" UnderSec HORIZON EUROPE Project - Underwater Security of Ships , Ports and Maritime Infrastructure "
UnderSec project , pertaining to the underwater security of ships , ports and maritime Infrastructures ( The Beyond-the-State-of-the-Art Underwater Security Enhancement Toolbox ) Maritime security , including the underwater , is of paramount importance to assure the smooth and safe transportation of goods and people to / from the EU ports , as well as to preserve uninterrupted operations of critical coastal-based / river-based / maritime infrastructures . Although there is a robust maritime Security legal and regulatory framework at the high level , there is an underestimation of the underwater threats and their trends and hence security capabilities gaps exist . Ships , ports and maritime infrastructures need to be protected against all illegal acts through a ) continuous 24 / 7underwater security surveillance against potential intruders divers , hostile underwater vehicles and illicit / dangerous containers towed by ships , b ) on-demand ships ’ hulls scanning / inspection , for the best possible detection / recognition / classification of strapped , attached , hidden or misplaced illicit ( i . e . narcotics ) and dangerous ( i . e . CRNE ) material , c ) underwater inspections of ports ’ entrances , seabed and docking places foundation , for the best possible detection / recognition / classification of dangerous containers ( i . e . CRNE packages , IEDs and / or dirty bombs ) at these places , as well as to apply deterrent and response measures , in order to prevent or respond to illicit acts and avoid undesired escalation of security incidents . To that end , the multinational and interdisciplinary UnderSec project team , consisting of experts in the maritime security and underwater security domain , research / academic institutions , technology providers , and End-Users from the Coast Guard , Borders Control , and Port Authorities sectors , will develop a modular , holistic approach integrated , interoperable and cyber-secure Prototype System , to enhance underwater security operations of ships , ports and maritime infrastructures . The UnderSec system will consist of multimodal ( i . e . optical , EM , acoustic ) sensors , fixed and / or integrated onboard robotic assets ( i . e . ASV , LAUV ), assisted by multimodal AI , ML , DL and Digital Twins techniques , Risk Assessment and Crisis Classification SW services for ships ’, ports ’ and maritime infrastructures ’ Underwater Security Situational Awareness , Common Operational Picture generation and distribution to all interested stakeholders , Decision-Making Support ( to the users ) SW service , with relevant Command / Control / Communication / Response / Reporting capabilities . Individual technologies will be tested , compared with each other and pre-evaluated in a controlled environment , while the modular components and the system as a whole will be tested and evaluated during real-life Pilot Use Case ( PUC ) demonstrations in real operational environments , resulting in the establishment of new knowledge , innovative and beyond the current State-of-the-Art solutions , advanced processes and eventually the underwater security operations enhancement along with relevant justified regulatory framework upgrade suggestions .