Additional and Possible Future Applications

  AIS in VTS Operations

  Pseudo AIS information

  44. VTS centres may send information about vessels which are not carrying AIS and which are tracked only by VTS radar via the AIS to vessels equipped with AIS. Any pseudo AIS target broadcast by VTS should be clearly identified as such. Particular care should always be taken when using information which has been relayed by a third party. Accuracy of these targets may not be as complete as actual directly-received targets, and the information content may not be as extensive.

  Text messages

  45. VTS centres may also send short messages either to one ship, all ships, or ships within a certain range or in a special area, e.g.:

• (local) navigational warnings;
• traffic management information; and
• port management information.

  46. A VTS operator may request, by a text message, an acknowledgement from the ship’s operator.

  Note:

 The VTS should continue to communicate via voice VHF. The importance of verbal communication should not be underestimated. This is important to enable the VTS operator to:

• assess vessels’ communicative ability; and
• establish a direct communication link which would be needed in critical situations.

  (D)GNSS corrections

  47. (D)GNSS corrections may be sent by VTS centres via AIS.

  Mandatory Ship Reporting Systems

  48. AIS is expected to play a major role in ship reporting systems. The information required by coastal authorities in such systems is typically included in the static voyage-related and dynamic data automatically provided by the AIS system. The use of the AIS long-range feature, where information is exchanged via communications satellite, may be implemented to satisfy the requirements of some ship reporting systems.

  AIS in Sar Operations

  49. AIS may be used in search and rescue operations, especially in combined helicopter and surface searches. AIS allows the direct presentation of the position of the vessel in distress on other displays such as radar or ECS/ECDIS, which facilitates the task of SAR craft. For ships in distress not equipped with AIS, the On Scene Co-ordinator (OSC) could create a pseudo AIS target.

  Aids to Navigation

  50. AIS, when fitted to selected fixed and floating aids to navigation can provide information to the mariner such as:

• position;
• status;
• tidal and current data; and
• weather and visibility conditions.

  AIS In an Overall Information System

  51. AIS will play a role in an overall international maritime information system, supporting voyage planning and monitoring. This will help Administrations to monitor all the vessels in their areas of concern and to track dangerous cargo.