Maritime Situational Awareness

Maritime Situational Awareness: Continuous and Reliable Surveillance in Strategic Waters

Situational awareness on the high seas requires complete, real-time tracking of all activity in the area. High resolution optical and radar (SAR) satellite imagery provides direct operational data in critical areas beyond the range of coastal radar:

• Detection of Non-Reporting Vessels: Identifying suspicious vessels ("dark ships") that cross Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundaries and switch off their AIS transponder to avoid reporting their position.
• Vessel Route and Anomalous Behaviour Detection: Monitoring shipping lanes and identifying risky situations such as unauthorised route deviations or two vessels approaching each other more closely than necessary on the open sea (suspected illegal cargo/fuel transfer).
• Oil Spill Detection: Mapping the extent of leaks or waste water discharges from ships and accidental oil spills, day and night.
• Wind and Wave Maps: Analysing sea state from satellite data to produce wind speed, direction and wave height maps for operational planning.

These analyses provide fast and clear decision support both for monitoring maritime sovereignty and for preventing environmental pollution.