The Imperative of Persistent Tracking in Maritime Security
The escalating geopolitical situation is presenting unprecedented challenges for the shipping sector and the broader supply chain. An expanding shadow fleet, engaged in illegal Ship-To-Ship (STS) transfers of Russian oil and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), has exacerbated long-standing issues related to dark shipping, which threatens national security, vessel safety, and raises concerns about environmental disasters and supply chain disruptions. In response, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued Assembly Resolution A.1192(33) in December 2023, urging stakeholders to address the shadow fleet problem. However, the reliance on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for vessel tracking remains a significant hurdle.
The Limitations of AIS in Maritime Tracking
While AIS has been a cornerstone of vessel tracking, its vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly apparent. Bad actors can easily turn off, jam, or spoof AIS tracking, making it unreliable for ensuring maritime security and compliance. This has led to a pressing need for enhanced fleet tracking that goes beyond AIS to provide accurate and trusted vessel positioning.
The Rise of Persistent Tracking Solutions
Persistent tracking solutions are emerging as a vital next step in safeguarding vessels at sea. These solutions overcome the gaps in current positioning data by leveraging diverse data sources and real-time analytics. Capt. Steve Bomgardner, VP – Shipping & Offshore at Pole Star Global, highlights the importance of a multi-layered tracking model that can provide next-generation accuracy and reliability.
Global Sanctions and Maritime Compliance
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which protects global shipping and supply chains, is under significant strain due to geopolitical uncertainties in regions like the Black Sea, South China Sea, Red Sea-Gulf of Aden, and the Straits of Hormuz. The rise in attacks on shipping in these areas has led to ship masters turning off AIS tracking to avoid being targeted, increasing the risk of collisions and environmental damage.
The shift by Russian oil tankers to smaller, less diligent flags in response to heightened sanctions from the USA, EU, UK, and others, further complicates compliance enforcement for the IMO and national regulatory bodies. The USA’s Quint Seal Notice, issued in December 2023, calls on all stakeholders to assess their risk profiles and implement risk-based compliance programs.
The Need for Enhanced Fleet Tracking
Improving shipping transparency is crucial but complex. It requires aligning with specialist application service providers capable of handling data selection, aggregation, management, AI/ML processing, and overall technical complexity. The industry urgently needs a robust solution that leverages multiple tracking data sources, supplemented with Earth-Observation (EO) data, to deliver persistent tracking of every vessel without compromise.
Intelligence-Led Operations
Persistent tracking models use multiple, layered data sources and robust cross-referencing and analysis to provide increased confidence in vessel positions. This eliminates guesswork and minimizes errors, ensuring that any anomaly or vessel deviation is immediately identified and open to investigation. Live dashboards provide essential visibility and control, while predictive analytics, AI, and ML offer deeper insights into dark activity, ensuring secure, safe, clean, and compliant operations.
Conclusion
The simplicity of AIS has transformed vessel tracking, but its vulnerabilities are now a liability. The ease with which AIS signals can be disabled, jammed, or spoofed creates inconsistencies that allow bad actors to operate unchallenged, compromising genuine vessels’ safety. The lack of visibility across seas globally must be urgently addressed. Additional sanctions and risk assessment are necessary, but without a persistent tracking solution that layers multiple tracking data streams, the maritime industry will continue to face unacceptable risks, from compromised security and loss of life to environmental disasters and supply chain disruptions.
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