Canadians Can Always Find Beer

A news report on the CANOE website announced Canadian security trial that was a resounding success.

In the interest of accuracy, I am reprinting the story here:

October 27, 2005
Military research technology group hails marine security trial as success By JOHN LEWANDOWSKI
DARTMOUTH, N.S. (CP) - If anyone can find a beer barrel in the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean, Canadians can.
A Canadian-led marine surveillance experiment that involved tracking a metal cask from Liverpool, England, to it's intended drop off point in Nova Scotia's Chedabucto Bay as part of a security exercise, is being called a success.
Using a diverse array of satellite, sonar, radar, unmanned aerial surveillance and stealth buoys, researchers were able to track the pretend contraband and eventually seize it as it was transferred between four vessels.
"The object of the exercise was to collect data from different sensors on a common incursion scenario into the Maritimes," said navy Cmdr. Anthony Cond, project co-ordinator for the $3.5-million Maritime Sensor Integration Experiment.
"Following it was the hardest part, especially when it's far out to sea. We want to be able to find out where these vessels are and watch them before they enter Canadian waters," Cond said at a news conference Thursday.
Cond said that in a post 9-11 world, knowing what's happening off Canada's coasts 24 hours a day is critical to marine security.
In the trial, a barrel was placed on a container ship and then dumped on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, where it was retrieved by a fishing trawler.
From there it was taken to Nova Scotia and transferred to a smaller vessel which was then boarded by police who seized it.
An array of equipment was brought into play, including land, sea and air-sensing technology that allowed trackers to know where the barrel was virtually every second it was at sea.
They used the Canadian-built Stealth Buoy, which is designed to lay quietly on the ocean floor until it rises in response to propeller noise and transmits the target's location. The Silver Fox unmanned drone, which looks like a large toy plane packed with video equipment, was also deployed from land, cruising about 300 metres above Chedabucto Bay.
"We provided a live video feed to HMCS Toronto and the RCMP so they could see what was happening on the target vessel," said Lt.-Cmdr. Bill Walton of the Maritime Warfare Centre.
"No one on board would have seen it because the normal ship's running noise would have masked the sound of the (drone) and unless they knew where to look they wouldn't have seen it."
Researchers will now take the next several months to examine the data and try to refine the use of the technology.
Several departments and agencies, including the Canadian Forces, RCMP, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Transport, Environment Canada and the coast guard could all benefit, said participants.
Much of what they find will also be shared with other countries, such as the United States and Britain.

I think the first paragraph says it all.