The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) successfully demonstrated the ability to fuse real-time Automated Identification System (AIS) and Radar Track data. This was the first successful test to derive indicators and warnings associated with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations.

The flight demonstration was a joint effort sponsored by the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. The fusion system demonstrated on board the CBP P-3 was based on the STORY MAKER system developed by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (GDAIS) in support of Navy operations. The CBP P-3 demonstration system correlated and fused the AIS and Radar Track data to produce a persistent situational awareness air and maritime picture. Based on the CBP situational awareness picture for selected maritime tracks, vessel registry data was automatically correlated to the fused tracks providing additional vessel information to the air crew. For purposes of the CBP P3 demonstration, the automated association of registry data to the real-time situational awareness picture is illustrative of the benefits of a future reach back capability whereby the CBP P-3 can access information from a ground based node to enhance its ability to detect, geo-locate and identify threats in supporting CBP missions.

Edward Khoury, the ONR program officer, and Robert Redditt, the NAWCWD program manager, agree that "this is the first time that the Navy has collaborated with Customs and Border Protection to leverage information fusion technology to support a Homeland Security mission application."

The CBP P-3 flight demonstration represents the initial step to transition the STORY MAKER fusion technology to support Maritime Domain Awareness and a variety of other applications throughout the Department of Navy and the Department of Homeland Security.