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Hafmynd sells two GAVIA AUVs to undisclosed militaries
Icelandic firm a leader — ask Frost and Sullivan — in autonomous underwater vehicles; U.S. Navy SPAWAR just one previous customer for this disruptive technology; vehicle’s sensor flexibility a major selling point
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Coast Guard suggests driver's licenses for boaters
Program would help authorities keep track of small boats; idea challenged by state planners already upset by REAL-ID Act; uniformity of IDs could lead to uniformity of sporting laws; Coast Guard concerned about smuggling, critical infrastructure
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Coast Guard struggles with maritime surveillance program
Port of Miami once again provides a sorry case study; Maritime Domain Awareness program confuses waves for boats; Coast Guard stops following the radar after too many problems; Automated Identification System a cause for criticism
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CBP chief calls for a change in container security priorities
Ralph Basham to insist on technologies that detect intrusions from all parts of the box, not just the door; policy a departure from predecessor’s; CBP has asked SAIC and L-3 to come up with a solution, but delivery is still pending
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DHS increases TWIC issuance fees
Ballooning card production costs force a $10 increase in initial charges, with a $24 increase for replacements; TWIC program looks to manage finances while it sorts out technological challenges
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SIS ins $24 million contract for USV sensors
Spatial Integrated Systems to provide 3D imaging technology for the Navy’s Autonomous Maritime Navigation Program; Technology Solutions joins various universities to lend a hand
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New vortex generators to help UUVs dock
Squid and octopi inspire Colorado researchers to develop a more effective design for unmanned underwater vehicles; no need to trade litheness for docking stability; enhanced craft can even parallel park
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NY/NJ Port Authority offers national port security recommendations
Suggestions include minimum mandatory cargo inspection standards, a federal port and cargo policy director, and a port security user fee to offset security costs
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Dayton positions itself as a sensor center
Ohio’s Third Frontier Commission awards $28 million for the development of a sensor technology research center; business partners include Woolpert, General Dynamics, UES, YSI, and L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics
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RemoteReality receives $7.3 million in VC funding
Battelle Ventures and Chart Venture partners pick up the tab; company a DoD favorite for its 360-degree video analytics technology; USS Cole and USS Greenville incidents drive demand for on-board surveillance and monitoring
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Foster-Miller receives $1 million in DoD funding for Boat Trap
Development with Coast Guard seems to have paid off; hand-held system, launched from a helicopter, uses a ballistic net to tangle a boat’s engine; 100 percent success rate claimed; Moscow Mills Manufacturing lends a hand
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CA Bay Area port officials find a creative way to get federal funding
After federal port security bill shortchanges local ports, authorities consider counting a recently-passed bond measure among matching funds claims; voters earmarked $100,000 for port security; Port of Oakland looks to build biometric portals and enhance RFID capabilities
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DHS names six ports to kick-start the Secure Freight Initiative
Port Qasim, Puerto Cortes, and Port Salalah among the first to install radiation detection equipment; DHS allocates $60 million to buy the equipment; Dubai Ports once again in the news, but nobody has yet to complain; only 7 percent of outgoing cargo to be inspected
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Maine to host maritime security course for first responders
Classes will take place at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine; the 100 expected participants were chosen by local emergency authorities; pilot program may establish Maine course as the nationwide gold standard
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VCs and others jump into the cargo tracking market
LoJack’s recent purchase of a minority stake in SC-Integrity just one example of an industry on the rise; with $50 billion at stake each year, shipping companies get value by both preventing theft and managing their supply chains
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The long view
Calls Grow for U.S. to Counter Chinese Control, Influence in Western Ports
Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.