Page 42: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q3 2014)

42 | Maritime Professional | 3Q 2014Evolving Threats Met by Market InnovationA look at commercial off-the-shelf technologies and products designed to mitigate risk at sea and in port. By Joseph Keefe MARITIME SECURITYIn a post 9/11 world, many facets of maritime security only seem to grow. Global threats, despite best efforts, do not diminish. Chief among these issues are port security, the protection of critical energy assets and the scourge of pi-racy on the high seas. As the cost of meeting both challenges climbs, ship operators and port executives look to economi- cally manage their risk. The effort weighs heavily on the bottom line at a time when many maritime sectors are strug-gling in the red. Nevertheless, ADM Jay Cohen (U.S Navy, Ret.), former Chief of Naval Research, told MarPro in July, ?Life is risk versus cost.? As the man tasked with protecting U.S. Trident submarine assets in Georgia immediately fol- lowing 9/11, Cohen ought to know. In terms of today?s maritime security threats, managers are measuring the risk of losing the assets that make them money against the cost of providing adequate protection. The quan- dary is not unlike that which faced safety managers in the not- too-distant past. Eventually, the discussion of safety evolved from one which was viewed purely as a cost center to an ef- fort where quality ship operators now understand that robust safety programs actually make money. Maritime security ef- forts, if they are headed in the same direction, arguably have not reached the same plateau. That hasn?t stopped the market from rolling out new equipment and technology to meet the growing global threat against maritime assets and infrastruc- ture. In this issue of MarPro, a look at just a few of these in- novations gives the waterfront new hope in the war on terror. HALO MARITIME DEFENSE SYSTEMS HALO Maritime Defense Systems markets a system de- signed to provide waterside protection of ports and harbors with maritime security barriers that are stable and effective. Accord- ing to HALO, a majority of maritime security barriers in use today are inherently unstable, prone to ß ipping over in rough seas and provide limited security. Legacy maritime security barriers, most dating back to the period immediately follow- ing 9/11 when the emerging threat to ports was only becoming evident, are commonly referred to as ÔType IÕ barriers. HALOÕs new system offers a breakthrough design, termed Type II Mari- time Security Barriers, to overcome those deÞ ciencies.The world of port security changed forever on October 12, 2000 with the attack on the USS Cole. That incident clearly demonstrated that the threat from a determined terrorist in a small boat was both real and very difÞ cult to defend against. The rush to deploy an adequate solution eventually saw the U.S. Navy procuring inß atable boat barriers. This ÔType 1Õ equipment provided some protection, but with them came a raft of other issues, including inferior stopping power, insta- bility in rough seas and sometimes high maintenance costs.Today, the U.S. Navy is looking for a better mousetrap. Beyond that market, however, the worldÕs 440 nuclear plants Ð all situated on or nearby water Ð need protection, as well. The growing LNG market, which will necessitate the prolif- eration of both import and export marine facilities here and abroad, has its own vulnerability problem. Looking past the HALO Maritime Defense Systems 34-49 Q3 MP2014.indd 4234-49 Q3 MP2014.indd 428/15/2014 10:16:22 AM8/15/2014 10:16:22 AM