Global Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) Coordination Center (GMCC)

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Purpose

The Global Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) Coordination Center (GMCC) facilitates the U.S. Government’s (USG) interagency response to maritime threats involving U.S. interests worldwide.

MOTR Plan and Protocols

MOTR is a product of a presidentially approved plan, signed in 2006, and focuses on a coordinated U.S. Government response to maritime threats such as drug seizures, migrant interdictions, terrorism, piracy, and more. The MOTR Plan ensures alignment with interagency partners to ensure quick and decisive action is taken to counter maritime threats. The GMCC was formally recognized in Presidential Directive 18 (2012).

Please submit an email to GMCC@uscg.mil if seeking digital copies of the MOTR Plan and Protocols. The email should contain your full name, email, number, employer, and reason for needing the materials. A member of the GMCC will respond to your request within 24 hours.

MOTR Board of Directors

The MOTR Advisory Group (MAG) functions as the MOTR Plan’s Board of Directors. The MAG includes national-level agency points of contact who are authorized to initiate MOTR, participate in coordination activities, and speak on behalf of their agency. These agencies include Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Commerce, Transportation, and Homeland Security.

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GMCC Role

The GMCC was established in February 2010 to serve as a national interagency MOTR coordinator, act as the Plan’s executive secretariat, and provide fulltime support to interagency partners. The GMCC also provides MOTR training, war games exercises, process guidance, expertise, and educational resources to agencies to support federal responses to maritime threats.

The GMCC also facilitates the U.S. Maritime Alert and Advisory System. This program consolidates U.S. government communication with U.S. maritime industry stakeholders regarding potential or observed maritime security threats. This system involves cooperation between U.S. government maritime security partners. To date over 145 alerts and advisories have been released and are available on the Maritime Security Communications with Industry web portal.

The U.S. coordination framework recognizes the importance of partner nation collaboration. Information sharing agreements exist between the GMCC and whole-of-government centers in several countries.

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GMCC Structure and Reporting

The GMCC is a Department of Homeland Security office within the U.S. Coast Guard. The GMCC is led by a civilian director supported by a deputy director (a civilian attorney) and a staff of trained coordinators. During coordination activities, the GMCC is accountable to the National Security Council staff.

GMCC Functions

• Facilitate 24-hour MOTR coordination and provide daily summaries to interagency partners.
• Executive Secretariat for the MOTR Plan.
• Create and share U.S. alerts and advisories with the global commercial maritime fleet.
• Host MOTR war game exercises, conduct training, and provide educational resources to all agencies at all levels.
• Collaborate with the MOTR Advisory Group to develop interagency policies.
• Work with partner nations to enhance maritime threat response activities.
• Document lessons learned and implemented improvements to the MOTR process.

Contact

You can contact the GMCC Watchstander by phone through the USCG National Command Center at (202) 372-2100 or send an email to GMCC@uscg.mil.