

area of interest at any given time; feeds into the COP.area of interest at any given time; feeds into the COP.

We have agreed to use the term “White Shipping We have agreed to use the term “White Shipping Picture”Picture”

AORAOR Area of ResponsibilityArea of Responsibility Definition: A defined area of land in which responsibility Definition: A defined area of land in which responsibility

is specifically assigned to the commander of the area for is specifically assigned to the commander of the area for the development and maintenance of installations, the development and maintenance of installations,

control of movement, and the conduct of operationscontrol of movement, and the conduct of operations

AOOAOO Area of OperationArea of Operation Definition: That portion of an area of conflict necessary Definition: That portion of an area of conflict necessary

for the conduct of an operation. Areas of operations are for the conduct of an operation. Areas of operations are geographical areas assigned to commanders for which geographical areas assigned to commanders for which

they have responsibilitythey have responsibility..

NCAGS AreaNCAGS Area Definition: That portion of an area of conflict necessary Definition: That portion of an area of conflict necessary

for the conduct of an NCAGS operation.for the conduct of an NCAGS operation.

SCPSCP Shipping Co-operation PointShipping Co-operation Point US equivalent: SCTUS equivalent: SCT

NCAGS L/ONCAGS L/O NCAGS Liaison OfficerNCAGS Liaison Officer US equivalent: LNOUS equivalent: LNO

NOTMARNOTMAR Notice to MarinersNotice to Mariners US equivalent: NOTAMUS equivalent: NOTAM

LTLT Lieutenant Lieutenant pronunciationpronunciation

RouteingRouteing US equivalent: RoutingUS equivalent: Routing

Questions?Questions?