Naval co-operation and guidance for shipping
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Naval co-operation and guidance for shipping (NCAGS) is a naval doctrinal term. Naval personnel are trained to carry out NCAGS establish and provide advice for safe passage of merchant ships worldwide, during times of peace, tension, crisis and war. NCAGS personnel act as a liaison between military commanders and the civil authorities. During war, the NCAGS organization may be responsible for establishing a convoy. NCAGS is used by many NATO countries during exercises such as Bell Buoy. NCAGS has been an important part of the naval reserves.
Previously the doctrinal term used was 'naval control of shipping.'
NCAGS is often a joint effort between countries, and NATO maintains a dedicated NCAGS presence at the NATO Shipping Centre, part of Allied Maritime Command in Northwood, UK. It conducts multinational exercises to strengthen ties between national navies and the civilian shipping industry.[1]
NCAGS exercises such as test NCAGS skills.[2]
NCAGS can sometimes be confused with Allied Worldwide Navigational Information System (AWNIS),[3] which is a completely different set of skills in this area.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations[]
After 2001, the UK Royal Navy created a naval reserve–manned UK Maritime Trade Operations (UK MTO) office in Dubai to coordinate and exchange information with merchant traffic in the Arabian Sea to help counter Somali piracy.[citation needed] It acts as the primary point of contact for merchant ships to connect and liaison with military forces in the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Persian Gulf. The Maritime Trade Information Centre (MTIC) located in Portsmouth, UK supports UKMTO outputs.[4]
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In the US Navy, NCAGS is a function that is staffed by the Navy Reserve. As of 2018, it is composed of:
- NCAGS Norfolk supporting US Fleet Forces
- NCAGS San Diego supporting US Third Fleet
- NCAGS Houston supporting US Fourth Fleet
- NCAGS Chicago supporting US Fifth Fleet
- NCAGS New York supporting US Sixth Fleet
- NCAGS Kitsap supporting US Seventh Fleet
References[]
- ^ "NATO strengthens ties with merchant shipping community in Mediterranean Sea exercise". Naval Today. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
- ^ This story was written by U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs. "Exercise Lucky Mariner Concludes in 5th Fleet AOR". Navy.mil. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ "NCAGS & AWNIS". shipping.nato.int. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
- ^ Secretary of State for Defence (May 2014). "Annex B". The UK national strategy for maritime security (PDF) (Web ed.). Ministry of Defence, Whitehall: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. p. 50. ISBN 9781474100663. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
External links[]
- Ship management
- United States Department of Defense doctrine
- Navy stubs