Mobile phones & security on board ships

In these days of all & sundry carrying mobile phones, isn't this a massive security issue on board a sea going ship. How are strict radio silence procedures maintained? Or do we now contact Boris on his mobile to let him know where we are and what we are doing?

 

EMCON plans are in force governing use of mobile phones. Not always terribly relevant as 1/ there's no reception inside the Ship and 2/ there's not great mobile reception in the middle of the oggin!

 

There is a thing called river state.
Certain times as required by Opsec, mobile phones are taken and locked up

 

Slim
Like Boris gives a shit where we are and what we are doing the Cold War finished years ago.
And as the RN is now a 2nd division side trying to play in the premiership does any country give a shit where we are and what we are doing.
I think not

 

Sorry I forgot I'm just a silly old fart who served when Britannia really did rule the waves!

 

Alas slim I also remember those days with great fondness and nostalgia.

 

So is the royal navy no longer a powerful force in the world?

 

Slim - to try and provide a sensible answer to your question - the answer is yes it is a security issue. On joining a ship each person registers their phone like they used to do with cameras etc. On the declaration form they agree that should the operational need arise, then they will surrender their SIM card to ensure OPSEC. You obviously have to trust in people's integrity for this to happen, but the only time I had to do it off the Al Faw in 03, everyone saw the logic and played the game.

The biggest issue tends not to be operational needs, but when something out of the ordinary happens such as a fire onboard or something similar during a period when there has been no need to restrict comms. We had an FA2 ditch and, as someone was on the phone (pusser’s, not mobile) at the time, Yeovil knew almost before the Main Broadcast had finished……

Does this help?

 

Have a look at all the different posts within RR, read the news and listen to some of our senior military top brass then work it out for yourself.

 

just to clarify, River City state is for OPSEC and controls what info is passed around on IT systems. EMCON is still enforced for the counter detection and COMSEC issues.

 

On my ship the river city state controls internet/email AND mobile phone use.
Maybe its just a case of the kiddies putting everything in one basket, I don't know.

 

This begs the question as to whether the wafus use their mobiles in the air as they float about , possibly close to land? Any takers?

 

whats the rules with bringing a laptop? is there internet acess in mess decks? or would a laptop be used just for games/music and stuff?

 

You can bring your laptop onboard for personal use but you wouldn't have internet access because you'd need a navystar enabled laptop/pc for that. But for personal use its fine, lots of people do it these days

 

Areas within some shorebases demand that mobiles are switched off or surrended on entry.

This is to prevent deliberate transmission and inadvertant transmission (TEMPEST issues).