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E-NAV GENERAL INFORMATION
The world looks on the U.S. Coast Guard as a leading authority in
maritime affairs. Electronic charting
and navigation bring new challenges, and opportunities to the maritime
community. However, there are complex issues surrounding electronic
charting, and diverse organizational elements both internal and external
to the Coast Guard are involved.
As technologies have evolved, elements of the Coast Guard attempted
to grapple with the issues of electronic charting. Presently, within
the Coast Guard, the majority of electronic charting activities
are being juggled internally between the offices of the Assistant
Commandants for Operations, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection,
and Systems. These organizations have incorporated electronic charting
initiatives into a wide range of Coast Guard mission areas. Today,
the Coast Guard is a supplier, a regulator, and a consumer of electronic
charting technology. First, the Coast Guard is a supplier of enabling
services and information for electronic chart data systems used
in C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence)
and VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) and, via the hydrographic offices,
by commercial and recreational mariners. Second, we define the rules
by which the mariner, and we ourselves, must follow. Finally, we
are users of electronic chart data and systems for our operations.
The Navigation Center recognizes the need for coordination of electronic
charting policy and initiatives within the Coast Guard. Our goal
is to support the Coast Guard and other maritime users by facilitating
a unified and coordinated direction for electronic navigation. In
response to the mission, the Coast Guard developed the Electronic
Charting Guidance Team. In addition, On 11 May 2001, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United
States Coast Guard formally entered a cooperative
agreement (MS Word Document) that will help NOAA develop and
maintain a complete set of electronic charts covering all U.S. coastal
waters sooner and a lower cost to the Government than if NOAA had
tackled the problem alone.
