IBUs

[Dominique]

A quick question that's not related to SBUs, but you may know the answer. What do the new IBUs (Inshore Boat Units) do. Just port security, or do they perform some other function.

What type of training do they under go?

[Mike]

"Navy And Coast Guard Bringing Coastal Security To United States"

Due to the increased threat of terrorism on U.S. soil, the Navy and Coast Guard are transforming their capability from protecting U.S. ships in foreign ports to
protecting their ships in U.S. ports. At the same time, with the availability of new technologies, the services are beefing up their ability to protect U.S. assets in ports
worldwide.

The United States is now able to deploy heavily-armed small boats, underwater sensors, and command and control capabilities to U.S. ports where U.S. aircraft carriers or Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships, that have less security, are loading up for deployment overseas.

"Previously, there has not been that big of a threat in U.S. ports," a Pentagon spokesman told Navy News. "For a long time we thought the threat was somewhere
else. But after the Persian Gulf War, the rest of the world realized that they couldn’t fight us straight up, they’d have to go where we’re weak. We saw with the
World Trade Center bombing that asymmetrical warfare is a real threat. So we’re being prepared."

The regional head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation counter-terrorist operations stated that a large number of portable weapons have passed into the hands of
various organizations since the break-up of the Soviet Union and that the expectation is that sooner or later these weapons will be used against CONUS (Continental
U.S.) targets.

Previously, the protection of U.S. ports was primarily a Coast Guard mission; but with the increased threat, the Navy has stepped in to help carry out the new mission. To replace or purchase updated equipment needed to protect U.S. ports, the Navy and Coast Guard are currently buying hardware. Also, a Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) working group to review asymmetrical warfare and coastal security was started three to four months ago to review capabilities.

Hardware being purchased for worldwide Naval Coastal Warfare operations are new small boats (Coast Guard Boston Whalers and Navy Tacoma Boatworks); newly-developed MAST (Mobile Ashore Support Terminal) systems, a computerized radio that greatly improves command, control and communication; and an
improved sensor system upgrade van, said the Pentagon spokesman.

The advantage of deploying U.S. Naval Coastal Warfare protection equipment to U.S. ports is that Military Sealift Ships, that carry all the necessary equipment, are
able to be loaded onto a plane, like an Air Force C5, and be moved to the Persian Gulf, or anywhere else in the world, quickly.

"We have enough units to handle all deployments," he said. "If we have a crunch shift, they [MSC ships] are ready to go in a matter of 72 hours."

The Navy and Coast Guard already have deployed these type of units at the Olympics in Savannah, Ga., in 1996 where a high level of security was needed to monitor the boat races. However, the terrorism incident of the 1996 Olympics took place in Atlanta, where there was no military protection.

Separate Defense Exercises

"We had originally envisioned that we’d use different systems in the states than at foreign ports," the Pentagon spokesman said. "But the actual mission is the same; a
port is a port."

"An exercise in April in the Puget Sound area (Seahawk 99-1) looked at how to defend a U.S. port. Another exercise coming up this month (99-2) also in the Puget Sound area, will look at how to defend a foreign port. Then we’ll look at how they fit together."

Naval Coastal Warfare capabilities are made up of units. The Harbor Defense Command Unit (HDCU) provides command and control for all Naval Coastal Warfare operations. The HDCU is connected to the Navy Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare Unit (MIUWU), which provides sensor capabilities and locates
targets of interest in the harbor and coastal environment. The Coast Guard Port Security Units (PSUs) and Inshore Boat Units (IBUs) provide the investigative and
point defense capabilities.

Seahawk 99-1 had many lessons and successes. First, it worked in conjunction with Canadians, which proved helpful in that experiences, ideas, and even boats
were shared. Second, it showed that the services need better ways to gather intelligence that is not always available. For example, radios are sometimes not
compatible.

The exercise, which protected two MSC ships and tested command and control of all Naval Coastal Warfare units and seamless integration in an operational environment, confirmed that MSC ships are extremely vulnerable to asymmetrical attack and the sinking or disabling of the ships is unacceptable.

In addition to previous security onboard ship, now the services are protecting the ships from all threats, which could include small boat attack, combat swimmer
attack, mines, portable weapons systems and other water-borne threats. The need to include Navy Explosive Ordnance Detachments (EOD) to remove limpet mines also became apparent.

This is the first time an entire coastal security exercise was held in a U.S. port and participants learned that the concept of layered maritime defense works well with
U.S. federal and local agencies, including the FBI and Customs. Previous Naval Coastal Warfare exercises were held in foreign ports or simulated deployed operations.

In this exercise they used PSU boats to deploy close to the MSC vessels to form the inner and outer defensive perimeters. The IBU boats were deployed further out
in a picket or escort role. Beyond the harbor coastal area, the escort of the MSC vessels were passed to a Navy or Coast Guard ship.

The PSU and IBU boats intercepted small craft, such as kayaks that are undetectable by radar, sneaking along the shoreline. They also blocked the high-speed suicide bomber boats and had the ability to destroy them.

Through Seahawk 99-1, the services also better developed the ability to protect regular port operations.

Hierarchy Of Units Involved

All the units work under the captain of the port, a Coast Guard officer who works for a Navy Fleet Commander.

The HDCU—joint Navy/Coast Guard oversees the entire operation; under the HDCU comes the MIUWU, which has underwater sensors and sonobuoys to find any movement in the harbor. Next come the IBUs and PSUs—both of which are heavily-armed small boat units.

Whalers are in the Coast Guard Port Security Units; Tacoma Boatworks in the Navy Inshore Boat Units; MAST systems in the Navy/Coast Guard Harbor Defense Command Units; and Underwater Sensor Systems in the Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare Units.