Integrated Coastal Surveillance System
The Integrated Coastal Surveillance System (ICSS) is a coastal surveillance system operated by India with the goal to protect its coastline, ensure regional security, and assist friendly navies by quickly detecting, locating and monitoring maritime activity in the Indian Ocean.
Although the ICSS was built primarily for coastal and maritime security, the system can also be used for vessel traffic management, harbour surveillance and navigation.
Data from the Coastal Surveillance Network is further supplemented by additional inputs from other sources such as the Vessel Traffic Management Systems (VTMS) located at major ports, Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT), the Fishing Vessel Monitoring System, and satellite imagery.
[4] The ICSS project originated from a proposal by the Group of Ministers set up to consider the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee in 2000.
The Government of India approved the construction of 46 coastal radar stations and 16 command and control centers in February 2009, which was completed in December 2016.
National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra was also assigned as a special guest to the meetings of the GoM and the Cabinet Secretariat also supported the group.
[6] Among other recommendations, the GoM proposed setting up a network of surveillance radars along India's coastline to improve coastal and maritime security.
Phase I of the system was completed with the commissioning of the 46th radar station on Sagar Island, off the coast of West Bengal, in December 2016.
[17][18] The mobile surveillance stations will be integrated with the two vessel traffic management systems (VTMS) in Kutch and Khambat in Gujarat.
[22] Modi called the system "another symbol of our cooperation" and stated that it would "enable Seychelles to secure these beautiful islands and the vast expanse of waters around them.
The coastal surveillance system was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in Malé on 8 June 2019.
[34][35] All 46 stations built in Phase I included a 25 nautical-mile range Terma A/S Scanter 2100 HCP frequency diversity radar with a dual antenna, Obzerv Technologies ARGC-2400 active range-gated electro-optic sensors with a range of up to 10 nautical-miles, and a marine small target tracker that can positively identify vessels carrying class "A" and "B" AIS transponders.
[36][7] Some sensors, cameras and radars in Phase I stations were also supplied by Israeli defence company Elta Systems.
[31][34] Other components in Phase I stations, including modules and spares, were manufactured by Bharat Electronics and other Indian suppliers.
[39] The Indian Automatic Identification System (IAIS), or Indian AIS, is an indigenous automatic identification system (AIS) developed by the Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and produced by Bharat Electronics at Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
DEAL installed Indian AIS on board around 150 vessels, all weighing under 20 tonnes, operating near the coast of Kochi, Kerala as part of the pilot project.
[42] The Diver Detection Sonar is a network of underwater sensors developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) based in Kochi, Kerala.
[14] American defence conglomerate Raytheon Technologies had reportedly provided customized software to Bharat Electronics to power Phase I stations.
Sarma, stated that Bharat Electronics had gained significant experience in data fusion from developing combat management systems for the Indian Navy, which required integrating inputs from multiple radars fitted on a ship, and an Integrated Air Command and Control System for the Indian Air Force.
[44] Sindhu Netra was successfully launched onboard PSLV-C51 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on 28 February 2021.
[46][47][48] The following tables list all known locations of coastal surveillance radars ordered geographically by coast from the northernmost station to the south.
