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AIS Definitions: Everything you need to know
AIS (Automatic Identification System) allows ships to automatically share their position, heading, and speed information to enhance maritime safety and facilitate traffic management at sea. From the terrestrial AIS system to satellite S-AIS, discover the fundamentals, developments, and numerous applications of this now essential technology in the maritime industry.
What is AIS ?
AIS (Automatic Identification System) is a system for the automatic exchange of standardized data between ships, designed to enhance maritime safety and traffic management. Through transponders, ships transmit their position, identity, heading, or speed, information that is captured by other vessels and shore stations. AIS thus allows for the anticipation of collision risks, enhances the visibility of ships in difficult conditions, and facilitates monitoring and maritime interventions for authorities.
What is S-AIS ?
The S-AIS (Satellite Automatic Identification System) enables the tracking of AIS-equipped vessels through a satellite network, ensuring global coverage even in remote and densely populated areas. Essential for maritime safety, it is used across various sectors such as defense, commerce, and insurance.
With its constellation of nanosatellites and 20 ground stations, Kinéis provides precise AIS data to optimize fleet management and enhance maritime security.
How has AIS become essential for maritime safety?
AIS was designed in the 1990s to meet the need for sharing essential information about ships, thereby enhancing safety at sea and traffic management. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the IMO (International Maritime Organization) made its installation mandatory on vessels to improve maritime surveillance. Today, AIS has become essential for safety, port logistics, and transparency in global maritime activities.
AIS: a requirement for merchant and passenger vessels
According to SOLAS regulations, AIS is mandatory for large commercial ships and passenger vessels (Class A), while Class B transponders are intended for smaller vessels not subject to these regulations, such as pleasure boats and small fishing vessels. Although optional, Class B transponders allow these vessels to participate in AIS information exchanges, thereby enhancing safety for all at sea.
What data are transmitted by AIS? ?
AIS transmits dynamic data, frequently updated, such as GPS position, course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG), estimated time of closest point of approach (TCPA), and closest point of approach (CPA). Static data, updated less frequently, includes the ship's name, MMSI number, vessel type, draft, departure and arrival ports, and nature of the cargo. With S-AIS, monitoring now extends to dense areas and the high seas, beyond the range of shore stations.
Applications
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