Navy takes flight - Protecting our seas

AS a small island nation we need an efficient and active navy, especially for policing the waters around our coast and search and rescue operations.

Like nearly every service dependent on Government funding it has fewer resources than it might like and must be as imaginative as it can to maximise the bang for its dollar.

One of the ways our modernising navy is trying to do that is by using aerial drones in the never-ending fight against international drug smugglers and illegal fishing. Given that our navy is responsible for policing one million square kilometres of seas with just eight vessels this seems a perfect match of technology and challenge. This is especially so as drug smugglers have show a determination and ingenuity that sometimes defies the best policing efforts.

This application of technology will have a role to play too in protecting endangered and ever diminishing fish stocks. The importance of this objective, in a world where demand for food is multiplying almost on an annual basis, cannot be underestimated. It could be a real game changer.