There was (or is . . . they could still be around) an FB group that kept tabs on various Automatic Identification System (AIS) Websites to generate maritime intelligence. The group didn't appear to be aware that ships are able to hide their identity.
One in a hundred ships using fake AIS identities as manipulation increases
POSTED BY ORBITAL ADMIN:21ST OCT, 2014: CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE · MONITORING
https://stopillegalfishing.com/press-links/one-in-a-hundred-ships-using-fake-ais-identities-as-manipulation-increases/
One per cent of all ships around the world are giving out fake identities via their AIS transponder systems, according to Windward, a specialised data company developing maritime intelligence technologies.
From 2002, the United Nations global shipping agency, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), mandated that ships over 3 000 tons transmit their information (identity, position, vessel type, course, speed and other safety-related information) to nearby ships and on-shore receiving base stations via a VHF radio. This Automatic Identification System (AIS) was designed to promote safety and avoid collisions by giving ships information on nearby vessels that might not be visible due to distance, bad weather conditions, or in crowded seas.
In a new research report looking at the real world applications of AIS manipulation, the magnitude of this trend and its far-reaching implications, Windward noted that since 2008, commercial satellites began collecting ship transmissions from space, allowing full time tracking of ships beyond the horizon. "The interest in the intelligence and security world is clear: knowing where ships are located and where they are heading is of key importance," the company noted.
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That being said . . . it remains an entertaining exercise.
Chinese Coast Guard on Scarborough
US logistics ship at Subic
