Bucharest, June 5 /Agerpres/ - The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) reports that the SCOMAR system was developed for maritime surveillance by the Coast Guard and is not a single radar or a military anti-drone system, and the unmanned maritime drone involved in Friday's incident in the Port of Constanta has other characteristics, different from the profile of the boats and ships for which SCOMAR is optimized.

'The Integrated Maritime Surveillance System - SCOMAR - operates within the technical and operational parameters for which it was designed, developed and integrated into the activity of the Border Police. SCOMAR is an integrated maritime surveillance system, not a single radar and not a military anti-drone system. It is intended for the implementation of Coast Guard functions, such as: maritime border control, maritime monitoring and surveillance, preventing and combating illegal migration and cross-border crime. The system was designed and optimized for the detection, identification and monitoring of boats and ships of interest, especially those larger than 6 meters', a press release sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs mentions.

According to the cited source, the incident in the Port of Constanta concerns 'a different technical category of targets than those for which SCOMAR was designed and operationally configured'.

'The unmanned maritime drone identified in the port has specific characteristics of a small platform, with a very low detection profile and a reduced radar footprint, different from the profile of the boats and ships for which the system is optimized. We understand the public concern generated by this incident. In such situations, citizens expect the state to function coherently, through all its institutions. That is why the assessment must be carried out on all relevant mechanisms: surveillance, detection, alerting, naval traffic management, port safety, intervention, public order and inter-institutional cooperation. In the field of maritime safety and security, the state acts through several authorities, each with technical and operational attributions established by law. The Ministry of Internal Affairs exercises its attributions through its competent structures and cooperates with all responsible institutions to clarify the relevant elements and coordinate the necessary measures. A 'The complex technical and operational situation must be analyzed based on data, legal competences and applicable procedures. Personalizing responsibility or selectively attributing conclusions before the completion of institutional assessments can create public confusion and does not contribute to strengthening the state's response,' the MAI release said.

At the same time, the MAI also specifies that 'the Coast Guard maintains permanent cooperation with institutions and structures with responsibilities in the field of maritime safety and security, ensuring the operational exchange of information and supporting the coordination of necessary measures, according to legal competences.'

A maritime drone discovered in the Constanta Civil Port, near the headquarters of the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea, self-detonated on Friday, around 10:30, without causing any casualties. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marius Fratila; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)