By Andrew Aroh

Satellite communications can play an important role in national security.

The role of this technology is better understood today on the front lines in particular where the following prefer to have robust and redundant communication links close at hand:

• Law enforcement personnel
• Incident commanders
• First responders

The committee on national security has many priorities but need to begin to examine the role that Satellite technology plays in our economy and Security.

The question is:

Has the National Security Team and its affiliated agencies already use satellite technology and commercial satcom for a range of national security related mission?

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The answers are:

• An approach that is more focused and coordinated across agencies and authorities would allow a better and more cost-effect use of satellite across the national security establishment.
• The government should create a forum where its needs and the private sector’s capabilities can be examined on a regular basis.
• Lately, the National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) has became n enthusiastic use of satellite communications.
• In NEMA’s disaster field office operations, Satellite based voice, data and video-including full motion video-can be uplink to remote offices in effect matching a fixed facility NEMA office.
• NEMA is familiar with the cospa-sarsat for voice services and a data only satellite capability is available with virtual private Network tunneling, but this system is very limited in terms of bandwidth and does not provide digitized voice or video.
• NEMA needs to upgrade its communication facilities:

MERS:

This is a Mobile Emergency response support involving transportable C-/Ku/Ka-band system in additional to NEMA’s vehicle mounted systems.

This system allows us the flexibility of supporting more independent locations simultaneously, and greatly reduces response time to distant locations due to the ease of air transport versus driving.

NEMA needs to provide L-band capabilities to its earth stations for up to date requirements.

NEMA needs to acquire several DBS system that will be used to provide network connectivity to co-located disaster support staff other than NEMA, including state and local government personnel along with the support staff from other agencies such as the Environmental protection Agency.

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An independent body once conducted a lengthy assessment of the nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the possible use of satellite technology emerged as a key component in the list of recommendations. This recommendation has come about because satellite technology:

• Can be used to deliver an EAS message very quickly (within seconds).
• Is very reliable
• Has available high levels of security.
• Does not have the geographical limitations of today’s EAS system.

Satellite delivery of EAS alerts will be the preferred delivery methods within the next few years. What measures are necessary to provide the required facilities?

Satellite facilities currently exist in nearly all radio, television and cable system for the purpose of delivering network feeds. These systems with proper coordination could easily be configured to carry EAS traffic.

Once enough broadcasting facilities are provided, state emergency management agencies and other agencies convert to satellite delivery, the Nigerian communication commission (NCC) will act accordingly.

Professionals lead the way in working with public television stations in development of a hybrid system using satellite and IP data casting technology.

The National Security Team need to evaluate Satellite-based messaging and alert system such as EMNET (Emergency Management Networking) to be deployed all over the 36 states in Nigeria.

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• Satellites: Enabling ports and ocean’s offshore links when it comes to protecting seaports and coastal zones, the nation’s maritime administration and safety agency and authorities are routinely in touch via satellite with vessels under way and remote shore-based users using both voice and data links.
• Satellite plays an important role in navigation and the maritime agencies search and rescue operations as well.
• The maritime agency is constantly in search of smaller mobile terminals for ships less than 30 meters in length.
• IP demand-oriented networks is a direction in which the maritime authorities and agencies are trying to head.
• Satellites are a must setting up response centers until more permanent means of communications can be put in place, if any.
• Satellites are a must for remote, disadvantaged users for access to critical information.
• The maritime authorities and agencies need to frequently demonstrate how they can use satellite technology effectively in a variety of emergency response scenarios, sometimes acting as a facilitators in order to assist other agencies.
• Response teams need satellite during emergencies to facilitate other state department and agencies with accessing databases and with the integration of various non-interoperable radio communications.

 CREATING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER:

With the growing emphasis at the presidency and elsewhere on a rapid response squad to emergencies and terrorism, projects such as:

• Disaster response and emergency medical services (DREAMS) are meant to explore ways to use Satellite links to meet a number of needs.
• This advanced mobile medical communications and remote treatment concept revolves around the availability anywhere of two-way video, audio and data communications in ambulances, military vehicles and remote hospitals.
• The project involves using Ku-band/Ka-band hub terminals, commissioned and fully operational to plan a series of experiments that will operate between facilities at different hubs.
• Those experiments will operate IP over DVB bi-directionally.
• The end goal is to deliver IP over DVB to the ambulance (mobile) node in order to dramatically reduce the cost, footprint and power requirements of the data receiver on the ambulance. A typical configuration supports fully duplex data rate of 2.048Mbps
• Testing need to be conducted on the ambulance terminal with the hub in various configurations such as 2.048Mbps (E1).
• Another role of Satellite equipped specialized vehicle involves rapid telecom infrastructure restoration at remote locations.
• This may involves hub terminal addiction of the office of Emergency Management and Communications. Purchasing a small slice of dedicated Satellite bandwidth to support the vehicle and subsequently buying a larger slice in coordination with other entities is ideal.

Satellite Technology enabling Airport Emergency Communications:

• A new Satellite equipped mobile command post (MCP) supports an operating team of a dozen people which can remain on scene for as long as a week with Satellite based video conferencing and remote database access, among other things.
• The vehicle is intentionally designed with some generic components to allow responders from various departments including national security team to be able to use the vehicles capabilities.
• Dual Satellite phones are onboard the vehicles in case cellular phone services crashes or degrades.
• Via IP date transmissions over Satellite, MCP personnel can maintain contact with the fixed facility Emergency Operations Center (EOC), beaming back everything including:
  • Email
  • Photos
  • Closed-circuit television feeds
  • A forward looking infrared camera feed in instances where visibility on scene is impaired by smoke, for example.

LAW ENFORCEMENT NEED TO WARM UP TO SATELLITE:

The Nigerian Law Enforcement community needs to be on the frontline when it comes to national security.

• In large rural border state in particular, the use of Satellite technology is becoming increasingly common and widespread.
• A state police for a start may begin by equipping about 150 vehicles with Satellite delivered data communications. Through this means a state police stands to slash its data cost by 50 percent by ending the routine use of messaging from officers in the field.
• And as for new Satellite based solutions impacting operations for national security agents, the use of remote video feeds are required.
• The Satellite industry in Nigeria is watching and evaluating how to implement those for national security as time progresses.
• Definitely, at a time when an organization is not able to replace equipment at one time, any changes will have to be phased in to improve services.
• 1At the state level, the state patrol can begin to use trucks/vans equipped with two-way Satellite terminals to perform commercial vehicle enforcement tasks.
• The national security teams need to look at replacing its current systems with systems that will allow communications while a vehicle is in motion. The cost of purchasing and maintaining the systems is easily offset by the benefits in terms of improved communications, and the sharing of valuable data with out-of-state personnel.
• At the senate, many experts see the role of Satellite technology as a work in progress that for numerous reasons does not necessarily occupy a top slot on the national committee priority list. While I am sure that satellite technology has a role to play in national security, it is probably not a special role that the senate committee on national security should go out of its way to support just for the sake of going high tech. This is because most of what we need are:
  • SENSORS
  • Good computer databases
  • Such hands-on technologies
  • Patience
  • Taking full advantage of Satellites to date.
  • Taking full advantage of numerous capabilities across a very broad spectrum that could be very helpful.
• National security via satellite should not be a surprise to anyone judging by the events of today. This should be seen as the biggest reorganization in our 61years as a nation as well as the most complex problem requiring a very complex integrated set of solutions that the nation has ever had to face.
• As you can see, there is urgent need for the national security team and other state and local agencies to start using satellite technology more frequently along with other telecom and emergency response assets. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) need to act fast to facilitate these involvement.
• When all is said and done, given the need for rapid access to vast information resources that can be updated in real-time. It is the incident commanders on scene who probably benefit the most by having a varidly of communications link close at hand. In many instances, a fixed mobile Satellite link should be viewed as a necessity, where the emerging global mobile personal communications (GMPCS) by satellite terminals are compulsory for national security.

CONCLUSION:

With the recent occurrences in Nigeria, including manmade and natural disasters, the National Security should be seeking Satellite solutions for its various agency needs for:

• Border patrol
• Command operations
• Control activities
• Emergency response operations

This is because Satellite enables those in a crisis situation or ones that are preventing one, to execute directives as soon as possible.

There are three areas where commercial satellite technology can significantly play a role:

• Communications
• Remote sensing
• Data information services such as weather
• Andrew Aroh is President SSPI Nigeria