Monitoring the High Seas: The Increasing Role of Space in Maritime Domain Awareness

Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact security, safety, economy, or environment. Space capabilities are an important element of MDA, including space-based radar imaging and surveillance, ocean temperature and sea ice monitoring, among others. A number of countries are developing space capabilities to support MDA, but there are still significant gaps in coordination and cooperation between these efforts, as well as integrating space-based information with other sources into a holistic MDA picture and getting it to those who need it on the ground in a usable manner. This panel session provided an overview of the importance of MDA and the various efforts to provide space-based capabilities to improve MDA. The session also offered a discussion on opportunities for enhancing international cooperation, both in space and on the ground, to improve MDA for all nations.

Speakers:

• Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy, Deputy Director, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council 
• Mr. Jon Huggins, Director of Ocean's Beyond Piracy, One Earth Future Foundation 
• Dr. John Mittleman, Engineer, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory 
• Prof. Guy Thomas, Co-Founder, C-SIGMA Centre 
• Major Charity Weeden, Assistant Attaché Air and Space Operations, Royal Canadian Air Force 

Presentations:

Space-based AIS, The Game Changer, Prof. Guy Thomas
Challenges Maritime Domain Awareness, Mr. Jon Huggins

Event Materials:

• Audio recording

Media Coverage:

"Space-based Systems Enhance Maritime Domain Awareness say SWF Panelists" - Marcia S. Smith & Len Ly, Space Policy Online, June 19, 2014.

For more information, please contact Washington Office Director Victoria Samson.