Exploring data sharing between geographically distributed mobile and fixed nodes supporting Extended Maritime Interdiction Operations (EMIO)

Abstract

After the 9/11 catastrophe, insurgents and terrorists have shown us that they will continue to employ asymmetric threats to carry out their objectives, by using any available equipment or any available route to their objective that remains unchecked or unchallenged, like car bombs, suicide bombers, and commercial airplanes. In response, the United States and its allies are focusing harder on data sharing efforts in order to improve the situational awareness (SA) of command and control (C2) structures, to make quicker decisions, and to collaborate with remote experts on chemical, biological, and radiological elements, biometrics, or explosive devices. This thesis discusses the data sharing contributions and features of collaborative tools used onboard a boarding vessel in a riverine area and participating nodes to provide or to enhance the SA and decision making process during EMIOs. As maritime operational experiments, conducted by the Center for Network Innovation and Experimentation (CENETIX), are more successful with each successive MIO experiment, a better understanding for methods of sharing substantial data captured during these operations with participating nodes will be reached.