Ambassador Barry L. Wells Handing over speech of MSSIS Project to the Gambian Naval Command Headquarters

         Honorable Chief of Defense Staff – Major. General Lang Tombong Tamba, Chief of the Naval Command, Commander Sarjo Fofana, Representative of the Immigration Department, Representative of the Fisheries Department and Members of the Gambia Armed Forces and distinguished guests: 
Three members of the US Navy arrived in the Gambia in February to install an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for The Gambian Navy. 
The Project is called the Maritime Security and Safety Information System (MSSIS).
It is my pleasure to officially hand over the Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSIS) as well as present the Gambian Navy with a solar system worth over USD 20,000. 
MSSIS is an unclassified computer network system that provides the ability for any country in the area of responsibility to connect and become a contributing data-sharing partner with their neighbors, their region and the United States. 
The objective of the MSSIS network is to assist or provide emerging partners with capability to detect, track, identify display and share information on cooperative surface vessels and to enable maritime security and safety operations. 
The project developed and implemented by the United States Government will help countries like The Gambia better control their maritime territory. This includes the area of illegal fishing, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, environmental pollution, oil theft, terrorism and piracy, only to name a few. 
As we now speak, The Gambia is connected to the system and is ready to go. Fifteen other African nations are also connected to the AIS.
The Automatic Identification System is secured, protected and complies with International Maritime Organization guidelines prohibiting its public publication on the Worldwide Web. Countries that agree to partner in MSSIS will be required to agree to enforce proper network security protocols and protect the AIS data from unauthorized use and access. The solar system which is also presented to the Gambian Navy today is worth over $20,000. This system was purchased a while ago, but it took the company a great deal of effort to get it to Africa. The solar system will help the Gambian Navy secure better internet connectivity in their offices. The US Navy team would like the Gambian Navy to pick a future spot where they would like coverage and another AIS antenna will be installed at the location, together with another wireless system providing coverage at another site  The US Navy has plans to come back to The Gambia to connect the AIS to the Solar System and provide more training opportunities to the Gambian Navy on the MSSIS Project  In conclusion, I urge The Gambian Armed Forces to make good use of this project.  It will assist The Gambia in better controlling her maritime security. It has been an honor for me to be with you today. I wish you much success and I look forward to continuing cooperation between the United States and The Gambia.