Page 250 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
compliance of international norms in navigation.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a fastest
developing technology and in this digital age the world is now
considered as a global village. In this context SLN should positively
seek for a joint monitoring system, information sharing system and
cross-border collaboration and quick response system. This will help
timely announcement of significant events, disaster weather warning
message, oceanic pollution message, piracy and maritime distress, basic
meteorological information and emergency rescue approach for oceanic
activities.

Maritime Intelligence

After the end of protracted conflict in Sri Lanka in year 2009, new
maritime threats have emerged which are very complex and interwoven
and continue to evolve in various forms affecting the sustainable
development of the country. It is observed many incidents mainly; drug
trafficking, human smuggling, maritime pollution and IUU fishing in the
Sri Lankan waters. In most of such unlawful acts, perpetrators have used
assymetric tactics to acheive their objectives. Therefore, it demands
deployment of more assets at sea and the use of advance technology for
real time information gathering in the maritime domain in order to have
effective maritime surveillance. Also these gathered information need
fusion in logical sequence to convert them for maritime intelligence,
where vulnerabilities can be identified and critical issues can be
addressed according to the priority and magnitude.

The information may gather through collaboration with various sources
mainly from naval ships, Coast Guard, coastal surveillance sensors,
structured and unstructured information through various other sources
such as local Intelligence Services, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources, open source web applications, human intelligence and
foreign intelligence. SLN is required to enhance the capability to integrate
those information and fusion to produce intelligence to facilitate
decision makers to take prompt action. Therefore, establishment of
a Maritime Information Fusion System with modern technology will

230 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea