Joint Maritime Security Centre

The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) is the UK government’s centre of excellence for maritime security. Its mission is to increase awareness and understanding of maritime security threats and enable cross-government coordination to deliver a whole-system response to mitigate them.

Our role

For centuries the security and wellbeing of UK seas has been central to the defence of the realm, and to ensuring the economic and cultural prosperity of our islands. Globally, the promotion and maintenance of safe and secure waters enables international trade and economic growth, encourages the rule of law, and supports the prosperity of diverse coastal communities and ecosystems.

The Joint Maritime Security Centre is the multi-agency organisation responsible for ensuring the UK maintains its understanding of the UK maritime domain and develops the cross-government coordination frameworks to respond to threats to security, law and order, and the marine environment.

JMSC incorporates the National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) which since 2010 has provided a mechanism for the UK’s civilian and military maritime and law enforcement focused organisations to fuse intelligence, data and capabilities. This maximises operational impact at home and abroad.

JMSC’s Operations Centre (known as the Joint Maritime Operations Coordination Centre) utilises cutting edge technology to provide 24/7 monitoring of UK waters. Utilising a staff drawn from across government it can swiftly identify maritime security incidents and enable the effective coordination of the UK’s aerial and at-sea assets to respond – ensuring the safety and security of all those who use our seas.

JMSC offers government departments and agencies a central point of UK maritime expertise and understanding to assist policy and decision making. JMSC works internationally - with states and with key international organisations - to support information sharing, relationship development and capacity building efforts.

Joint Maritime Security Centre video

We deliver:

  • a central point of operational expertise in a holistically designed UK maritime security system
  • fused information, data and capability to provide a coherent maritime domain awareness picture on which to develop the UK’s maritime threat assessments and response protocols
  • leadership of cross government security planning and exercising
  • effective coordination of the UK’s maritime assets and technological capabilities to maximise operational impact and efficiency
  • maritime security co-ordination across the UK’s devolved administrations, and the Crown Dependencies
  • support to Global Britain by providing world leading expertise in maritime domain awareness and security to the UK’s international partners

Our people

The Joint Maritime Security Centre is led by its Director, James Morgan. His senior leadership team is drawn from Border Force, the Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence.

In addition the JMSC is supported by Counter Terrorism Police, the Department for Transport, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Home Office, HM Coastguard, HM Revenue and Customs, and the National Crime Agency, Marine Management Organisation, and Marine Scotland.

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