When was SUCBAS founded and why was this initiative started?
SUCBAS was founded in the beginning of March 2009 in Helsinki. Normally availability of resources of one nation or authority is limited. Finnish Navy, the Finnish Coast Guard and the Finnish Maritime Administration have done this kind of co-operation since the beginning of 1990´s and it has proven its efficiency and cost effectiveness.
The Sea Surveillance Co-operation Finland Sweden, or SUCFIS, project was started at the beginning of the 2000’s and according to that co-operation it was considered that multinational co-operation is the best way to ensure efficiency. Following a ministerial decision, Finland and Sweden invited the Baltic coastal states, Norway and regional stakeholders to a seminar in Sweden in September 2008. At the seminar, Finland and Sweden with strong support from the Admiral Danish Fleet presented an idea for the exchange of sea surveillance information across the entire Baltic Sea. Overall goal is to improve maritime situational awareness by means of feasible technical solutions and common procedures.
What is the structure of SUCBAS?
The SUCBAS organisation comprises Steering Board, Co-ordination Group, Technical Group and Operational Group. The highest level is a steering board that is composed of the eldest members appointed from each participating state. This national representative can have national advisors. Decisions and future projects requiring steering are submitted to the steering board by the Co-ordination Group. Group chairmen are chosen for a one-year term every March. Finland holds the Steering Board chairmanship 2009.
What navies are involved in it?
In March meeting in Helsinki, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden signed the SUCBAS agreement. Latvia and Poland have asked for membership during this summer and decisions will be done in the next Steering Board meeting in Germany in September.
What are the functions of SUCBAS?
SUCBAS is a cornerstone for sea surveillance information exchange and co-operation within the Baltic Sea area and its approaches. The practical aim of the co-operation is to develop a concept, a technical solution and procedures in order to enhance maritime situational awareness benefiting maritime safety, security, environmental and economical matters by sharing sea surveillance information between the relevant authorities of the participating nations. This year we are practicing cooperation with daily reporting between participating countries and hopefully next summer also by system integration like we do in SUCFIS cooperation between Finland and Sweden.
How high do you rate the risk of pirate and terrorist attacks on shipping in the Baltic?
I think that today this kind of the risk is rather low in the Baltic Sea region, but never say never. We do have high valuable targets to attack. Moreover dense sea traffic may be easy to hide clandestine transport of terrorists and weapons (WMD) .
SUCBAS co-operation has also significant preventive influence to avoid different kind of illegal seaborne actions in future. The co-operation offers good set of means and assets to fight against threats which are common for the participating nations. I will emphasize that in the Baltic Sea area navies are only one part of the common solution. Other partners are also needed like coast guards and maritime authorities.
How does SUCBAS co-operate with other anti-pirate missions?
We have just started the SUCBAS cooperation, so we don’t have yet experiences about cooperation with other (anti-pirate) missions. Maybe this is one part of the future development.
The interview was conducted by Dr. Uwe Cardaun on
behalf of Hamburg Messe
Quelle: Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH
Keine Kommunikationsobjekte vorhanden.
