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Ais Equipment News

27 Dec 2017

AIS, AtoN, MTS – and you

Figure 1

USACE and USCG collaborate to make inland waterways safer. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), supported by Alion Science and Technology (Alion), has put forth considerable effort during the last two years to further extend the capabilities of the existing Automatic Identification System (AIS) network to improve the safety and efficiency of navigation along the inland rivers. The USACE works with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and other agencies and stakeholders to operate and maintain the nation’s Marine Transportation System (MTS).

23 Mar 2017

Denmark Makes More AIS Data Available

(Image: DMA)

Having already published Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel traffic data from 2014-2016 on its website, the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) has made even more historical AIS data available. Now anyone who may be interested can also access Danish AIS data from 2006 to 2014. The files will be available for free from the DMA website, but only for the next six months, as the data quantity is comprehensive and will require large storage capacity, the DMA said. In the future, however, the DMA will offer access to AIS data going back two years.

06 May 2014

McMurdo Completes Techno-Sciences Acquisition

Strategic acquisition validates Orolia's McMurdo Group as premier supplier of COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue solutions, establishes U.S. McMurdo Group, a global company in end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA) solutions, today announced the successful acquisition of Techno-Sciences, Inc. (TSi), a provider of SAR satellite ground stations, integrated emergency response center systems and coastal surveillance solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. TSi’s Beltsville, Maryland location becomes the U.S. Headquarters for McMurdo Group, a division of Orolia (NYSE Alternext Paris – FR0010501015 – ALORO), global specialist in critical Global Navigation Satellite System solutions.

23 May 2013

McMurdo Widens Range with New Transponder

M5 AIS Class A Transponder

McMurdo, a business of the Orolia Group, announced that Smartfind M5 AIS Class A Transponder is now available. The Smartfind M5 Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class A Transponder, previewed at Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) 2012 in Amsterdam, is part of McMurdo’s new range of AIS products that reflect its excellence in innovation and advancement in marine technology. The Smartfind M5 AIS Class A Transponder gives mariners the ability to view at a glance the AIS status of vessels all around them and provides access to a host of detailed navigation information.

27 Mar 2012

Maritime Safety on Dutch Waterways – Saab to Deliver AIS System

Defence and security company Saab has received an order from Rijkswaterstaat for delivery of an AIS (Automatic Identification System that will add to safety on the Dutch waterways. The contract secures Saab to provide the complete technical system solution within the DIAMONIS project (Dutch Inland AIS Monitoring System). Saab has forged a partnership with the local company Tein Telecom, which will be responsible for implementing the project locally, providing 24/7 support and more. The delivery comprises approximately 40 AIS base stations, a network solution and a web-based presentation system. Valued at over SEK 20 million the contract includes a number of future options, such as a possibel expansion of the system.

20 Jun 2008

Coast Guard Launches Nationwide AIS Satellite

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the launch of an ORBCOMM concept demonstration satellite, equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) capability, from . The satellite attained a proper orbit and is expected to start transmitting operational data within the next three months. The U.S. Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) Project sponsored equipment on the satellite to test the feasibility and effectiveness of AIS message reception and reporting from space for ship tracking and other navigational activities. The launch marks an important milestone in the development of the NAIS project. The NAIS project will improve maritime domain awareness for the U.S.

08 Oct 2001

AIS: The Future is Now

The IMO deadline for fitting new ships with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) is less than one year away. After July 1, 2002, all newbuilds over 300 grt must be equipped with an approved AIS transponder system. Leica Geosystems, one of the pioneering companies in AIS technology, recently published a 28-page book ("A Complete Guide to Automatic Identification Systems") that is loaded with useful information on AIS technology, how it works, international standards and carriage requirements. At the Norshipping exhibition in Oslo, Leica unveiled the first fully integrated GPS/DGPS/AIS shipboard system meeting all IMO, IEC and ITU equipment specifications. The following extracts are reprinted with permission from Leica Geosystems. What is AIS?

25 Feb 2004

Deadline for new port security measures approaching

By Jonathan K. During a visit to Charleston, S.C. last month, President Bush touted his proposed 13 percent budget increase for homeland security with U.S. ports being a primary priority. The visit came just six months before these facilities must implement several domestic and international requirements intended to add additional layers of defense and protection from potential terrorist acts. These provisions are contained in the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA), the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS). Domestic implementation of these requirements can be found in the U.S. Coast Guard's recently published security regulations.

01 Jun 2004

Saab TransponderTech AB Enters New Market

Saab TransponderTech AB and Navielektro ky, the provider of state of the art VTMS solutions, decided to cooperate in promoting their products for the VTMS and Coastal Surveillance Systems market. The two companies will offer VTMS and Costal Surveillance systems for the Maritime Administration and Port Administrations of the world. The team has had a long co-operation in the field of AIS system Technology and was the first in the market to supply a system for fusion of AIS and radar tracks.

30 Nov 2001

Saab TransponderTech Wins Order For the First AIS

Sweden-based Saab TransponderTech AB has recently received two prestigious orders to China via STN-Atlas. Following an order by STN-Atlas for a VTS system in Kvitsøy, Norway, earlier this year, Saab TransponderTech has now also won an order for several R30 AIS Base Stations for the VTS system in Huangha and Majisuan in China. With these orders, Saab TransponderTech establishes itself as the leading Automatic Identification System (AIS) supplier in the Far East. In Majisuan, the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) system is already under construction and will allow the important ability to identify, track and serve all commercial vessels in the area carrying AIS-equipment.

11 Dec 2001

Leica Marine Will Supply AIS For BP Tankers

Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, Calif. Each of the vessels will be fitted with an integrated DGPS/AIS system meeting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) carriage requirements for shipboard AIS. vital identification and navigation data automatically with other AIS-equipped ships and coastal stations via VHF radio channels. GPS/DGPS/AIS system in anticipation of the mandatory IMO carriage requirements, which come into effect July 1, 2002. passenger and cargo ships must be fitted with an approved AIS device. Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., as part of a complete integrated bridge system. sales and service support for the company's products. at NASSCO to transport oil from Valdez, Ala., to refineries on the U.S. West Coast. ensure safe operation in environmentally sensitive waters.

08 May 2002

AIS: When & Where? Here & Now!

The events of September 11, 2001 will continue to have lingering effects on the world indefinitely. The most visible remnant in the maritime world is the drastically heightened sense of safety and security, as officials in countries around the globe seek to secure their borders from the threat of attack — either direct or covert — via ship. Many of the issues currently on the legislative fast track were already in the works pre-September 11. False crew documentation, enhanced vessel tracking and beefed-up harbor controls were much-discussed topic in previous years. As is the case more often than not, though, a disaster of some proportion is inevitably the impetus in moving from discussion to action.

17 May 2002

Leica Marine Wins Type Approval For AIS

Leica Marine GPS announced that the MX 420/8 DGPS/AIS system has been type approved by Bundesamt fur Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH). The German type approval signifies that the Leica product complies with the IMO MSC.74 (69), ITU-R M.1371-1 and IEC 61993-2 standards for shipborne automatic identification systems (AIS) equipment. The MX 420/8 was introduced by Leica last year as a fully integrated solution to marine DGPS and AIS requirements. The system combines the industry's most accurate marine GPS receiver, a built-in dual-channel DGPS beacon receiver and an IMO-compliant AIS transponder system, with a single control and display unit.

11 Oct 2004

AIS: Getting it Right from the Start

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology has received its fair share of critics up to present, mainly due to poor made installations and lack of training. The problems are currently taking the focus from the positive side where is has proven to be a most useful tool in enhancing safety and security. Lets start with going back and reminding ourselves the initial purpose with AIS as it was thought of when implemented by IMO in 1998 (IMO Performance Standard for AIS (MSC.74(69) Annex 3)). 3. as a VTS tool, i.e. These statements are clear and straight forward and should not be misinterpreted. To be able to accomplish the basic goals of the performance standard, the onboard user and operator needs to be involved in the process to secure the data transmitted.

21 Jul 2005

USCG Establishes New AIS site in Unimak Pass

The Coast Guard in partnership with the Marine Exchange of Alaska has established an Automated Identification System (AIS) site in the Unimak pass to assist with maritime domain awareness. AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that acts like a transponder, operating in the VHF maritime band. The system allows a shipboard radar to display a mark for every significant ship within radio range. Each mark displays the corresponding ship's speed, heading, name, size, call sign, registration number, classification and other information. AIS has the same range-limiting factors of radio broadcasts however, the system's coverage area can be expanded by shore based repeaters. The system's range at sea is approximately 20 nautical miles.

13 Oct 2006

FCC Denies AIS Petition

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a final rule denying the petition for reconsideration of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment certification requirements for ship station equipment. The FCC concluded that there is no compelling justification for adopting domestic AIS equipment certification standards that diverge from international standards. Source: HK Law

23 Jul 2003

Panama Canal Issues AIS Reminder

The Panama Canal Authority issued an reminding transiting vessels of the requirement to carry automatic identification system (AIS) equipment and for the equipment to be fully operational. The Panama Canal Authority implemented mandatory carriage of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) in Panama Canal waters on July 1, 2003. Therefore, to be accepted for transit through the Panama Canal, all vessels over 300 gross tons or over 20 meters LOA must be equipped with an AIS system that meets the standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). With regard to combined and multiple units (tug-and-tows), only the Tug will be required to be equipped with an AIS system.

05 Aug 2003

Confused Seas

Navigating through U.S. By Dennis L. Holland & Knight, Washington, D.C. The U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) imposes various maritime security requirements on operating in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Maritime security regulations promulgated by the U.S. Coast Guard implement some (but not all) of the MTSA requirements and impose some additional requirements. In other words, Congress has imposed various requirements on the owners and operators of ships navigating waters of the United States and the U.S. Coast Guard has not provided full guidance on how to comply with those legislative mandates.

31 Oct 2001

Leica Marine To Supply ID Systems For BP Tankers

Leica Marine GPS has received orders from Seacoast Electronics to supply automatic identification systems (AIS) for three new tankers under construction for British Petroleum at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, California. Each of the vessels will be fitted with an integrated DGPS/AIS system meeting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) carriage requirements for shipboard AIS. The AIS equipment will permit the ships to exchange vital identification and navigation data automatically with other AIS-equipped ships and coastal stations via VHF radio channels. Leica Marine GPS is a pioneer in marine AIS technology.

10 Jul 2003

Radio Holland Confirms Deal with Saab TransponderTech

At the Nor-Shipping exhibition held in Oslo in June, the the Radio Holland Group management signed a contract with Saab TransponderTech, for the distribution and service of the Saab R4 AIS system by all Radio Holland Group branches. The R4 AIS is manufactured by Saab TransponderTech AB and is is the fourth generation of Saab AIS. The R4 Class A Transponder System is type-approved with wheelmark and complies with all international standards for AIS ship systems. Saab is also providing free Seagull computer based training software with every AIS system, training seafarers how to use the AIS equipment. Radio Holland Greece has also announce that as of April 20, they have been approved by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance to the quality management system standard BS EN ISO 9001: 2000.

31 Mar 2003

Seaway Corporations Open Waterway to Mandatory AIS

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) opened the binational waterway’s 45th navigation season. This season marks the beginning of mandatory Automatic Identification System (AIS) use on commercial vessels entering waterway in North America to employ this technology as a requirement for transit. “AIS represents a significant improvement in marine transportation navigation, integrating vital navigation data long available through our Vessel Traffic Control Centers (VTCCs) with electronic chart display technology at the fingertips of officers on the bridge,” said SLSDC Administrator Albert Jacquez.

04 Jun 2003

AIS - Panacea or Pandora's Box

According to Greek legend, Zeus had the messenger god Mercury leave a mysterious box with Pandora. Mercury told Pandora to hold the box for safe-keeping, but under no circumstances was she to open it. Not long after Mercury departed, curiosity got the better of Pandora and she opened the box to examine its contents. Unfortunately, the box contained all the ills and misfortunes of the world. They promptly escaped and have been loose in the world since that time. The word 'panacea' is derived from the Greek terms "pan" (meaning all) and "akos" (meaning remedy). The question is which term applies to AIS? What is AIS? AIS is an electronic transceiver unit intended to be integrated with a ship's radar, gyrocompass, global positioning system (GPS), and other operational and navigational systems.

01 May 2003

Government Update

By Dennis L. Bryant, senior maritime counsel, Holland & Knight, Washington, D.C. The federal government has concluded that one means of enhancing maritime security is by making maritime activity transparent. The theory is that if the federal government can look through or behind all maritime transactions, it can determine if any of them have ties to terrorists and take appropriate action before the threat manifests itself. The problem is that many of the participants in maritime activities value the current opaqueness of most maritime transactions, generally for legitimate commercial reasons. If your competitor knows early-on what you are doing, he or she can more successfully compete against you.

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