TSO Maritime Operations Trainer
A qualified maritime operations training provider can prepare your team for many scenarios. Maritime environments present unique considerations and challenges that organizations must address. They require an entirely new set of tactical and survival skills.
Vessels are tight quarters. Accordingly, some might refer to maritime operations as “fighting in a phone booth.” Ships also have open decks. This characteristic of vessels means that teams must use what’s present to manage scenarios. TSO Armor can help you or your team learn essential maritime operations skills. To learn more about finding an exceptional maritime operations trainer, keep reading.
What Is Maritime Operations?
In short, maritime operations encompasses the activities of contemporary naval forces. These forces use their maritime operations skills effectively. In doing so, they combat sea-based terrorism and illegal activities. These activities might include hijacking and piracy. They might also include slavery or human trafficking. Maritime operators also assist distressed vessels. These activities fall short of open warfare. Accordingly, they’re classified as military operations other than war (MOOTW).
Maritime operations can also involve marine environmental protection. By enforcing the rules of the sea, naval agencies create a safe and clean environment. The United States Coast Guard conducts maritime operations along with other agencies. These agencies include the:
- Department of Transportation
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Maritime Commission
- Maritime Administration
- US Navy
These United States agencies regulate the nation’s ports. For example, the US Navy might monitor defense systems. This activity supports maritime security and response operations. The mission of the agencies is to promote safe and reliable seas. They also protect the public from unfair and deceiving practices.
What Are the Different Maritime Skills Training Activities?
Maritime skills training expands the capabilities of operators. It also increases skill and efficiency in managing real-world scenarios. Trained operators can adapt and act in a fast-moving environment. Yet, they can also function well as part of the team. Maritime training is ideal for teaching teams a unified method of problem resolution.
New, different or grueling situations will not surprise well-trained teams. Instead, well-trained operatives deliver solutions. Trainees learn a range of skills. For example, they’ll learn water survival swimming. They’ll also learn about mission planning. Also, they’ll learn how to develop a complete mission profile. Furthermore, trainees will learn how to perform effective boarding operations. They’ll also learn about maritime information gathering.
Maritime training will enable candidates to manage a range of situations. For example, they’ll learn small boat unit operations and tactics. They’ll also learn the effective use of rigid inflatable boats. At times, maritime operations can prove dangerous. Accordingly, trainees will also take part in tactical handgun training. Likewise, they’ll learn tactical rifle handling. Maritime trainees will also learn how to transition between weapons when needed. Firearms training also includes the proper use of deadly force. Also, maritime operators train in Naval special warfare tactics.
The Origin of Maritime Operations
Today, maritime operations are an ongoing activity for seafaring agencies. However, this circumstance arrived out of a need. The concept of distributed maritime operations has been around for some time. However, those ideas could only become a reality when new technology emerged. Eventually, maritime innovations made new operation models feasible. These technologies have only emerged in recent years relative to the history of the sea. The beginnings of modern maritime operations started in the 1950s. At that time, there was a significant need to address the emergence of anti-ship cruise missiles. Resultantly, the Navy developed two critical programs.
In the mid-1960s, the Navy developed the Aegis Combat System. Now, the maritime armed forces achieved near-full integration of disparate combat systems. By the 1990s, the entire Navy could behave as a single, fully integrated combat unit. Still, military leaders envisioned a more sophisticated future. In 2016, naval military leadership expressed the need for a return to control of the sea. In 2017, this same leadership revealed an approach called distributed lethality.
Military leaders created distributed lethality as an operational and organizational principle. The goal of the concept was to ensure that the United States could reassert control over the sea. More importantly, it ensured that the US could hold onto that control.
What’s the Purpose of Maritime Operations?
Today, a primary component of maritime operations are inspections. Sometimes, inspections involve the boarding of vessels. This kind of action is called visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS). Modern maritime operations may also include the arresting and VBSS of faraway ships. A key sign of trouble is when a ship fails to respond to hails. It might also include the VBSS and towing small crafts that are seen attacking larger ones.
The United States Navy and Coast Guard conduct these kinds of operations. However, the two service branches have very different jobs. Still, both of the branches perform maritime security and response. In total, the Coast Guard has 11 official missions. Those missions include providing important waterway security. They also include drug interdiction.
Furthermore, the Coast Guard conducts search and rescue missions. They also perform marine environmental protection activities. The Coast Guard also enforces the laws of the sea. They might also conduct ICE operations. Also, the agency helps to maintain defense readiness. In general, the Coast Guard helps to provide a safer maritime environment.
The Most Common Operations
US maritime forces have many priorities. They detect and strategize maritime operations to prevent illegal activities. For instance, piracy is one of the most well-known maritime crimes. This illegal activity became common in the early 1500s. However, it remains a significant problem to this day. Piracy was especially problematic in 2003 and 2010. Still, armed forces have been able to disrupt pirate attacks successfully.
The Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has made the sea safer. The members of NATO protect crews and their cargo. The Coast Guard also compels captains to get to know their crew better. Furthermore, the agency emphasizes the importance of sharing trip details.
Also, a great deal of contraband enters the United States through vessels. Resultantly, drug interdiction is another top official Coast Guard mission. The Coast Guard works to prevent drug traffic by inspecting ships at sea for this reason. Slavery or human trafficking is another considerable maritime problem. There’s a significantly large number of women, men and children trafficked by sea each year. In fact, human trafficking is the second-largest illegal maritime activity. It’s surpassed only by unlawful drug trafficking.
Human trafficking generates billions of dollars every year. However, it’s difficult to stop the trade for many reasons. Resultantly, the Navy, Department of Defense and other agencies have joined together. Collaboratively, they work to reduce human trafficking at sea.
Finding a Maritime Operations Trainer
As you can see, the skills needed for effective maritime operations vary. Maritime staff needs intensive training. Accordingly, it’s critical that you choose a well-qualified maritime operations trainer like TSO Armor. We assess your training needs by developing a mission-essential task list (METL). However, a METL it’s only part of figuring out what you need to get out of maritime operations training.
It’s vital to establish the baseline conditions for mission-essential tasks. You’ll also need to develop a standard of performance that dictates success. This kind of information is the basis for assessing the needs of modern training. The training readiness of personnel is determined by these mission-essential tasks. It may help to make use of Kirkpatrick’s steps of evaluation to assess training.
Firstly, you’ll want to find out what others think about a maritime operation trainer. Next, you’ll want to find out if their training met a given organization’s objectives. You also want to find out if the performance of candidates improved after the training. Furthermore, you want to find out if there was an overall team improvement after the program. These steps are relevant for any organization conducting maritime, civilian or military operations.
Your Source for Expert Maritime Operations Training
Now you know more about how to find an exceptional maritime operations trainer. What you need now is a leading maritime operation training and consulting provider. TSO Armor specializes in all levels of maritime training. It’s our mission to increase operators’ readiness for high-risk situations.
What’s more, we work to improve proficiency in managing the most challenging maritime scenarios. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience. At TSO Armor, your trainees will receive realistic, enhanced training that will prepare them for any scenario. Upon completion of training, candidates will receive a maritime operations certificate.
Contact TSO Armor today at (757) 961-3457 to learn more about preparing your team for effective maritime operations. Alternatively, connect with us online.
