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DHS, USCG, Navy Officials Discuss Homeland Security Concerns

By John C. Marcario, Assistant Editor

The Coast Guard cannot completely eliminate all the maritime domain risks, said Vice Adm. D. Brian Peterman, the service's commander, Atlantic Area and Defense Force East.

"That kind of thinking is a Utopian idea," Peterman said during a panel discussion, entitled, "Defending the Home Front," at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition March 19.

He said his main concerns are the potential for the introduction of weapons of mass destruction in the United States, attacks on the maritime system and its surrounding support systems, and the use of coastal areas as a means of delivering weapons for terrorists.

The Coast Guard also has been putting plans in place to mitigate damage if the maritime system is attacked. Peterman said its primary mission, if attacked, would be to get the maritime system working as fast as possible.

Jay M. Cohen, the Department of Homeland Security's undersecretary for science and technology, said the No. 1 threat facing Americans in the future is a cyber attack. Cohen also said the improvised explosive device (IED) is the weapon of choice for terrorists, noting that an IED was used in a recent attack on a military recruiting station in New York City. But "the odds are low" that the United States would be the victim of a nuclear attack, Cohen said.

Interoperability is Cohen's top challenge, but border, maritime and cargo security are high on his list as well.

Rear Adm. Christopher Colvin, the Coast Guard's deputy director of operations, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), said his biggest concerns are semi-submersible vessels, long-range Russian aviation and a rogue nation firing a ballistic missile.

Vice Adm. Evan Chanik, commander, U.S. Second Fleet, said a key element in regional security is having partnerships with other countries, noting that with the ever-expanding global economy, partners are important to establishing regional security.

The Second Fleet also has been working more frequently with the Coast Guard and Canada to assist with maritime security.