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Volpe Center Highlights - March/April 2002National SecurityDirector's Notes |
Focus |
Safety |
Mobility |
Human and Natural Environment 
Volpe Co-hosts Workshop on Bio-terrorism in Transportation
In order to anticipate and respond to the needs of the transportation community, the Volpe Center works to keep its staff educated about cutting-edge issues. In keeping with this approach, the Center initiated and co-hosted a workshop on Bio-terrorism in Transportation with experts from the Harvard School of Public Health on February 14, 2002. Volpe staff from the Office of Environmental Preservation and Systems Modernization assisted in arranging the agenda, speakers and schedule. The workshop featured presentations from Harvard University faculty members and other distinguished guests, and covered a wide range of public health and policy topics related to potential bio-terrorism affecting transportation vehicles, facilities, and passengers. Notable participants included Ms. Janet Benini, Deputy Director, Research and Special Programs Administration's Office of Emergency Transportation; Dr. Jennifer Leaning, Harvard School of Public Health, who presented "Anthrax and the U.S. Postal Service Implications for the Public Response to Bio-terrorism"; and Dr. Arnold Howitt, Kennedy School of Government, who presented "Institutional Political Perspectives." Vessel Identification and Positioning System (CTTSO/TSWG)
The Combating Terrorism Technology Support Office/ Technical Support Working Group (CTTSO/TSWG) is the U.S. national forum that identifies, prioritizes, and coordinates interagency and international research and development requirements for combating terrorism. The CTTSO/TSWG rapidly develops technologies and equipment to meet the high-priority needs of those combating terrorism, and addresses joint international operational requirements through cooperative research and development with major allies. Volpe's Center for Navigation is designing and constructing a prototype Vessel Identification and Position System (VIPS) for the CTTSO/TSWG. The VIPS program, initiated in response to the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole, has the primary objective of increasing port security by enhancing real-time, situation awareness capabilities. VIPS employs Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) technology in specially designed transponders, which are installed on U.S. military vessels. Force protection units can track VIPS-equipped vessels on a geographical display. The attack on the USS Cole used a local service vessel in the port of Aden, Yemen; although U.S. Navy vessels in host-nation ports still do business with local companies, before any local service vessel can approach a U.S. vessel, it is boarded and inspected by an explosive-detection team. In the near future, a transponder will then be installed on that vessel so it can also be monitored.
In May 2001, staff from the Center for Navigation traveled to Bahrain to meet with U.S. Navy personnel who would be users of the system in the area of operations, to discuss requirements for the system. In November 2001, the Volpe team demonstrated the VIPS prototype at Naval Station Norfolk. As a result, Volpe will install the system at Norfolk during the summer of 2002. On January 16, 2002, the Volpe team visited the Naval Coastal Warfare (NCW) Group Two Headquarters at the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Cheatham Annex, in Williamsburg, Virginia. During this knowledge-sharing visit, the Volpe team established a schedule for deploying VIPS with an overseas NCW unit, and familiarized NCW personnel with technical aspects of the system. The Volpe team learned more about NCW operations and intelligence-gathering electronics so that VIPS can be integrated with NCW systems. |
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