Overview
This article discusses the need for security and assessment in deploying ships in maritime regions, with a focus on the Indian Ocean. It explores vulnerability assessment, which involves studying a ship’s vulnerability to detection using the sonar equation. The survivability of naval ships is also examined, considering susceptibility, vulnerability, and recoverability. The challenges of maritime threat detection, such as complex environments and limited research, are highlighted. The article suggests using existing technologies and statistical models like Hidden Markov Models, Conditional Random Fields, and Markov Logic Networks for vulnerability calculations. It emphasizes the importance of mapping ambient noise and radiated ship noise and addresses challenges related to receiver characteristics and advanced technologies like infrared homing missiles.
Applications of the assessment include combat management systems, weapon control, and target identification. The article proposes future steps like implementing 3-D vulnerability maps, automating data analysis, using cognitive models, and developing efficient probabilistic models, including machine learning approaches.
Key Highlights
- Increased awareness and interest in marine resources necessitates security and assessment in maritime regions.
- Vulnerability assessment uses the sonar equation to determine a ship’s vulnerability to detection.
- Survivability of naval ships is assessed based on susceptibility, vulnerability, and recoverability.
- Maritime threat detection is challenging due to complex environments and limited research.
- Existing technologies and statistical models like Hidden Markov Models and Conditional Random Fields can be used for vulnerability calculations.
- The Indian Ocean region poses specific challenges to sonar performance.
- Mapping ambient noise and radiated ship noise is crucial for accurate assessment
- Future steps involve implementing 3-D vulnerability maps, automating data analysis, using cognitive models, and developing efficient probabilistic models.
Key Challenges
- Compatibility across platforms: Ensuring the security and assessment system can be implemented on different platforms with varying specifications.
- Computationally heavy real-time assessment: Dealing with the computational burden of signal processing algorithms and simulation software for real-time assessment.
- Estimation of receiver characteristics: Lack of information and estimation methods for receiver characteristics and array gain.
- Performance degradation in the Indian Ocean Region: Sonar performance is significantly degraded in the Indian Ocean region, affecting the effectiveness and detection range of existing models.
- Infrared homing: The challenge of detecting threats posed by infrared homing missiles, which are difficult to detect due to their passive tracking capability.
Major Opportunities
- 3-D Depiction of Vulnerability Map: Using 3-D modeling and mapping software improves data representation and captures the real world more effectively.
- Automating Data Analysis: Automation reduces human errors and enables handling larger amounts of complex data, improving situational awareness.
- Cognitive Model for Threat Assessment: Implementing cognitive models enhances threat assessment by considering input data, geographical location, and expected values.
- Efficient Probabilistic Models: Developing efficient models, including machine learning approaches, accelerates vulnerability calculation and saves computing time.
“Maritime threat detection is a challenging problem because maritime environments can involve a complex combination of concurrent vessel activities, and only a small fraction of these may be irregular, suspicious, or threatening.”
