Page 48: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2022)

PORT & HARBOR SECURITY possibility of using unmanned surface vehicles to enhance the eastern coast of Florida. The demonstration provided POLA security of the port. stakeholders with an understanding of how a USV could en-

To search for a solution, the port invited Maritime Tactical hance port security.

Systems Inc. (MARTAC) to visit and demonstrate the capa- POLA of? cials and the U.S. Coast Guard asked MARTAC bilities of their MANTAS unmanned surface vehicle. One of Inc. to consider providing larger USVs for the port and harbor the primary reasons that the Port of Los Angeles requested the security role, since a larger unmanned maritime vessel could

MANTAS system demonstration was the fact that MANTAS carry more sensors and stay underway for a longer period. had performed well in a port security evaluation conducted by MARTAC engineers did just that, and a 38-foot, T38 Devil the U.S. Army. Three MANTAS T-series vessels were part of Ray, was built and was demonstrated during a number of U.S. the Army’s Mobile Ocean Terminal Concept Demonstration Navy exercises, as well as during a port and harbor security in Concord, CA. demonstration for the Port of Tampa.

MANTAS is a high-performance USV built on a catama- ran-style hull, and comes in a number of variants ranging in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Port size from six-foot to 50-foot. The POLA demonstration was and Harbor Security conducted with a 12-foot MANTAS (T12). MANTAS can be The enhanced port and harbor security methodology de- equipped with a wide variety of above-surface sensors and be- scribed in this article has not been evaluated previously, and low-surface, as well as other devices such as chem/bio/nuclear there is a reason. The technology to provide reliable, adapt- sensors, water quality monitors, and above/below surface en- able and affordable USV support to augment manned capabil- vironmental sensors. ities and expand the reach of port security of? cials at facilities

MARTAC representatives provided a comprehensive brief- such as the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Tampa simply did ing on MANTAS capabilities, examined the span of POLA not exist just a few years ago. But that has now changed.

authorities’ operations, and provided a remote demonstration This technology is available today with commercial off-the- where POLA of? cials controlled MANTAS operating off the shelf unmanned surface vessels, and these can be employed to

All photos: Jack Rowley 48 July/August 2022

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