Daily News Analysis » January 2024 » National Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (NMDAC) : 3 Jan, 2023

National Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (NMDAC) : 3 Jan, 2023

Why in News:

  • India plans to establish the NMDAC in response to threats in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

What is NMDAC:

  • The Indian Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram will upgrade to NMDAC in about three years.
  • The Centre will integrate personnel from 15 agencies across seven Ministries for real-time maritime information exchange. Key ministries include petroleum, defense, fisheries, and shipping.
  • Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is responsible for providing necessary hardware and software.
  • Objective: To gather, analyze, and provide intelligence for maritime challenges, focusing on Chinese naval activities in the IOR.

IMAC:

  • Established post the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as the central agency for maritime monitoring.
  • Became operational in 2014, approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in 2012.
  • Functions as the nodal center for the National Command, Control, and Intelligence (NC3I) Network and the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) since 2018.
  • Facilitates domestic and international maritime domain awareness and information sharing.

 

NC3I:

  • A central component of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System, led by the Indian Navy.
  • Connects operational centers and lower echelons of the Navy and Coast Guard along India’s coastline and island territories.
  • Links 51 stations (20 Navy, 31 Coast Guard) for a real-time view of the 7,500-km long coastline.