Integrated Underwater Surveillance for Ports & Critical Infrastructure | ORVIWO
- Jan 6
- 6 min read
Ports and waterfront critical infrastructure need underwater domain awareness to detect, track, and respond to diver intrusions and small UUV threats before they reach high-value assets. ORVIWO integrates layered underwater sensing with operational workflows to turn underwater activity into actionable alerts—and connects it to ORVIWO’s C5ISR AIRTDC framework for fused, governed, and auditable decision-making at the edge. This integrated approach delivers underwater surveillance for ports while supporting fast verification and response workflows for waterfront critical infrastructure.
In this article: what underwater surveillance is, how integrated systems work, where they’re deployed, and how ORVIWO approaches assessment-to-pilot-to-scale.
This is underwater domain awareness designed for real operations: detect, verify, respond—and preserve evidence when networks degrade.
What is an Integrated Underwater Surveillance System (IUSS)?
Note: “IUSS” is also used to describe a U.S. Navy undersea surveillance mission. ORVIWO uses “IUSS/UDAS” here for port and critical infrastructure underwater domain awareness.
An Integrated Underwater Surveillance System (IUSS) is a layered detection and tracking architecture designed to monitor underwater approaches to protected sites. It is not a single sensor. It’s a system-of-systems that combines underwater sensing, edge processing, alerting, and operator workflows—so security teams can move from “something might be happening” to verified tracks and response actions.
Think of it as underwater domain awareness for mission-critical locations:
Detect → Track → Verify → Respond
The “integrated” part matters because underwater environments are noisy—prop wash, marine life, harbor clutter, changing salinity/thermoclines, and constant vessel movement. A good IUSS is built to reduce false alarms while maintaining early warning in the areas that matter most.
ORVIWO naming (to avoid confusion)
ORVIWO uses:
ORVIWO IUSS (Integrated Underwater Surveillance System) for ports and critical infrastructure, and
UDAS (Underwater Domain Awareness System) as an alternate name for the same capability.
Note: “IUSS” is also used to refer to a U.S. Navy undersea surveillance mission. ORVIWO uses “IUSS” here specifically for integrated underwater surveillance in port and critical infrastructure security contexts.
Why underwater domain awareness matters
Most security programs are strong above the waterline: cameras, lighting, access control, patrols, and sometimes radar. But underwater is often a blind spot—even for high-value locations.
That blind spot creates risk for:
Ports and terminals with restricted berths, anchorages, and channel approaches
Fuel storage and maritime logistics where disruption is high-impact
Waterfront utilities such as intakes, outfalls, and coastal electrical assets
Ship hulls and piers where a single incident can shut down operations
Underwater domain awareness isn’t about fear. It’s about time and clarity—detecting early enough to respond safely, and giving operators reliable information rather than guesses.
Underwater Domain Awareness (UDAS) for Port Security
UDAS turns underwater detections into operational decisions. ORVIWO IUSS/UDAS combines layered sensing, edge processing, and response workflows so port security teams can detect, verify, escalate, and document underwater activity with confidence—especially when communications are degraded.
In practice, UDAS helps teams:
Reduce uncertainty in restricted waters with defined zones and tuned alerting
Shorten time-to-verify by cueing surface sensors and response assets
Preserve evidence with time-synced incident timelines and audit trails
Maintain continuity in normal, degraded, and denied environments
What ORVIWO IUSS / UDAS can detect and track
Depending on site conditions and sensor selection, ORVIWO IUSS/UDAS can support detection and tracking of:
Diver / swimmer intrusions into restricted zones
Swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs) and suspicious underwater movement patterns
Small unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) operating near protected infrastructure
Anomalous activity near pilings, hulls, seabed routes, and underwater approaches
The goal is not to label everything perfectly at long distances. The goal is to provide actionable warning and a track that can be verified quickly.
How integrated underwater surveillance works
An IUSS typically includes three layers: sensing, processing, and operations.
1) Sensing layer (underwater “eyes and ears”)
Common sensing components can include:
Active sonar / diver detection sonar: creates detection and track data inside defined underwater zones
Passive acoustics (hydrophones): listens for patterns and cues attention in specific conditions
Magnetic or multi-influence sensors (site-dependent): adds another layer of detection or discrimination
Environmental inputs: tidal windows, traffic schedules, known maintenance windows, etc.
Not every site needs every sensor type. ORVIWO’s approach is to choose layers that fit the environment and fit the operational need.
2) Edge processing and analytics
Underwater sensing produces constant data. Edge processing helps:
Filter background noise and nuisance triggers
Apply rules and thresholds (zone definitions, time windows, sensitivity profiles)
Maintain tracks and generate operator-ready alerts
Keep critical functions running even when bandwidth is limited
3) Operational layer (alerts + workflows)
This is where many “sensor projects” fail—because they alert, but don’t operationalize. A true IUSS includes:
Alerting and escalation workflows (who gets notified, when, and how)
Operator verification tools (review tracks, annotate incidents, export evidence)
Integration into existing operations (SOC, dispatch, incident systems, maritime command posts)
Operational workflow: Detect → Verify → Respond
ORVIWO designs IUSS/UDAS as a decision-support system, not just detection.
A practical workflow looks like this:
Detect & track underwater activity inside an exclusion zone
Verify using additional cues (surface assets, cameras, patrol units, or inspection)
Respond with a defined SOP (challenge, intercept, investigate, and document)
Record & report with evidence packaging and after-action insights
This is how you reduce false alarms—and reduce hesitation. Operators know what to do next.
Surface and unmanned integration (optional—but powerful)
IUSS/UDAS becomes more valuable when it can cue or coordinate with additional assets. Depending on the site, this may include:
Surface EO/IR cameras for shoreline verification
Radar or AIS overlays for vessel context
Unmanned platforms for inspection or confirmation (where permitted):
Drones (UAS) for rapid overwatch of the waterline
USVs for surface investigation
ROVs for underwater inspection
This is why IUSS/UDAS fits naturally under ORVIWO | Unmanned Systems: it can become the underwater “tripwire” that cues unmanned response and inspection—reducing time-to-verify and keeping humans out of unnecessary danger.
How ORVIWO IUSS / UDAS integrates with ORVIWO C5ISR AIRTDC (Hybrid: Port + Vessel + Mobile)
ORVIWO IUSS/UDAS provides the persistent underwater detection and tracking layer around ports and waterfront critical infrastructure. Those underwater alerts and track files feed a hybrid ORVIWO C5ISR AIRTDC fabric—a set of edge nodes deployed across port, vessel, and mobile command environments.
IUSS/UDAS → Track & alert output: zone breaches, tracks (position/time/confidence), and sensor metadata
Port AIRTDC (shore SOC edge): correlates underwater tracks with EO/IR, radar, AIS, and incident workflows to create a unified maritime + underwater operating picture
Vessel AIRTDC (shipboard edge): enables forward fusion and local recording while underway or when response craft are on-scene
Mobile AIRTDC (rapid deploy): supports surge operations and pop-up command posts with the same fusion and evidence workflow
Cueing & verification: AIRTDC can cue UAS/USV/ROV (where permitted) plus patrol units to shorten time-to-verify
Governed autonomy: RBAC, approvals, and SOP-based escalation ensure humans remain in control of high-impact actions
Evidence packaging: time-synced incident bundles (tracks + video + radar/AIS + operator actions) with audit logs for reporting and investigations
D3-ready comms: multi-bearer connectivity (fiber/cellular/satellite/RF) with store-and-forward and deterministic resync when links degrade
In short: IUSS/UDAS provides underwater awareness; AIRTDC turns it into fused, governed, and provable decisions across port, vessel, and mobile operations.
Where it’s deployed
IUSS/UDAS is commonly deployed in:
Ports and harbors: restricted berths, protected channels, anchorages, high-value piers
Fuel and logistics terminals: where operational disruption is high-impact
Waterfront utilities: intakes/outfalls and adjacent coastal infrastructure
Temporary security zones: special events, surge security, exercises, high-visibility visits
The right deployment model depends on what you’re protecting and how you plan to respond.
What “success” looks like (measurable outcomes)
A good underwater surveillance program is measurable. Typical success indicators include:
Reduced uncertainty: fewer “unknowns” in restricted waters
Reduced false alarms through layered sensing + tuned rules
Faster time to verify (operators can confirm and act quickly)
Better documentation: clear incident history and evidence packaging
A defined, trained SOP for response and escalation
ORVIWO approach: Assessment → Pilot → Scale
ORVIWO emphasizes field realism and phased deployment.
1) Underwater Domain Assessment
We start by understanding the site:
Bathymetry and underwater geometry
Ambient noise and vessel traffic patterns
Priority assets and likely approach routes
Operational constraints and response timelines
2) Pilot deployment (prove it in your environment)
A pilot focuses on one zone:
Validate detection/tracking performance
Tune rules to reduce nuisance triggers
Validate operator workflow and SOP
3) Scale and integrate
After pilot success:
Expand coverage zones
Integrate alerting into your operational tools
Formalize training and maintenance processes
4) Sustainment
Long-term reliability requires:
Periodic calibration checks
Updates and configuration control
Operator refresher training
Continuous improvement based on real events
Why ORVIWO
ORVIWO builds mission-ready systems around a simple idea: awareness is only valuable when it leads to action. Integrated underwater surveillance should deliver actionable alerts, operational workflows, and a clear path from detection to response—especially in complex, real harbor environments.
Next steps
If you’re responsible for a port, terminal, or waterfront critical asset, ORVIWO can help you evaluate your underwater risk posture and design a phased path to real underwater domain awareness.
Request an Underwater Domain Assessment
Schedule a Port Security Pilot
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