Illustration: a merchant ship and a small warship sail on a calm sea at dusk.

NAVAL COOPERATION AND GUIDANCE FOR SHIPPING

NCAGS - Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping

How navies and merchant ships work together to keep sea trade moving, even in tense times.

What is NCAGS?

NCAGS is a NATO concept that connects military operations at sea with civilian shipping. The name stands for Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping.

Merchant ships sail where navies operate. When the two share information, a ship learns about dangers sooner and may avoid delays. The navy gets a better picture of who is in the area.

Taking part is voluntary for merchant ships, and their commercially sensitive data is protected. The master always stays responsible for the ship’s safe navigation.

A ship’s passage

This is how cooperation can look on one merchant ship’s voyage through an area where a maritime operation is under way.

Illustration: a merchant ship in port at dawn, with cranes beside it.

Before sailing

The ship knows what lies ahead

The ship and its owner learn where maritime operations are under way. The ship can choose to share voyage details, so the military knows who is entering the area.

Illustration: a merchant ship’s bridge at night, with radars and a radio handset.

Information

Information moves both ways

The master gets current information about the situation, and advice. It does not flow in one direction only: ships also see things at sea that are worth reporting.

Illustration: three merchant ships sail in a column, with a small warship alongside.

At sea

The navy advises, the master decides

Where needed, a ship is advised on its route or passes a dangerous area in a coordinated way. A merchant ship stays a civilian ship and is not under military command.

Illustration: a merchant ship reaches a harbour entrance at sunrise, with a lighthouse on shore.

Arrival

The danger area is behind her

When the transit ends, the ship’s onward passage is reviewed. The cargo arrives and the crew get home.

From peace to crisis

The sharper the situation, the more depends on cooperation. Use the slider to see how the emphasis shifts. This is a general illustration.

Peacetime

Cooperation: Contacts, relationships and exercises
Information: General information and shared experience
For the ship: Normal sailing

Tension

Cooperation: Closer contact with shipping
Information: Current warnings and briefings
For the ship: Possible route advice

Crisis or conflict

Cooperation: Coordinated activity in the area
Information: Fast two-way information
For the ship: Recommended routes, coordinated passage if needed

In every case merchant ships remain civilian ships. This is how NCAGS helps protect seafarers and keep cargo moving.

NCAGS and Estonia

Estonia lies on the Gulf of Finland, a busy sea lane in the eastern Baltic. To support safety there, a mandatory ship reporting system called GOFREP has applied since 2004, created by Estonia, Finland and Russia.

Estonia is a NATO member, and participants from Estonia have attended the NCAGS course at NATO’s Maritime Security Centre of Excellence. For a maritime nation whose trade and links depend on the sea, clear cooperation between navies and merchant shipping is a natural interest.

This page covers the subject in general. It holds no information about how Estonian authorities are organised or what they do.

Core activities

Naval and civilian maritime cooperation
Relationships and contacts in place before a crisis needs them.
Supporting safe navigation
Threat information and advice that help a ship avoid risk.
Information sharing and awareness
Two-way information about who is at sea and what is happening.
Exercises and training
Practising together so that procedures hold up under pressure.

Frequently asked questions

Is taking part in NCAGS compulsory?

No. Merchant ships take part voluntarily, with guidance from their national shipping authority or company.

Who is responsible for the ship when the navy gives advice?

The master. Safe navigation remains the master’s job, whatever the navy advises or instructs.

What happens to a ship’s data?

Information from a ship is used to assess the situation, and its commercially sensitive parts are protected.

Can the navy change a ship’s destination?

Normally not without approval from the owner, operator, master or flag state. A commander may, however, advise a diversion from the route for safety.

Will an escorting warship always protect a merchant ship?

Not necessarily. International law, rules of engagement and national caveats can limit it.

Where can I find current guidance?

From the NATO Shipping Centre at shipping.nato.int. On a real voyage, follow that guidance, not this page.

Is this an official page?

No. It is an independent information page, not a channel of NATO, the Estonian Defence Forces or any state authority.

Contact

Questions about this page: info@ncags.ee

Sources

This text is based on the public sources below. The current edition of ATP-02.1 is Edition B, and this text has not yet been checked against it.

Show sources