“North American Maritime Homeland Security and Defense” A CNA Corporation Workshop

Participants reached consensus on several points.

First, maritime homeland security amounts to an unfunded mandate imposed by the federal government on state and local governments, and on the many maritime terminal and Port Authorities. Transformation of port and shipping operations to account for terrorist threats represents a huge problem that dwarfs efforts made to secure the airlines from attack.

Second, the U.S. Navy response to homeland security/defense missions has been historically episodic and situational. U.S. Navy commitment to such missions has tended to dissolve over time in favor of “forward” operational concepts. Two years after 9/11, Defense Department strategies and concepts for homeland security rest on the idea that the first line of defense is overseas, performed through military operations to stop potential threats before they directly threaten the homeland.

Third, the establishment of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a new unified combatant command—USNORTHCOM—may be important steps toward a more sustained and focused commitment to homeland security and defense, but much work remains to be done on their maritime aspects.