In the era of globalization more products and resources are being transported by ships than ever — much depends on open sea lanes. Securing SLOCs has been a centuries old problem, but new technology can help tame the outlaw sea.

Admiral Harry Ulrich, commander of US/NATO Naval Forces Europe, wants to bring the pervasiveness of air traffic control systems to the open waters. Admiral Ulrich built a sea traffic control system to monitor the Mediterranean by installing a number of shore-based sensors that networked with sea-based sensors and tracked ships by the International Maritime Organization’s Automated Identification System. This has increased tracking capacity and accuracy, and has done so much cheaper than expected which is helping to spread the idea towards the Gulf states and Africa.

To learn more read Tom Barnett’s interview with Admiral Ulrich in this year’s edition of Esquire magazine’s register of emerging ideas and trends. I love the quote at the end of the article:

When you talk defense, you talk containment and mutually assured destruction. When you talk security, you talk collaboration and networking. This is the future. This is the thousand-ship navy, except there are no ships.

h/t to EagleSpeak

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