Usage of uavs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to support port security: A case study for Ambarli Port by routine drone patrols

Maritime transportation is vital for world trade due to primarily economic reasons, the location of states and states' necessity. However, the concept of maritime security shaped in order to prevent threats in maritime transportation. The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is available within the scope of the port security concept, which is a sub-subject of the maritime security concept The ISPS Code, which includes the safety measures to be taken at ships and ports, aims to ensure their sustainability in a standard framework, was adopted on 2002 and entered into force on 2004 by International Maritime Organization (IMO). Security implementations are available for ports under the ISPS Code. Although these implementations are under the state authorities within the IMO, mandatory minimum standards are set out in its content. Our assumption is that there is a lack of surveillance on ports in the ISPS Code, despite the security implementations that exist in the ISPS Code. The aim of the thesis is to improve the security in ports by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and apply a mathematical model for determining the location of the UAVs' platforms and patrols for each UAV. This methodology is applied to Port of Ambarlı for improving port security. Face to face meetings carried out with port authorities to collect data on the model. The model is solved with using relevant data by Advanced Interactive Multidimensional Modeling System (AIMMS). Different scenarios have been developed and the platforms and the routes of the UAVs are determined. Keywords: Maritime security, Port security, ISPS Code, UAVs, Location and routing problem