Port Security Strategy 2012

Abstract : U.S. Navy and commercial ships have been lucrative targets for terrorist organizations. Realizing that ships are most vulnerable while in-port, adequate measures must be employed by port facilities to ensure vessel security. Commercial and naval ports have been set as a national priority in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 13. A successful terrorist strike against a port could produce long-term economic impact. In an attempt to develop a system of systems to prevent and defeat terrorist attacks against foreign and domestic ports, this study approached the threat from three different aspects: terrestrial, seaborne, and internal. This report uses the Systems Engineering Design Process to define the problem, generate alternatives, model scenarios, and analyze results to produce feasible and cost-effective solutions. No single system can address all issues prevalent in the port security problem. The recommended solutions individually address specific threats, namely vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, small boat swarm tactics, importation of contraband or weapons of mass destruction, and employee sabotage. Although each solution effectively increased port security, improved port security measures resulted in greater cost. Some solutions yielded only marginal gain in effectiveness with drastic increases in cost.