Menghean Maritime Security Force: Difference between revisions

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==History==
==History==
In 1964, after its victory in the [[Menghean War of Liberation]], the [[Democratic People's Republic of Menghe]] established the '''Maritime Border Police Force''' (해양 국경 경찰 부대/海洋國境警察部隊, ''Haeyang Gukgyŏng Gyŏngchal Budae''). This agency, part of the Ministry of State Security, was tasked with patrolling the country's maritime borders and later its exclusive economic zone. While it formally performed most routine duties associated with a coast guard, it was primarily tasked with preventing defectors from escaping from the DPRM to [[Altagracia]], [[Dayashina]], or [[Hanhae]] by boat, raft, or, in the case of Altagracia, by swimming. The Maritime Border Police Force also served as a civilian counterweight to the Menghean People's Navy, which, under the terms of the [[Sangwŏn Agreement]], was insulated from the oversight of the Menghean People's Communist Party. The Maritime Border Police Squadron in Donggyŏng included gunboats and torpedo boats which could, in theory, attack a Menghean People's Navy formation entering the Kimhae Sea en route to the capital.
In 1962, while the [[Menghean War of Liberation]] was still underway, Communist forces established the '''Coastal Militia''' (해안 민병대 / 海岸民兵隊, ''Haean Minbyŏngdae''), the precursor to today's Maritime Security Force. The Coastal Militia were organized by the Menghean People's Communist Party and its guerrilla fighters, and were primarily tasked with patrolling the coast to find enemy spies, saboteurs, and landing forces, and to monitor the movement of ships along the coast. Some coastal militia units commandeered fast motorboats and even fishing trawlers to patrol coastal waters and intercept suspicious ships, though most of them relied on foot patrols along the shore.


After the [[Decembrist Revolution]], the Ministry of State Security was merged into the Ministry of the Interior and its personnel were purged. To further dismantle the power of the outgoing regime, the interim government transferred the Maritime Border Police Force to the control of the Menghean Navy, which, as a military body, had been insulated from Communist ideological control and was relatively loyal to [[Choe Sŭng-min]]'s new regime. There, it was renamed the '''Maritime Border Security Force''' (''Haeyang Gukgyŏng Boan Budae'').
After the [[Democratic People's Republic of Menghe]] was founded in 1964, Coastal Militia units were transferred to the control of local governments. Like police agencies, they were divided into county, city, or municipal units, which could be coordinated by prefectural and provincial governments higher up the chain of command. As such, the quality of equipment varied considerably between localities, though none operated any purpose-built patrol vessels, instead relying on some combination of commandeered civilian vessels and small open-topped motorboats. Most coastal militia units existed in their own department-level agencies, and organization differed from one jurisdiction to another.


In 1995, content that the civilian bureaucracy was loyal to his new regime, Choe Sŭng-min transferred the Maritime Border Security Force back to the control of the [[Ministry of Internal Security (Menghe)|Ministry of Internal Security]], where it retained its previous name.
To standardize and professionalize these coastal militias, the DPRM reorganized them into the '''Maritime Border Police Force''' (해양 국경 경찰 부대 / 海洋國境警察部隊, ''Haeyang Gukgyŏng Gyŏngchal Budae'') in 1975. Like secret police units, the Maritime Border Police were controlled by the Bureau of State Security in each locale. As part of this more centralized oversight, they were also reorganized to fall under the control of provincial governments, allowing them to more easily cross inter-county and inter-prefectural maritime borders and base ships in the largest available ports. The Maritime Border Police Force also had a centralized and standardized procurement process, allowing them to order purpose-built patrol boats and gunboats rather than arming civilian craft.


The agency was returned to Navy control in 2011, as one of the aftereffects of the [[2005 Menghean military reforms]]. This reorganization was meant to streamline the wartime integration of the paramilitary auxiliary and the active Navy. During this time, it was renamed the '''Maritime Patrol Force''' (해양 순찰대 / 海洋巡察隊''Haeyang Sunchaldae'').
Like the Coastal Militia, the Maritime Border Police Force was ostensibly tasked with patrolling the country's territorial waters, and later its exclusive economic zone, to catch spies, saboteurs, and contraband smugglers. In practice, its main mission was domestic repression: its ships intercepted defectors attempting to flee the country, sometimes with lethal force, and put an end to unlicensed private fishing and private smuggling. The Maritime Border Police Force also served as a civilian counterweight to the Menghean People's Navy, which, under the terms of the [[Sangwŏn Agreement]], was insulated from the oversight of the Menghean People's Communist Party. The Maritime Border Police Squadron in Donggyŏng included gunboats and torpedo boats which could, in theory, attack a Menghean People's Navy formation entering the Kimhae Sea en route to the capital, though as the Menghean People's Navy expanded and modernized it maintained a considerable edge over the Maritime Border Police, which were forbidden from operating any vessel with a top speed of more than 20 knots and a displacement of more than 500 tonnes.


The latest reorganization came in 2017, after the resolution of the [[Innominadan Crisis]]. The Maritime Patrol Force was renamed the Maritime Security Force and placed under the controlf of the Ministry of Internal Security. It was also expanded through the merging-in of the Maritime Traffic Control Agency, formerly part of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and the Maritime Monitoring Service, formerly part of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. For the first time, this produced a consolidated agency with the combined missions and resources of a proper coast guard.
After the [[Decembrist Revolution]], the Ministry of State Security was disbanded and its personnel were purged. To further dismantle the power of the outgoing regime, the interim government transferred the Maritime Border Police Force to the control of the Menghean Navy, which, as a military body, had been insulated from Communist ideological control and was relatively loyal to [[Choe Sŭng-min]]'s new regime. There, it was renamed the '''Maritime Border Security Force''' (해양 국경 보안 부대 / 海洋國境保安部隊, ''Haeyang Gukgyŏng Boan Budae''). In 1992, it changed its flag to four navy blue stripes on a white background with an anchor in a gold circle in the middle, thus using the Navy's own colors and symbols.
 
In 1995, content that the civilian bureaucracy was loyal to his new regime, Choe Sŭng-min transferred the Maritime Border Security Force back to the control of the [[Ministry of Internal Security (Menghe)|Ministry of Internal Security]]. There, it was still called the Maritime Border Security Force, but its flag was changed to replace the Navy anchor with a blue shield bearing the characters 海保 (''Haebo''), an abbreviation for Maritime Security. With the Sangwŏn Agreement and its informal restrictions on non-military warship size no longer in effect, the Maritime Border Security Force assumed control of several dozen retired Navy ships, including two [[Ginam-class frigate]]s. It also assumed control over border patrol units on the Baek River and San River, organizing them into two flotillas, each of which monitored river traffic and border crossings along the portion of each river which served as a national boundary.
 
The agency was returned to Navy control in 2011, as one of the aftereffects of the [[2005 Menghean military reforms]]. This reorganization was meant to streamline the wartime integration of the paramilitary auxiliary and the active Navy. During this time, it was renamed the '''Maritime Patrol Force''' (해양 순찰대 / 海洋巡察隊''Haeyang Sunchaldae'') and it once again flew the blue-stripe flag with an anchor insignia. Its missions were once again restricted to border patrol and maritime law enforcement, with the Baek River Flotilla and San River Flotilla transferred to the Border Patrol Forces of the Ministry of Internal Security.
 
The latest reorganization came in 2017, after the resolution of the [[Innominadan Crisis]] but primarily in the wake of Tak Jong-ho's dismissal as Commander-in-Chief. The Maritime Patrol Force was renamed the '''Maritime Security Force''' and placed back under the control of the Ministry of Internal Security. It was also expanded, absorbing three other bodies:
* the '''Maritime Traffic Control Agency''', formerly part of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, tasked with tending buoys and regulating shipping routes;
* the '''Maritime Environmental Service''', formerly part of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, tasked with regulating illegal fishing and dumping outside territorial waters; and
* the '''[[Menghean Maritime Rescue Service|Maritime Rescue Service]]''' (대멩 해양 구조대 / 大孟海洋救助隊, ''Dae Meng Haeyang Gujodae''), formerly part of the Ministry of Public Security, tasked with search and rescue operations.
Following this reorganization, the Maritime Security Force now serves as a consolidated agency with the combined missions and resources of a proper coast guard.


==Missions==
==Missions==
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==Organization==
==Organization==
The Menghean Maritime Security Force is divided into eleven flotillas and two fleets. The flotillas are mostly comprised of small, short-range craft and handle missions close to shore. Each has a well-defined geographic zone of operation, though Maritime Security ships can cross between zones in pursuit of fleeing suspects or suspects near the border. The two fleets are comprised of larger, heavier, longer-range patrol ships and venture further afield, patrolling the outer areas of Menghe's exclusive economic zone and conducting missions in international waters. These larger ships resemble offshore patrol vessels, with military-grade construction standards and provisions for fitting heavier armament.
===Overview===
Since its latest reorganization in 2017, the Maritime Security Force has been divided into four Regions, each corresponding to a major geographic area: the East Menghe Sea, the South Menghe Sea, the Meng River, and the [[List of rivers of Menghe|rivers which empty into the Meridian Ocean]]. Regions are further divided into Sectors, with each sector named for either a major waterway or the city hosting its headquarters. The sectors in the East Sea Region and South Sea Region are further grouped into Zones to add an intermediate layer of management.
 
Assets under the command of one sector are allowed to cross sector boundaries when pursuing a fleeing vessel, or to intercept a distress signal or suspicious vessel across boundaries if no other assets are available in the adjacent sector, but they generally patrol and respond to calls within their own sector. Long-range assets like large patrol vessels and fixed-wing aircraft are directly subordinate to Zone commanders, allowing them to freely operate across sector boundaries within their Zone.
 
On land, the boundaries between zones typically follow prefectural or at least county boundaries, but they were primarily drawn to follow groups of river watersheds as much as possible. This minimizes the number of places where a navigable waterway crosses a sector boundary. Small rivers are administered by a coastal sector, and Maritime Security Bases along the coast may send small craft upriver as needed or create special river patrol bases. Large rivers or river systems have their own sectors, and the Meng River has three.
 
Sections of the Baek, Saehan, and San Rivers mark Menghe's boundaries with neighboring countries, and navigable sections of the Singyŏng, Taeban, and Saehan Rivers flow across Menghe's border. On these sections of the waterway, the Maritime Security Force is responsible for patrolling the waterway itself and those feeding into it, intercepting unapproved crossings and smuggling. The [[Internal_Security_Forces_(Menghe)#Border_Patrol_Forces|Border Patrol Forces]] are responsible for patrolling the Menghean riverbank on land. The Sayak, Ergel, Övög, Tomkhavtsal, Berom, and Tam Rivers also form parts of Menghe's boundaries or cross the border, but these segments are too shallow, too rocky, and too remote to justify the use of riverine patrol craft, so the Border Patrol Forces patrol the riverbanks without support from vessels on the water. Originally, the short section of the Borang River between Menghe and the former [[Innominada]] fell into a similar treatment, but in 2019 Menghe and [[Argentstan]] concluded an agreement which would allow river patrol boats in the San River Sector to cross through Argentstani territory along the Borang River to reach the Menghean border further north.
 
Though neither commanding them nor under their command, Maritime Security Force units regularly coordinate with the [[Menghean Army|Army]], the Navy, various branches of the Internal Security Forces, and local police, fire, and environmental regulation units when conducting their missions.
 
===Organization chart===
* East Sea Region
** Zone 1
*** Zone 1 Patrol Fleet
*** Baek River Sector
*** Chŏngdo Sector
*** Donggyŏng Sector
*** Saekgu Sector
** Zone 2
*** Zone 2 Patrol Fleet
*** Anchŏn Sector
*** Haeju Sector
*** Ranju Sector
*** Gyŏngsan Sector
* South Sea Region
** Zone 3
*** Zone 3 Patrol Fleet
*** Wihae Sector
*** Sanbon Sector
*** Chanam Sector
** Zone 4
*** Zone 4 Patrol Fleet
*** Dongchŏn Sector
*** Oro Rivers Sector
*** Daman Sea Sector
** Zone 5
*** Zone 5 Patrol Fleet
*** Jŏnsun Sector
*** Gwangbo Sector
*** San River Sector
* Meng River Region
** Lower Meng Sector
** Central Meng Sector
** Upper Meng Sector
* Inland Region
** Singyŏng River Sector
** Taeban River Sector
** Seyhan River Sector
 
===Past organization===
The Maritime Border Police Force, established in 1975, was divided into 15 flotillas: one corresponding to each province or directly-controlled city along the coast, plus riverine patrol flotillas in Songgang Province and the Ketchvan Autonomous Province, established in 1978. Each flotilla was under the direct control of the corresponding city or province's Bureau of State Security for its day-to-day operations, though the Maritime Border Police Agency, part of the national Ministry of State Security, controlled procurement, training, and other standards, and could issue commands directly to the border flotillas, bypassing the city or provincial government. During this period, each flotilla's operations were strictly limited to the territorial waters of the corresponding province or city, and ships could only cross into other jurisdictions after seeking the approval of the Maritime Border Police Agency higher up.


While most flotillas correspond to Menghean coastal provinces, exceptions exist, and zones of authority do not always perfectly match provincial boundaries. The North Donghae Flotilla is also responsible for the northern segment of [[Donggyŏng]] Directly Controlled City's coast, from the North Donghae border down to the Kimchŏng Strait, and the rest of Donggyŏng's coast including the Kim Sea is under the administration of the Central Donghae Flotilla. The Ryonggok Flotilla administers part of Unsan Province's coast from the Ryonggok border down to the entrance of Gyŏngsan Harbor, and the Hadong Flotilla administers another section of Unsan Province's coast from the Hadong border to the mouth of the An River. The Daman Sea from Juman Municipality to Dongbu Prefecture, including the formerly contested waters around [[Altagracia]], is administered by its own flotilla, meaning that South Chŏllo Province does not have a flotilla of its own.
After its transfer to Navy control in 1988, the Maritime Border Security Force retained this 15-flotilla organization, but each flotilla was directly controlled by the Maritime Border Security Agency, which was subordinate to the Administrative Office of the Menghean Navy within the [[Ministry of National Defense (Menghe)|Ministry of National Defense]]. Thus, they were provincial flotillas in name only, with no connections to the corresponding provincial government. In 1991, as part of the expansion of the Maritime Border Security Force, Menghe established an East Sea Security Fleet and a South Sea Security Fleet. Each of these fleets, also subordinate to central agency control, was responsible for longer-range patrols of Menghe's exclusive economic zone in the South Menghe Sea and East Menghe Sea, respectively, while the flotillas were mainly responsible for inshore and coastal patrols. This structure initially persisted after the Maritime Border Security Force was handed back to the Ministry of Internal Security in 1995, though with the addition of two-way liaison offices between the flotillas and their corresponding city or provincial governments.


The Meng River has its own dedicated flotilla, which has authority over river traffic from the river mouth up to the meeting of the Banggyŏng River at Junggyŏng's southern border. This is due to the Meng River's breadth, the high volume of shipping traffic it supports, and the fact that it forms the border between many prefectures and municipalities below this point, making it difficult to divide jurisdiction. All of Menghe's other rivers are governed by prefectural police departments, with jurisdiction divided along the official prefectural boundaries, which are usually demarcated down the river's center, when necessary. The Baek River and San River, which form Menghe's borders with [[Polvokia]] and the former [[Innominada]] (now [[Argentstan]]), formerly had Maritime Border Police flotillas as well, but these were transferred to the control of the [[Internal_Security_Forces_(Menghe)#Border_Patrol_Forces|Border Patrol Forces]] as part of the 2011 reorganization of the Maritime Security Force, partly to prevent the Menghean Navy from patrolling land borders in the Army's domain and partly to strengthen cooperation between riverine craft and Border Patrol units on the riverbank.
In 1997, the Maritime Border Security Force revised its flotilla patrol areas, giving the Donggyŏng Coastal Flotilla control over the entire Kimchang Sea (as the Kimchang Coastal Flotilla) and expanding the Hwangjŏn Coastal Flotilla's control over the entire Daman Sea (as the Daman Coastal Flotilla). Over the course of the late 1990s and 2000s, the Ministry of Internal Security also gave provincial governments more control over their corresponding coastal flotillas. In 2012, one year after the Maritime Border Security Force became the Maritime Patrol Force, the Navy reorganized the provincial flotillas into regional commands, further increased central control over them, and improved the procedures to transfer ships between them and handle issues with overlapping jurisdiction.


'''Fleets:'''
The Maritime Traffic Control Agency, the Maritime Environmental Service, and the Maritime Rescue Service were all created in the 2000s in response to the rapid increase in shipping that accompanied [[Menghean economic miracle|Menghe's economic miracle]]. They were under the control of entirely separate ministries, and had their own systems of organization. While the Maritime Border Security Force was exclusively concerned with coastal areas and riverine borders, these agencies' zones of authority extended far inland, allowing their boats to operate up the watersheds of Menghe's navigable rivers and canals.
* East Sea Security Fleet
* South Sea Security Fleet


'''Flotillas:'''
This system came to an end in 2017, when the Maritime Patrol Force was merged with the three other maritime agencies and placed back under Ministry of Internal Security control as the Maritime Security Force. This comprehensive reorganization included the creation of today's system of regions, zones, and sectors.
* North Donghae Coastal Flotilla
* Central Donghae Coastal Flotilla
* South Donghae Coastal Flotilla
* Ryonggok Coastal Flotilla
* Unsan Coastal Flotilla
* Hadong Coastal Flotilla
* Ryangnam Coastal Flotilla
* Daman Coastal Flotilla
* Lakkian AP Coastal Flotilla
* Argentstan AP Coastal Flotilla
* Meng River Flotilla


==Ranks==
==Ranks==
The rank system of the Maritime Security Force underwent several revisions over the organization's long and fragmented history, but the current version is based on the [[Military_ranks_of_Menghe#Navy_ranks|rank system of the Menghean Navy]]. Rank titles are based on those of the Army and Navy, but with the prefix ''Haebo'' (Maritime Security) in place of ''Haegun'' (Navy). Official {{wp|English language|Anglian}} translations use the same titles as the equivalent Navy rank (e.g., Rear Admiral for both ''Haegun Sojang'' and ''Haebo Sojang'').
===Commissioned ranks===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; text-align: center;"
|-
! scope=row | Level
| colspan="3" | Admiral-grade officers
| colspan="3" | Field-grade officers
| colspan="3" | Junior-grade officers
| colspan="1" | Officer cadets
|-
! scope=row | Standard rank code
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-8
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-7
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-6
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-5
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-4
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-3
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-2
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-1a
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF-1b
| style="width: 75pt;" | OF(D)
|-
! scope=row | [[Menghean language|Menghean]] name
| 海保中將<br>해보 중장 || 海保少將<br>해보 소장 || 海保準將<br>해보 준장 || 海保大領<br>해보 대령 || 海保中領<br>해보 중령 || 海保少領<br>해보 소령 || 海保大尉<br>해보 대위 || 海保中尉<br>해보 중위 || 海保少尉<br>해보 소위 || 海保士官候補生<br>해보 사관 후보생
|-
! scope=row | Transliteration
| ''Haebo Jungjang'' || ''Haebo Sojang'' || ''Haebo Junjang'' || ''Haebo Daeryŏng'' || ''Haebo Jungryŏng'' || ''Haebo Soryŏng'' || ''Haebo Daewi'' || ''Haebo Jungwi'' || ''Haebo Sowi'' || ''Haebo Sagwan Hubosaeng''
|-
! scope=row | Official translation
| Vice Admiral || Rear Admiral || Commodore || Captain || Commander || Lieutenant Commander || Senior Lieutenant || Junior Lieutenant || Ensign || Officer Candidate
|}
===Enlisted ranks===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; text-align: center;"
|-
! scope=row | Level
| colspan="3" | Warrant officers
| colspan="3" | Non-commissioned officers
| colspan="3" | Seamen
|-
! scope=row | Standard rank code
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-9
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-8
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-7
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-6
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-5
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-4
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-3
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-2
| style="width: 75pt;" | OR-1
|-
! scope=row | [[Menghean language|Menghean]] name
| 海保上等海曹<br>해보 상등 해조 || 海保一等海曹<br>해보 일등 해조 || 海保二等海曹<br>해보 이등 해조 || 海保上士<br>해보 상사 || 海保中士<br>해보 중사 || 海保下士<br>해보 하사 || 海保一等兵<br>해보 일등병 || 海保二等兵<br>해보 이등병 || 海保訓鍊兵<br>해보 훈련병
|-
! scope=row | Transliteration
| ''Haebo Sangdŭng Haejo'' || ''Haebo Ildŭng Haejo'' || ''Haebo Idŭng Haejo'' || ''Haebo Sangsa'' || ''Haebo Jungsa'' || ''Haebo Hasa'' || ''Haebo Ildŭngbyŏng'' || ''Haebo Idŭngbyŏng'' || ''Haebo Hunryŏnbyŏng''
|-
! scope=row | Official translation
| Chief Midshipman || Midshipman 1st Class || Midshipman 2nd Class || Chief Petty Officer || Petty Officer 1st Class || Petty Officer 2nd Class || Seaman 1st Class || Seaman 2nd Class || Seaman Apprentice
|}


==Equipment==
==Equipment==
==Symbols==
===Flags===
===Paint scheme===
[[Image:ChS-4581_1997_2023-01-10.png|300px|thumb|right|Small patrol cutter ChS-4581 showing the 1997 color and marking scheme.]]
[[Image:ChJ_Plan_1542_1999_2023-01-11.png|300px|thumb|right|Medium patrol cutter ChJ-4385 showing the 1999 color and marking scheme.]]
[[Image:ChD-4011_Jangha_2009_2023-02-01.png|300px|thumb|right|Large patrol cutter ChD-4011 showing the 2002 color and marking scheme.]]
Today, ships of the Menghean Maritime Security Force are painted in an all-over white scheme on the sides and hull, with green paint on the decks and horizontal surfaces. Below the waterline, they use red anti-fouling paint, but from a different supplier than that used by the Menghean Navy.
Until about 1990, ships of Menghe's maritime security agencies were painted in the same slate grey as the ships of the Menghean Navy. They also used black hull numbers, though preceded by the prefix 경 (''gyŏng''), denoting "police." Starting in 1990, Maritime Border Security Force ships were seen in overall white paint, to make them more easily recognizable from Navy vessels.
About a year after the 1995 transfer of the Maritime Border Security Force to the Ministry of Internal Security, a new marking scheme appeared, with the Gomun characters 海洋國境保安 (Maritime Border Security) painted in black on each side of the hull roughly amidships. In 1998 this was shortened to 海洋保安 (Maritime Security). Both of these marking schemes were rolled out gradually, with the latter only becoming universal by the turn of the century. No Anglian-language text appeared on hulls during this time.
In 2002, the Menghean Maritime Border Security Force added Anglian-language text around the Gomun characters on the hull, to make the ships more readily identifiable to foreign vessels. Around this time, they also began painting the "old" racing stripe, comprised of one thin and one thick stripe at 65 degrees with widths and spacing following a ratio of 1:1:5. This stripe pattern was standardized across the Menghean maritime safety services, with the following markings for different agencies:
* Maritime Border Security Agency: navy blue stripes on a white hull
* Maritime Rescue Service: white stripes on a red hull
* Maritime Traffic Control Agency: white stripes on a black hull
* Maritime Environmental Protection Agency: white stripes on a green hull
In 2011, following the corresponding reorganization, the side text on all ships was changed to 海洋巡察 (Maritime Patrol), again in black Gomun characters flanked by Anglian text. In 2012, the Maritime Patrol Force inverted the color scheme on the hull, with a dark teal background and white text and markings. The superstructures of Maritime Patrol Force ships were still painted white. That same year, the racing stripe was changed to a single gold stripe on a light blue background, the colors of the [[Flag of Menghe|Menghean flag]].
===Racing stripes===
Ships of the Menghean Maritime Security Force have four navy blue stripes under the forecastle, rising at an angle of 65 degrees. These four stripes have multiple meanings, but officially, they represent the four services that were merged into the Maritime Security Force in 2017: border security, traffic control, environmental protection, and maritime rescue.


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 14:28, 1 February 2024

The Maritime Security Force (Menghean: 해양 보안 부대/海洋保安部隊, Haeyang Boan Budae) is the coast guard of Menghe. It has undergone multiple reorganizations, reclassifications, and name changes over the years, and was formerly known as the Maritime Patrol Force, the Maritime Border Security Force, and, informally but not in official translations, the Menghean Coast Guard. Since 2017, it has been organized as an agency-level body subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Security, and thus it is formally known as the Maritime Security Force of the Ministry of Internal Security of the Socialist Republic of Menghe (Dae Meng Sahoejuyi Gonghwaguk Guknae Boanbu Haeyang Boan Budae).

Though no longer directly subordinate to the Menghean Navy, as it was between 2011 and 2017, the Maritime Security Force is a paramilitary organization and many of its ships are armed and built to military standards. In wartime, the Menghean government can transfer control of its assets to the Menghean Navy, which would use them as auxiliary escorts and patrol vessels.

History

In 1962, while the Menghean War of Liberation was still underway, Communist forces established the Coastal Militia (해안 민병대 / 海岸民兵隊, Haean Minbyŏngdae), the precursor to today's Maritime Security Force. The Coastal Militia were organized by the Menghean People's Communist Party and its guerrilla fighters, and were primarily tasked with patrolling the coast to find enemy spies, saboteurs, and landing forces, and to monitor the movement of ships along the coast. Some coastal militia units commandeered fast motorboats and even fishing trawlers to patrol coastal waters and intercept suspicious ships, though most of them relied on foot patrols along the shore.

After the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe was founded in 1964, Coastal Militia units were transferred to the control of local governments. Like police agencies, they were divided into county, city, or municipal units, which could be coordinated by prefectural and provincial governments higher up the chain of command. As such, the quality of equipment varied considerably between localities, though none operated any purpose-built patrol vessels, instead relying on some combination of commandeered civilian vessels and small open-topped motorboats. Most coastal militia units existed in their own department-level agencies, and organization differed from one jurisdiction to another.

To standardize and professionalize these coastal militias, the DPRM reorganized them into the Maritime Border Police Force (해양 국경 경찰 부대 / 海洋國境警察部隊, Haeyang Gukgyŏng Gyŏngchal Budae) in 1975. Like secret police units, the Maritime Border Police were controlled by the Bureau of State Security in each locale. As part of this more centralized oversight, they were also reorganized to fall under the control of provincial governments, allowing them to more easily cross inter-county and inter-prefectural maritime borders and base ships in the largest available ports. The Maritime Border Police Force also had a centralized and standardized procurement process, allowing them to order purpose-built patrol boats and gunboats rather than arming civilian craft.

Like the Coastal Militia, the Maritime Border Police Force was ostensibly tasked with patrolling the country's territorial waters, and later its exclusive economic zone, to catch spies, saboteurs, and contraband smugglers. In practice, its main mission was domestic repression: its ships intercepted defectors attempting to flee the country, sometimes with lethal force, and put an end to unlicensed private fishing and private smuggling. The Maritime Border Police Force also served as a civilian counterweight to the Menghean People's Navy, which, under the terms of the Sangwŏn Agreement, was insulated from the oversight of the Menghean People's Communist Party. The Maritime Border Police Squadron in Donggyŏng included gunboats and torpedo boats which could, in theory, attack a Menghean People's Navy formation entering the Kimhae Sea en route to the capital, though as the Menghean People's Navy expanded and modernized it maintained a considerable edge over the Maritime Border Police, which were forbidden from operating any vessel with a top speed of more than 20 knots and a displacement of more than 500 tonnes.

After the Decembrist Revolution, the Ministry of State Security was disbanded and its personnel were purged. To further dismantle the power of the outgoing regime, the interim government transferred the Maritime Border Police Force to the control of the Menghean Navy, which, as a military body, had been insulated from Communist ideological control and was relatively loyal to Choe Sŭng-min's new regime. There, it was renamed the Maritime Border Security Force (해양 국경 보안 부대 / 海洋國境保安部隊, Haeyang Gukgyŏng Boan Budae). In 1992, it changed its flag to four navy blue stripes on a white background with an anchor in a gold circle in the middle, thus using the Navy's own colors and symbols.

In 1995, content that the civilian bureaucracy was loyal to his new regime, Choe Sŭng-min transferred the Maritime Border Security Force back to the control of the Ministry of Internal Security. There, it was still called the Maritime Border Security Force, but its flag was changed to replace the Navy anchor with a blue shield bearing the characters 海保 (Haebo), an abbreviation for Maritime Security. With the Sangwŏn Agreement and its informal restrictions on non-military warship size no longer in effect, the Maritime Border Security Force assumed control of several dozen retired Navy ships, including two Ginam-class frigates. It also assumed control over border patrol units on the Baek River and San River, organizing them into two flotillas, each of which monitored river traffic and border crossings along the portion of each river which served as a national boundary.

The agency was returned to Navy control in 2011, as one of the aftereffects of the 2005 Menghean military reforms. This reorganization was meant to streamline the wartime integration of the paramilitary auxiliary and the active Navy. During this time, it was renamed the Maritime Patrol Force (해양 순찰대 / 海洋巡察隊Haeyang Sunchaldae) and it once again flew the blue-stripe flag with an anchor insignia. Its missions were once again restricted to border patrol and maritime law enforcement, with the Baek River Flotilla and San River Flotilla transferred to the Border Patrol Forces of the Ministry of Internal Security.

The latest reorganization came in 2017, after the resolution of the Innominadan Crisis but primarily in the wake of Tak Jong-ho's dismissal as Commander-in-Chief. The Maritime Patrol Force was renamed the Maritime Security Force and placed back under the control of the Ministry of Internal Security. It was also expanded, absorbing three other bodies:

  • the Maritime Traffic Control Agency, formerly part of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, tasked with tending buoys and regulating shipping routes;
  • the Maritime Environmental Service, formerly part of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, tasked with regulating illegal fishing and dumping outside territorial waters; and
  • the Maritime Rescue Service (대멩 해양 구조대 / 大孟海洋救助隊, Dae Meng Haeyang Gujodae), formerly part of the Ministry of Public Security, tasked with search and rescue operations.

Following this reorganization, the Maritime Security Force now serves as a consolidated agency with the combined missions and resources of a proper coast guard.

Missions

Following its reorganization and consolidation in 2017, the Maritime Security Force is tasked with the following missions in peacetime:

  1. Maritime border enforcement, including preventing unlawful incursions into Menghe's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone;
  2. Maritime border patrol, the interception of vessels unlawfully entering or leaving the country and any unauthorized passengers or contraband aboard;
  3. Maritime law enforcement, including collaboration with international law enforcement agencies to combat cross-border crime;
  4. Maritime traffic management, including maintaining shipping lanes and regulating maritime tourism;
  5. Search and rescue, specifically air-sea rescue as well as rescue in coastal areas;
  6. Disaster response, extending to the shipment of supplies to affected areas;
  7. At-sea firefighting, for example at oil platforms and damaged ships;
  8. Oceanography and Hydrographic survey, marking of submerged obstacles, and placement and maintenance of buoys; and
  9. Marine environmental protection, including monitoring water pollution levels, combating illegal dumping, and containing and cleaning up hazardous spills.

Though the Maritime Security Force is no longer under the direct oversight of the Menghean Navy, the Navy still has the authority to command its ships in times of war. Though usually lacking the newest sensors and weapons, Maritime Security ships often carry some gun armament and provisions for the mounting of additional weapon systems, and could be used as auxiliary escort ships in rear areas or as minelayers in contested or defended waters. Some of the latest Maritime Security ships are configured to accept special-purpose mission modules, including minehunting gear and variable depth sonar. The Maritime Security Force would also deploy its resources to locate and rescue downed airmen and the survivors of sunken ships.

Organization

Overview

Since its latest reorganization in 2017, the Maritime Security Force has been divided into four Regions, each corresponding to a major geographic area: the East Menghe Sea, the South Menghe Sea, the Meng River, and the rivers which empty into the Meridian Ocean. Regions are further divided into Sectors, with each sector named for either a major waterway or the city hosting its headquarters. The sectors in the East Sea Region and South Sea Region are further grouped into Zones to add an intermediate layer of management.

Assets under the command of one sector are allowed to cross sector boundaries when pursuing a fleeing vessel, or to intercept a distress signal or suspicious vessel across boundaries if no other assets are available in the adjacent sector, but they generally patrol and respond to calls within their own sector. Long-range assets like large patrol vessels and fixed-wing aircraft are directly subordinate to Zone commanders, allowing them to freely operate across sector boundaries within their Zone.

On land, the boundaries between zones typically follow prefectural or at least county boundaries, but they were primarily drawn to follow groups of river watersheds as much as possible. This minimizes the number of places where a navigable waterway crosses a sector boundary. Small rivers are administered by a coastal sector, and Maritime Security Bases along the coast may send small craft upriver as needed or create special river patrol bases. Large rivers or river systems have their own sectors, and the Meng River has three.

Sections of the Baek, Saehan, and San Rivers mark Menghe's boundaries with neighboring countries, and navigable sections of the Singyŏng, Taeban, and Saehan Rivers flow across Menghe's border. On these sections of the waterway, the Maritime Security Force is responsible for patrolling the waterway itself and those feeding into it, intercepting unapproved crossings and smuggling. The Border Patrol Forces are responsible for patrolling the Menghean riverbank on land. The Sayak, Ergel, Övög, Tomkhavtsal, Berom, and Tam Rivers also form parts of Menghe's boundaries or cross the border, but these segments are too shallow, too rocky, and too remote to justify the use of riverine patrol craft, so the Border Patrol Forces patrol the riverbanks without support from vessels on the water. Originally, the short section of the Borang River between Menghe and the former Innominada fell into a similar treatment, but in 2019 Menghe and Argentstan concluded an agreement which would allow river patrol boats in the San River Sector to cross through Argentstani territory along the Borang River to reach the Menghean border further north.

Though neither commanding them nor under their command, Maritime Security Force units regularly coordinate with the Army, the Navy, various branches of the Internal Security Forces, and local police, fire, and environmental regulation units when conducting their missions.

Organization chart

  • East Sea Region
    • Zone 1
      • Zone 1 Patrol Fleet
      • Baek River Sector
      • Chŏngdo Sector
      • Donggyŏng Sector
      • Saekgu Sector
    • Zone 2
      • Zone 2 Patrol Fleet
      • Anchŏn Sector
      • Haeju Sector
      • Ranju Sector
      • Gyŏngsan Sector
  • South Sea Region
    • Zone 3
      • Zone 3 Patrol Fleet
      • Wihae Sector
      • Sanbon Sector
      • Chanam Sector
    • Zone 4
      • Zone 4 Patrol Fleet
      • Dongchŏn Sector
      • Oro Rivers Sector
      • Daman Sea Sector
    • Zone 5
      • Zone 5 Patrol Fleet
      • Jŏnsun Sector
      • Gwangbo Sector
      • San River Sector
  • Meng River Region
    • Lower Meng Sector
    • Central Meng Sector
    • Upper Meng Sector
  • Inland Region
    • Singyŏng River Sector
    • Taeban River Sector
    • Seyhan River Sector

Past organization

The Maritime Border Police Force, established in 1975, was divided into 15 flotillas: one corresponding to each province or directly-controlled city along the coast, plus riverine patrol flotillas in Songgang Province and the Ketchvan Autonomous Province, established in 1978. Each flotilla was under the direct control of the corresponding city or province's Bureau of State Security for its day-to-day operations, though the Maritime Border Police Agency, part of the national Ministry of State Security, controlled procurement, training, and other standards, and could issue commands directly to the border flotillas, bypassing the city or provincial government. During this period, each flotilla's operations were strictly limited to the territorial waters of the corresponding province or city, and ships could only cross into other jurisdictions after seeking the approval of the Maritime Border Police Agency higher up.

After its transfer to Navy control in 1988, the Maritime Border Security Force retained this 15-flotilla organization, but each flotilla was directly controlled by the Maritime Border Security Agency, which was subordinate to the Administrative Office of the Menghean Navy within the Ministry of National Defense. Thus, they were provincial flotillas in name only, with no connections to the corresponding provincial government. In 1991, as part of the expansion of the Maritime Border Security Force, Menghe established an East Sea Security Fleet and a South Sea Security Fleet. Each of these fleets, also subordinate to central agency control, was responsible for longer-range patrols of Menghe's exclusive economic zone in the South Menghe Sea and East Menghe Sea, respectively, while the flotillas were mainly responsible for inshore and coastal patrols. This structure initially persisted after the Maritime Border Security Force was handed back to the Ministry of Internal Security in 1995, though with the addition of two-way liaison offices between the flotillas and their corresponding city or provincial governments.

In 1997, the Maritime Border Security Force revised its flotilla patrol areas, giving the Donggyŏng Coastal Flotilla control over the entire Kimchang Sea (as the Kimchang Coastal Flotilla) and expanding the Hwangjŏn Coastal Flotilla's control over the entire Daman Sea (as the Daman Coastal Flotilla). Over the course of the late 1990s and 2000s, the Ministry of Internal Security also gave provincial governments more control over their corresponding coastal flotillas. In 2012, one year after the Maritime Border Security Force became the Maritime Patrol Force, the Navy reorganized the provincial flotillas into regional commands, further increased central control over them, and improved the procedures to transfer ships between them and handle issues with overlapping jurisdiction.

The Maritime Traffic Control Agency, the Maritime Environmental Service, and the Maritime Rescue Service were all created in the 2000s in response to the rapid increase in shipping that accompanied Menghe's economic miracle. They were under the control of entirely separate ministries, and had their own systems of organization. While the Maritime Border Security Force was exclusively concerned with coastal areas and riverine borders, these agencies' zones of authority extended far inland, allowing their boats to operate up the watersheds of Menghe's navigable rivers and canals.

This system came to an end in 2017, when the Maritime Patrol Force was merged with the three other maritime agencies and placed back under Ministry of Internal Security control as the Maritime Security Force. This comprehensive reorganization included the creation of today's system of regions, zones, and sectors.

Ranks

The rank system of the Maritime Security Force underwent several revisions over the organization's long and fragmented history, but the current version is based on the rank system of the Menghean Navy. Rank titles are based on those of the Army and Navy, but with the prefix Haebo (Maritime Security) in place of Haegun (Navy). Official Anglian translations use the same titles as the equivalent Navy rank (e.g., Rear Admiral for both Haegun Sojang and Haebo Sojang).

Commissioned ranks

Level Admiral-grade officers Field-grade officers Junior-grade officers Officer cadets
Standard rank code OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1a OF-1b OF(D)
Menghean name 海保中將
해보 중장
海保少將
해보 소장
海保準將
해보 준장
海保大領
해보 대령
海保中領
해보 중령
海保少領
해보 소령
海保大尉
해보 대위
海保中尉
해보 중위
海保少尉
해보 소위
海保士官候補生
해보 사관 후보생
Transliteration Haebo Jungjang Haebo Sojang Haebo Junjang Haebo Daeryŏng Haebo Jungryŏng Haebo Soryŏng Haebo Daewi Haebo Jungwi Haebo Sowi Haebo Sagwan Hubosaeng
Official translation Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Commodore Captain Commander Lieutenant Commander Senior Lieutenant Junior Lieutenant Ensign Officer Candidate

Enlisted ranks

Level Warrant officers Non-commissioned officers Seamen
Standard rank code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
Menghean name 海保上等海曹
해보 상등 해조
海保一等海曹
해보 일등 해조
海保二等海曹
해보 이등 해조
海保上士
해보 상사
海保中士
해보 중사
海保下士
해보 하사
海保一等兵
해보 일등병
海保二等兵
해보 이등병
海保訓鍊兵
해보 훈련병
Transliteration Haebo Sangdŭng Haejo Haebo Ildŭng Haejo Haebo Idŭng Haejo Haebo Sangsa Haebo Jungsa Haebo Hasa Haebo Ildŭngbyŏng Haebo Idŭngbyŏng Haebo Hunryŏnbyŏng
Official translation Chief Midshipman Midshipman 1st Class Midshipman 2nd Class Chief Petty Officer Petty Officer 1st Class Petty Officer 2nd Class Seaman 1st Class Seaman 2nd Class Seaman Apprentice

Equipment

Symbols

Flags

Paint scheme

Small patrol cutter ChS-4581 showing the 1997 color and marking scheme.
Medium patrol cutter ChJ-4385 showing the 1999 color and marking scheme.
Large patrol cutter ChD-4011 showing the 2002 color and marking scheme.

Today, ships of the Menghean Maritime Security Force are painted in an all-over white scheme on the sides and hull, with green paint on the decks and horizontal surfaces. Below the waterline, they use red anti-fouling paint, but from a different supplier than that used by the Menghean Navy.

Until about 1990, ships of Menghe's maritime security agencies were painted in the same slate grey as the ships of the Menghean Navy. They also used black hull numbers, though preceded by the prefix 경 (gyŏng), denoting "police." Starting in 1990, Maritime Border Security Force ships were seen in overall white paint, to make them more easily recognizable from Navy vessels.

About a year after the 1995 transfer of the Maritime Border Security Force to the Ministry of Internal Security, a new marking scheme appeared, with the Gomun characters 海洋國境保安 (Maritime Border Security) painted in black on each side of the hull roughly amidships. In 1998 this was shortened to 海洋保安 (Maritime Security). Both of these marking schemes were rolled out gradually, with the latter only becoming universal by the turn of the century. No Anglian-language text appeared on hulls during this time.

In 2002, the Menghean Maritime Border Security Force added Anglian-language text around the Gomun characters on the hull, to make the ships more readily identifiable to foreign vessels. Around this time, they also began painting the "old" racing stripe, comprised of one thin and one thick stripe at 65 degrees with widths and spacing following a ratio of 1:1:5. This stripe pattern was standardized across the Menghean maritime safety services, with the following markings for different agencies:

  • Maritime Border Security Agency: navy blue stripes on a white hull
  • Maritime Rescue Service: white stripes on a red hull
  • Maritime Traffic Control Agency: white stripes on a black hull
  • Maritime Environmental Protection Agency: white stripes on a green hull

In 2011, following the corresponding reorganization, the side text on all ships was changed to 海洋巡察 (Maritime Patrol), again in black Gomun characters flanked by Anglian text. In 2012, the Maritime Patrol Force inverted the color scheme on the hull, with a dark teal background and white text and markings. The superstructures of Maritime Patrol Force ships were still painted white. That same year, the racing stripe was changed to a single gold stripe on a light blue background, the colors of the Menghean flag.

Racing stripes

Ships of the Menghean Maritime Security Force have four navy blue stripes under the forecastle, rising at an angle of 65 degrees. These four stripes have multiple meanings, but officially, they represent the four services that were merged into the Maritime Security Force in 2017: border security, traffic control, environmental protection, and maritime rescue.

See also