IN 1352 – US Maritime Advisory System announced

  • Information Note
  • Published on 8 February 2017
  • 2 minute read

This Information Note is to advise Members of the new US Maritime Advisory System recently announced by the US Government’s Maritime Administration (MARAD).

The following note was released by the MARAD Office of Security on Thursday 26 January 2017:

  1. This message announces the launch of the new U.S. Maritime Advisory System, which represents the most significant update since 1939 to the U.S. government process for issuing maritime security alerts and advisories. The new system establishes a single federal process to expeditiously provide maritime threat information to maritime industry stakeholders including vessels at sea. In response to valuable feedback from stakeholders, the Maritime Advisory System was developed to streamline, consolidate, and replace maritime threat information previously disseminated in three separate government agency instruments: Special Warnings, MARAD Advisories, and global maritime security related Marine Safety Information Bulletins.

  2. The U.S. Maritime Advisory System includes two types of notifications: A U.S. Maritime Alert and a U.S. Maritime Advisory. Maritime Alerts quickly provide basic threat information to the maritime industry. When amplifying information is available, a more detailed U.S. Maritime Advisory may be issued on a threat and could include recommendations and identify available resources. U.S. Maritime Alerts and U.S. Maritime Advisories will be broadcast by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, emailed to maritime industry stakeholders, and posted to the Maritime Security Communications with Industry (MSCI) web portal, at www.marad.dot.gov/MSCI.

  3. The U.S. Maritime Advisory System is a whole-of-government notification mechanism. The Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Transportation, and Homeland Security, and the intelligence community, supported the development of this new system in coordination with representatives from the U.S. maritime industry through the Alerts, Warnings and Notifications Working Group.

  4. Questions regarding the U.S. Maritime Advisory System may be emailed to MARADSecurity@dot.gov. Additional contact information is available on the MSCI web portal.