Automatic Identification System: AIS-A Reception of AIS-B, 2008 Study.

Abstract

The use of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) has been mandated for ships over 300 gross tonne since December 2004. Through Border Protection Command, DSTO was tasked to assist the Australian Maritime Safety Authority with the assessment of the performance of AIS and a new variant AIS-B. AIS-B is a cut down version meant for smaller vessels but there have been concerns by the maritime community that AIS-B cannot be detected sufficiently by vessels carrying AIS. This report covers a three month study investigating this issue. The outcome, based on a survey of vessels entering Newcastle Port, was that the different AIS fitouts carried were capable of detecting AIS-B signals. However, 17% of these vessels did not report detections. This was more likely to occur if the model of AIS equipment only displayed the vessel’s identification number because it was not capable of decoding and displaying the name of the AIS-B vessel. This finding indicates the lack of detection issue is to some extent caused by Vessel Masters not recognising the detection on their AIS displays. It was also discovered that even where the name of the AIS-B vessel was displayed, the AIS displays do not distinguish between AIS and AIS-B detections.