From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed May 26 2010 - 09:30:47 EDT
Maritime Surveillance System Monitors Coastline; Aids in Djibouti National
Security
By Senior Master Sergeant Cheryl L. Toner
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Public Affairs
DJIBOUTI, May 26, 2010 - "Like a person who was blind, we are able to see a
little better," said the commander of the Djibouti Navy as he discussed the
Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC), a maritime surveillance
program.
Speaking about the only Eastern African country that has access to RMAC,
Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher said he hopes that the system that monitors
the waters will be completely operational soon. He said he also looks
forward to the future where other East African countries can exchange
information by using the system together.
The RMAC system installation and operation is now 40 percent done according
to Cher and, when complete, it will sense information from four points along
the Djiboutian coastline. Near the northern border of Djibouti in Moulhoule,
where Yemen is visible and a mere 10 nautical miles away, a small crew mans
one of the RMAC sites. Here, like the system in the city of Djibouti, the
networked computers are but one piece of the technology that silently sweeps
the coastline for information.
A team from Camp Lemonnier recently accompanied technicians from Furuno, the
manufacturer that produces the radar inside the RMAC, to the site. To do
some repairs to the system, they hitched a ride on a Marine CH-53 Super
Stallion from the Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 366 group. The team's
mission that day was to install a surge protector, install lightning
protection on a sensor and swap out computer components.
Issues arise from power spikes, heat from the sun, equipment failure, and
technical configuration, according to Lieutenant Commander Steve Paradella
from CJTF's Communications Directorate, J6. To underscore the intensity of
the extreme weather, Harold Goodman, also from J6, said that a motherboard
was "warped because it was baked, but the killer out here is humidity."
The trip was HOA's first to the northernmost site at Moulhoule, according to
Mark Angerhoffer, J6. He said technicians assisted the RMAC contractors who
worked on the system.
"The knowledge [and] experience they gain from assisting the RMAC team while
they're onsite will increase our capability to sustain the system once the
team departs," said Angerhoffer. While contractors may provide technical
support, the HOA staff has also been working practical issues with the
Djiboutians for the past few months to troubleshoot problems with the RMAC
radars, power, etc., he said. Angerhoffer said yet another group -- Naval
Mobile Construction Battalion 7 -- also did electrical work just prior to
the visit that allowed the RMAC team to establish a new, more reliable
communications path.
Inside the two-story building, the computers use Automatic Identification
System (AIS) and ground based radars and sensors to provide situational
awareness in their maritime domain, according to Commander Paradela. "This
maritime domain awareness is an essential aspect of maritime safety and
security in [the] region," he said.
Colonel Cher said the French began an independent but similar program in
2003 and then the U.S. provided RMAC equipment starting in 2008. He said the
systems currently run parallel to each other. Colonel Cher said the RMAC
will eventually allow information to be transmitted real time versus the
current process where operators call in updates. "This allows the Djibouti
Navy to be able to have eyes on this well-traveled area, not so far away
from piracy and terrorism havens," said Colonel Cher.
"RMAC is a key system that contributes to national security," said the
Djiboutian Navy Commander. To this end, he said it needs to be completed "to
ensure the safety and security of the Republic of Djibouti."
He compared the completion of the project to the work of a doctor. "Much
like a surgeon who does eye surgery and only does 40 percent of the
surgery," he said, "we need the remaining 60 percent to be done so that we
can see."
<http://www.africom.mil/file.asp?HR=2&ID=20100525101846>
http://www.africom.mil/file.asp?HR=1&ID=20100525101846
MOULHOULE, Djibouti - U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Jeffery, a
member of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, and Ben Silone, a
Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) contractor, work on the RMAC
system at a site on the northern coastline of Djibouti, May 9, 2010. The
system contributes to the safety and security of Djibouti by monitoring
maritime environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Frank
Montellano)
<http://www.africom.mil/file.asp?HR=2&ID=20100525102001>
http://www.africom.mil/file.asp?HR=1&ID=20100525102001
MOULHOULE, Djibouti - U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Raeney, a
member of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, and Ben Silone, a
Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) contractor, work on the RMAC
system at a site on the northern coast of Djibouti. The system contributes
to the safety and security of Djibouti by monitoring maritime environment.
(U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Frank Montellano)
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