Effects of Maritime Homeland Defense Capability Gaps and Recommendations for Improvement - Essay Example

The most smuggled things are drugs, weapons and people (Simons, 121). These threats are defined as the capability gaps that exist in the homeland defense. This necessitates the application of security capabilities in curbing the threats posed. The department of defense has critically used the gap analysis model to identify these existing deficiencies (Simons, 121). The capability gaps identified have been divided into three regions or zones. These territories are within the borderlines of homeland security.

The capabilities gaps necessitate planning the implementation procedures for the capabilities (Holder, 15). The challenges faced in the implementation are unique and include the international cooperation to ensure transparency. The effect brought out by these capability gaps is enormous. They have necessitated different security agencies to try to work together. This can create a lot of negative effects on the running of the agencies. From a managerial perspective, each group needs to be given its own authority and mandate.

Failure to use this approach will create a conflict of interests between the heads of different groups. The execution of these capabilities under such conditions shall be restrained. This has an enormous negative effect as the capability gaps identified can not be rectified with infighting within the system supposed to correct them. The gap of unforeseen events, like pirates, requires a different capability. The DOD recommends the use of military force as a way of handling this gap. This kind of approach is considered efficient as opposed to a detailed operation plan.

A detailed operation plan would be best fitted for a specific threat. In this approach the homeland defense will be providing guidance to the other subordinate departments that shall be helping in the execution of the capability. A detailed operation plan would, however, be used when dealing with threat of adversary nations’ naval forces. This is going to entail a planned course of action. With the threat being known homeland security can prepare effectively. The previous threat of unforeseen events however, needs preparedness.

It means that there has to be a group kept ready waiting for such an occurrence (Antommarch, 32). These deficiencies have had several effects on the homeland security system. With the identification of the gaps, the operations of homeland security need a total overhaul. There appears the need to alter the budgetary allocation so as to cater for the execution of these capabilities. The effect of doing this shall be creation of extra gaps as opposed to correcting the existing one. Since the government has already made its financial allocation to the homeland security, an internal alteration shall have to be done.

Cutting down of spending shall entail identifying the allocation from which some money can be recovered. This shall in turn stretch the capability of homeland security to undertake the correction. Another effect that can come out of these capability gaps is the ability of a single security agency to handle these capabilities. There brings the need to acquire new equipment which may not be available at the moment. The Federal Acquisition Regulations requires the use of appropriate fund in any such process.

With the pressure exerted on homeland security, some of those regulations may be hard to follow. This would mean that the capabilities