During the 20th century, the United States was protected by the size of the country and two oceans, which made any potential invasion a challenging undertaking. However, when hijacked planes were used to attack the World Trade Center Towers and the high-profile Pentagon targets on September 11th, 2001, the vast expanses of ocean that have protected U.S. shores proved no longer able to provide the same degree of protection. This fact affected not only aviation but the whole transportation system in general.
In the months following the 9/11 event, various measures were quickly implemented worldwide to examine cargo and passengers that intended to board commercial airplanes. Notably, the United States established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under the Department of Transportation, which was soon transferred to the newly formed Homeland Security Department (Yarusavage, 2021). The TSA establishment served a preventive purpose, complicating further terrorist attacks on the United States using aviation mode.
Nevertheless, the number of international flights arriving in the U.S. daily counted less than the number of containers that can be put aboard even a middle-size vessel. Thus, the insurers became concerned that future attempts to attack U.S. commerce could potentially come from the maritime transport mode. Assessing the many aspects of maritime transportation, or what has become later known as Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Congress passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) (Yarusavage, 2021). MTSA began the process of improving the security of all of the shipping elements, such as intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance of all vessels.
Within each of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Captain of the Port (COTP) jurisdictions, MTSA implied the formation of Area Maritime Security Committees (AMSC). An AMSC consists of skilled local maritime stakeholders competent enough to advise the COTP (Yarusavage, 2021). In addition, it is responsible for developing the respective area maritime security plans. Often, the reference to MTSA is intended to include the components of the National Strategy for Maritime Security (NSMS). They include MDA itself, the global maritime intelligence integration, maritime operational threat response, international outreach and coordination, maritime infrastructure recovery, maritime transportation system security, maritime commerce security, and domestic outreach plans (Yarusavage, 2021). Overall, MTSA is considered the cornerstone for all of the initiatives that followed the events of September 11th.
The events of September 11th became the game changer in terms of international transportation. Consequently, the role of government and its relationships with the private sector, local and state governments, and other countries was clearly defined by the MTSA of 2002 and the NSMS establishment. These initiatives significantly reshaped the maritime cargo transportation practice and serve to protect insurers, investors, and other people until today.
Reference
Yarusavage, G. (2021). Intermodal maritime security: Supply chain risk mitigation. Elsevier.