Simulated Asymmetric Threats to Canadian ships in the Bahamas

21 September 2005

By Jill McKenzie

For 10 hours Neil Carson and Michael Crawford wait for intruders to attack the naval ship they are on while moored in the Bahamas. These attacks are expected to come from both the surface and below water by intruders attempting to attach an unidentified object to the ship.The intruders could be either scuba divers or could approach by small boats.

Mr. Carson, an electrical engineer, and Mr. Crawford, a mathematician-physicist, are both defence scientists with the Centre for Operational Research and Analysis, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC-CORA), and stationed with Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) in Halifax, N.S.

Their goal was to test a series of simulated terrorist attacks they had developed for Maritime Force Protection. The purpose of the tests was to improve the effectiveness of force protection (FP) against potential terrorist attacks from small sea vessels and scuba divers. The tests were specifically intended for vessels either anchored or close to shore. These trials were conducted on three anchored Canadian ships.

The scenarios ran during the day and night. “A lot of nighttime considerations enter into things. You’re not going to be able to see these intruders as well in the nighttime either on the surface or especially underwater so we wanted to test those things,” said Mr. Crawford. The underwater scenarios consisted of mock enemy divers trying to swim to the ships and attach fake limpet mines onto the hull.The surface scenarios used small boats to approach the ships at high speed.This was conducted to test the reaction time of the ship, and to evaluate strategies for defence.

The exercise was a success. It validated their research and models and demonstrated that certain assumptions were correct. For example, the tests proved conclusively that the reaction time to an approaching high-speed threat is a key factor in the effectiveness of the ship’s FP measures. “Overall, this exercise was an outstanding example of how participants from the Maritime Forces and DRDC are able to work together to run a successful exercise,” said Mr. Crawford.

Mr. Carson and Mr. Crawford and the Operational Research team at MARLANT have been studying FP since 2001 and developed several computer models to assist in the analysis of FP issues. FP is defined as all measures to employ self-defence capabilities against the broad range of potential threats and scenarios ranging from civilian protests through terrorist activity within the confines of a harbour, choke point or open waters while in home or foreign waters. “The Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre is planning to use the data to update and enhance existing FP tactics with the Maritime Forces and use the exercise for important Force Protection training,” says Mr. Carson.

DRDC-CORA intends to use collected data to refine their models and better assess the capabilities of the CF in FP.They will also use the results to support the new Maritime Force Protection Demonstration Program (TDP).The TDP, sponsored by DRDC Atlantic, focuses on improving CF abilities by concentrating on objectives such as vulnerability assessment, detection and classification, threat mitigation, ship survivability and recoverability, and simulation studies.

Mr. Carson and Mr. Crawford are still heavily involved in FP completion of a Maritime Forces wide study, and the support of FP exercises as they occur.

Ms. McKenzie is a public relations Co-op student with DRDC – Atlantic.