The Department for Transport has issued guidance intended to help the maritime industry to understand aerial drone technologies, the potential threat to maritime vessels and options to mitigate the threat. It focuses on aerial drone threats and associated response options.
Aerial drones offer many use cases for the civilian maritime industry, including but not limited to:
- inspection and surveying assets – for example, inspecting the hull or mast of a ship, or port infrastructure, as part of an asset maintenance program, reducing the need for people to access hazardous areas
- cleaning difficult to reach areas of a vessel
- capturing images and recording videos of a vessel for media advertising purposes
- monitoring emissions and taking air quality readings in busy shipping lanes and near ports
- supporting search and rescue missions in maritime emergency situations
- delivery of cargo such as critical spares or medical supplies as part of logistics for shipping operations
Unfortunately, their accidental or deliberate misuse can present threats to commercial maritime vessels. Aerial drones have been used maliciously in events that have led to disruption and harm. An extreme example of this is using military grade or weaponised commercial drones, as seen in the attacks on the MV Mercer Street and the Pacific Zircon vessels.
Contents of the Guidance
- Overview
- Introduction to drone technologies
- Current aerial drone technologies
- Future drone technologies
- Drone threats to commercial maritime vessels
- Mitigating drone threats to maritime vessels
- Introduction to counter drone technologies
- Counter drone technologies
- Evaluating counter drone technology for use in the maritime domain
- Selecting counter drone technology
- Further guidance
- Terms of use
20 May 2024