Automated Identification Systems News

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday issued a warning to mariners and commercial fisherman about the dangers and legal consequences of switching off their Automated Identification Systems (AIS), citing concern over a growing number of vessels operating with the tracking equipment disabled.The Coast Guard said it has been alarmed in particular by the increase of commercial fishing and crabbing vessels disabling their AIS, purportedly in an attempt to keep their fishing spots secret…

Automated now; autonomous looms large in the center porthole. The word ‘autonomous’ is probably the maritime industry’s most frequently used term in the past year. The word, however, has a far different meaning than the similarly sounding “automated” – which means that certain processes are handled by machines, rather than by humans. Throughout 2017, industry thought leaders have been mulling over the new digital paradigms that are emerging including the ‘Internet of Things’ and/or the linkage of processes and machines – the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ – where devices talk to each other…

In 2014, Forbes Associate Director for Maritime Services at Control Risks stated that maritime risks are on the rise. Mariners and ship owner/operators experienced a 26% spike in maritime piracy and armed robbery since 2014  and the North Sea Oil Industry admitted that it had been targeted and thwarted cyber attacks, attacks that if successful could have caused untold financial and logistical damage. •    Within the last decade, plans to attack a cruise ship in a major U.S. port were revealed. Maritime surveillance systems play a key role monitoring sea lanes and ports while supporting worldwide maritime safety and security. The ability to operate effectively and securely in any environment (air, land or sea) depends on an acute awareness and understanding of the surrounding elements.

Once, the stars were all that mariners needed to navigate the seas. Today, maritime companies rely on hi-tech systems to operate and navigate equally hi-tech vessels. All of that comes with new and significant risks. On one side, automation has its benefits, especially as crews grew smaller and ships got bigger. On the flip side, however, marine technology, like most other technology, comes with its own risks. Today’s technologies often require Internet connectivity to function properly. A recent study by Boston-based security company Rapid7 found more than 100,000 devices – from traffic signal equipment to oil and gas monitors – were connected to the Internet using serial ports with inadequate security leaving them vulnerable to breaches or hacking.

Coast Guard investigators have finished a one month investigation into the operation of the 874 ft. long 'Bangkok Bridge' in Dutch Harbor. Two investigators, one from Coast Guard Sector Anchorage and one from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Dutch Harbor, assessed a $75,000 penalty for failure to report a hazardous condition. The investigation began after MSD Dutch Harbor personnel received a report of a distressed deep draft vessel in Unimak Pass, a highly trafficked pass for commercial vessels on the Aleutian Chain.

Rear Admiral (RADM) Paul Pluta, the man in charge of ensuring the security of the 361 ports and 95,000 miles of coastline in the U.S., had to quickly shift gears in the hours following September 11. Hired initially to beef up environmental protection and passenger vessel safety, Pluta realized after that day, that his role as Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, had changed dramatically in the hours following. September 11 began like any other for RADM Pluta. Working out of his office in Washington, D.C. where he was appointed to earlier that year by Coast Guard Admiral James Loy…

OSI Geospatial Inc. (OSI) announced that its international systems business has now signed the prime contract with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to deliver Warship Automated Identification Systems (W-AIS). On November 2, 2006, the company announced its selection as the preferred bidder for a contract valued at approximately US$29 million, including all options. The company will begin delivery immediately and will recognize a portion of the revenue from this contract in fiscal 2006. The U.K. Royal Navy W-AIS will be installed in platform Operations and Control Rooms and integrated into the Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) located on the bridge of the naval ship.