Vessel traffic services (VTS) & coastal surveillance system (CSS) - Essay Example

Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) & Coastal Surveillance System (CSS) Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) are an interactive marine traffic monitoring and navigate system for improving the safety and efficiency of marine vessel traffic and protecting the environment within designated service areas. International Maritime Organization (IOM) defines Vessel traffic services (VTS) "as a service implemented by a competent authority designed to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and to protect the environment. The service should have the capability to interact with the traffic and to respond to traffic situations developing in the VTS area" (Paine, n. d. p.3). Functions of Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) The main function of a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is to provide active monitoring and navigational advice for vessels in particularly congested and busy waterways hence it enhances safety of life and property and optimizes the marine traffic flow. Except this Vessel Traffic Services Protect the environment by early detecting the leakage or spillage of any pollutant material Enhance efficiency of vessel movements and port marine resources Provide information to the concerning authorities about movements of ships carrying hazardous or noxious cargo onboard. Provide Search and Rescue assistance Classification of Vessel Traffic Services Vessel Traffic Services are classified either on the basis of surveillance or location. On the basis of surveillance VTS are classified into two classes. These two classes are Surveilled and Non-surveilled. According to US Cost Guard Navigational Center (2005), 'surveilled systems consist of one or more land-based sensors (i.e. radar, AIS and closed circuit television sites), which output their signals to a central location where operators monitor and manage vessel traffic movement. Non-surveilled systems consist of one or more reporting points, at which ships are required to report their identity, course, speed, and other data to the monitoring authority'. One the basis of locations there are three types of Vessel Traffic Services System. These are Costal, Harbor (Port) and Estuarial Vessel Traffic Services. The system which provides the monitoring and navigation assistance while entering or leaving a port, when sailing through waters or along the rivers is called as Harbor (or Port) Vessel Traffic Services System. Costal VTS mainly concerned with maritime trafficking passing through a particular cost line (SOLAS Ch V-Regulation, n. d.). VTS and VTSMIS The primary purpose of a VTS (as defined by IALA) is to provide active navigational and monitoring advice i. e; to give a clear, concise, real-time picture of vessel traffic movements at ports and in deep waters, hence to avoid any collision incident. In changing global scenario as economic factors have received priority the trade and ties are rapidly increasing. Consequently vessel traffic across the globe is increasing. Therefore the sever conditions of competition, unregulated use of sea space and asymmetric threats stimulate the increase risks, violations of legal norms and constant necessity of critical services at sea (Dereliev, 2004 pp.115-116). Hence to fulfill the wide range of applications VTS employs a variety of hardware and software modules that collect, integrate, assess and display sensor data in a manner that provides a comprehensive representation of the vessel traffic situation to VTS operators (NORCONTROL IT AS, 2005). This enhanced Vessel Traffic Services System along with traffic planning and screening tools is called Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS). VTMIS System Architecture VTMIS is capable of doing all type of surveillance activates. It employs a variety of hardware and software modules that collect, integrate, assess and display sensor data in a manner that provides a comprehensive representation of the vessel traffic situation to VTS operators. A typical VTMIS is shown in fig. 1 & have following major elements. Fig.1 1. VTS Operator Workstation: The VTS Operator Workstation is the primary interface to the VTMIS. The VTS Operators access, monitor and control all the information via VTS Operator Workstations. A VTS Operator Work Station has following features as given in product data sheet of VOC5060 Work station manufactured by NORCONTROL ITAS, Norway. Electronic chart of the coverage area - supporting both encrypted and unencrypted charts, using IHO standard presentation library Display of object information for all chart objects, Chart overlays (warning areas, navigation channels, etc) Digitized radar video, Radar target tracks (symbol, vector and ID tag depicting a target's position, course, speed and identity) Automatic Identification System (AIS) target tracks (symbol, vector and ID tag depicting a target's position, course, speed & ID Bearing lines from VHF/DF bearing lines, Detailed vessel data via info link to a database & System warnings Target and Buoy warnings, Status and controls for VTS sensors Data from other sensors (Meteorological/Hydrological, CCTV, SCADA, VHF/DF, AIS). As a huge amount of data and graphics are involved to accomplish these tasks hence a VTMIS Workstations consist an industry standard PC unit, with extra display monitors and a verity of compatible printers. The security issues are dealt by configuring the Workstations in four levels according to the responsibility of the user: typically Basic, Experienced, Expert and Administrator (NORCONTROL IT 2005). 2. Automatic Identification System (AIS): AIS consists of HF Transceiver, a Display and Sensor System, GPS/Differential GPS and Interface with VTS. AIS is a radio transponder beacon operating in the VHF maritime band. Using Self-Organizing Time Division Multiple Access (SOTDA) Technology AIS can handle a high broadcast data rate to insure reliable Ship to ship communication. AIS can handle well over 4,500 reports per minute and updates as often as every two seconds (U.S Cost Guard Navigation Center, 2005). 3. RADAR System: The VTS employed Doppler and Bi-static Radar systems. To determine the direction and speed of wind a Doppler Radar is employed. The 3D features of a target are obtained by using a Bi-Static Radar System. In Bi-Static Radar System first a narrow beam is transmitted towards the target then a back scattered Radiation is received. At the same time the passive bi-static receivers measure back scattered radiation coming at different angle from other sources. Combining these signals a 3D image is obtained. 4. Radio Direction Finder: Radio Direction Finder (RDF) is used to find the direction of radio signal. RDF points a directional antenna at different directions and direction of optimum radio signal is determined. 5. Meteorological & Hydrographic Sensors: The Meteorological parameters like wind speed & its direction, air pressure and air temperature, visibility and humidity are also measured via different sensors. Also sea current (stream) speed and direction and sea wave's level and height is also monitor through different hydrographic sensors. 6. Communication links: Communication links establish link between different VTS Stations, sensors, Radar Stations and between see traffic. Microwave link or a fiber Optic is used to join VTS Stations field sensors and Radar units. For communicating with a vessel entering VTS area a separate VHF channel is used. Case Study VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICES FOR GDANSKY BAY Poland has a costal border of about 534km along the Baltic. In order to improve the security and safety the maritime office of Gadynia uses HIIT sophisticated V3000 VTS System. The Gadynia uses HIIT sophisticated V3000 VTS System is shown in Fig. 1 and it comprises of: Four Redundant Terma X-band transceivers radar stations. Microwave carrier links and an undersea fiber optic cable VHF communication system & two VHF Radio Direction Finders Six meteor & hydro sensors Window XP based Database, control, monitoring, recording & replaying Servers Two work stations with number of operating systems. CCTV Four Redundant Terma X-band transceivers radar stations extract data from any target object across the coastal area from the Hel peninsula Russia, providing full radar coverage of the Gulf of Gdansk. This data is transmitted either through Microwave carrier links or via undersea fiber optic cable connects the whole sites. RDF &VHF radio transverse further clarify the target position communication system. All information is communicated to VTS Operator Work station where HITT's V3000 VTS system analyze the data and target if identified & navigated (HITT Traffic,n.d,). Costal Surveillance System (CSS) In today's changing world scenario a broader, multi-dimensional approach to Security, defense and trade cannot be overlooked. As everything is changing, costal life and traffic also demands a change. To meet the new challenges it has become important that has a high-tech costal monitoring system. Costal Surveillance System is a system which is design by combining the latest IT and Communication layers for early detection, classification and identification of targets moving on the surface and/or flying at low altitude and /or around the coasts within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as defined by United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS -1982). The Exclusive Economic Zone can be an area around200 miles on which the maritime state has rights and duties. EEZ is crucial for economic reasons (fisheries, geological and tourist value), but also for environmental, internal security, defense, and geo-strategic issues (SELEX Sistemi Integrati SpA Via Tiburtina 2002). Functions of Costal Surveillance System (CSS) The major function of an efficient Costal Surveillance System is to provide a high level of reliable sea area surveillance. As CSS combines both information technology and communication layers so its multilevel architecture allows real time information distribution to all the required levels of decision, thus improving and optimizing events management, being threats to national security or to the environment, search and rescue (SAR) operations, drugs and smuggling traffics, illegal immigration, terrorist attacks (SELEX Sistemi Integrati SpA Via Tiburtina 2002). Classification of Costal Surveillance Systems (CSS) Since CSS is not design particularly for navigation purposes hence ideally it suites for the permanent surveillance of any large or small coastal area and can be adapted for different end users such as Navy and Coast Guard, the Fishery Administration, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), Immigration, Customs, Police, Coastal and Offshore Companies. (EADS, n.d.). Hence CSS are classified either land based or off-shore Surveillance Systems depending on where it is based. Also if a Radar is used for tracking purposing then such surveillance systems are called as Radar based surveillance system and if the surveillance system is based on a satellite-based platform then such system is called as satellite based surveillance system. Multi-layer Satellite-based platform costal surveillance system is the future surveillance system and is known as Integrated Maritime Surveillance System. Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS) Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS) is based on satellite-based platform. Since a satellite covers a large geographical area therefore to create a single centre supplying functions of Vessel Traffic Flow Management (VTFM) for the entire region under satellite coverage, can only be accomplished with the implementation by a unified navigational management plan with functions allowing coordination between coastal surveillance systems of countries under satellite coverage. Integrated Maritime Surveillance System has following key applications: Recognized Maritime Picture enrichment thanks to the fusion of data coming from coastal radars data and satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Identification of suspect navigation behaviors in sea areas out of coastal Radars coverage (not planned rendezvous, route changes, and ships) Identification and tracking of illegal immigration traffic Detection of oil slicks coming from oil tanker illegal discharge or cleaning Provide Port to Port guide services to the countries under satellite coverage unified navigational plan coverage (Altan, n. d.). Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS) System Architecture Integrated Maritime Surveillance System Architecture is based on number of hardware and soft software layers. Sensor Layer: It consists of different kind of sensors like Radar, AIS, and Infrared. Different Radar systems according to requirements are applied. For example Long range S185M Radar (LRR)is the state of the art 3D D-band long-range naval air and surface surveillance radar for the next generation frigates. This equipment provides 3-dimensional track/plot for target with a maximum discover range of 400 km. It provides also jammer tracks and clutter maps to improve the TP compilation (Fiorini, n.d.). AIS consists of HF Transceiver, a Display and Sensor System, GPS/Differential GPS and an Interface. AIS is a radio transponder beacon operating in the VHF maritime band. Network layer: Integrated backbone network comprising of latest network software and hardware like modem, switches, routers hub etc. A communication link that may be a wireless link or optic fiber is used as a connecting media. Communication layer: It is an integrated platform based on all communication Technologies and carry out communication between different section on IMCSS. An Intergraded Maritime Costal Surveillance System is shown in fig.2 below. Fig. 2 References Altan, A. D. (n. d.) C4ISR Large Systems Port-to-Port Surveillance in the Mediterranean Sea. SELEX Sistemi Integrati [Internet], n.d., pp.1-31. Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2007]. Dereliev, P. H. & Medanikarov, B. K. (2004). THE C41 SYSTEM CONCEPT AND THE CONTROL OF NATIONAL SEA SPACE. INFORMATION & SECURITY. An International Journal [Internet], 2004, 13, pp.115-125. Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2007]. Fiorini, M. & Filoni. G., (n. d.). Multi sensor tracking function on modern anti-air-warfare (AAW) frigate. Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS) [Internet], n. d., pp.1-3. Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2007]. HITT, (n.d.). Vessel Traffic Services Gdansk Bay. HITT TRAFFIC [Internet], n. d., pp.1-2. Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2007]. NORCONTROL IT AS, (2005). VTS Operator Workstation VOC5060. NORCONTROL IT [Internet], pp.1-2. May, pp.1-2. Available from: < www.kongsberg.com/ dokumenter/norcontrolxitxdatasheets/kda/english/norcontrolxit/vtmis5060.pdf> [Accessed 1 March 2007]. Paine, G. (n. d.) Delaware Bay: A Private Vessel Traffic & Information Service, [Internet], p.3. Available from: < http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/6000/6800/6837/del.pdf> [Accessed 1 March 2007]. SELEX Sistemi Integrati SpA Via Tiburtina. (2002). AMS New Coastal Surveillance System [Internet], Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2007]. SOLAS Ch V-Regulation, (n. d.). Regulation 12- Vessel Traffic Services, MCA Guidance [Internet], Available from: [Accessed 1 March 2007]. US COAST GUARD NAVIGATION CENTER. (2005) VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICIES [Internet], Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2007]. Read More