INTEGRATION OF AIRBORNE AIS BRINGS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE DETECTION OF ILLEGAL DISCHARGE OF OIL SPILLS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The AIS (Automatic Identification System) became a standard under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in December 2001. Using the AIS transponder, the vessel will report its position, identity heading and other information to other ship traffic in the same area. The AIS is a significant contribution to the control and safety of shipping. Transport Canada (TC) is a pioneer internationally in using the AIS (R4A airborne AIS transponder) integrated with the remote sensing system (MSS 6000 from Swedish Space Corporation) on board their aircraft, in order to add the information on ship identity and voyage to the information from other sensors. The AIS integration provides a quantum leap in the effectiveness of the surveillance mission. In the Canadian system integration, detailed vessel information obtained through the AIS system is displayed and correlated with information received from other sensors. All information is also presented together with a high-resolution digital map including nautical chart data. The AIS provides the operators with vessel voyage and identity information. It is very useful for vectoring the aircraft to areas where ships have been reported. The advent of AIS simplifies surveillance procedures and makes each hour of surveillance more productive. During last year TC reported that over 9700 vessels were over flown. It is anticipated that over 20,000 AIS targets will be acquired using AIS in 2007–2008. The experience from Canada also indicates an outstanding VHF range. During missions, vessels have been identified as far away as 200 nautical miles (n.m.) from the aircraft. The AIS information together with other sensor images gives a comprehensive image that will dramatically improve the chance to tie a ship to a detected illegal oil spill. Receiving ship identity information will enable aircrews to conduct covert operations and contact the suspect ship from far standoff distances. This will also act as a deterrent to potential polluters. Integrating AIS within the operational requirements of surveillance programs, dedicated to minimizing the adverse effects of shipping on the marine environment, will make a significant contribution towards improving the effectiveness of surveillance missions.