Gambia News : US navy experts in The Gambia to install marine monitoring system

Feb 13,2008 00:00 by tijan

The American embassy in Banjul on Monday announced that three U.S. Navy officers are currently in the country to install an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for the Gambia Navy.

A press release by the embassy said the project dubbed the Maritime Security and Safety Information System (MSSIS), is "an unclassified computer network system that enables collection and sharing of data on the location and status of merchant ships throughout Europe and Africa."

The project was developed and is "being implemented by the U.S. Government to help countries like The Gambia better control their maritime territory, the source said.

Installation work would be completed in 15 African Nations by 31 March 2008.

The partnership with the Gambia will provide the country’s Navy with desktop information on maritime traffic in Gambian territorial waters, and in the larger region, the statement said.