U.S. Navy warships will now sail through high traffic areas with transponders that advertise the vessel's position in real time. The gesture should help other ships recognize when an American naval vessel is operating nearby—but it will do little to help those same naval vessels detect and avoid other ships.

You can probably guess why the Navy is taking the step of requiring all warships to activate their Automatic Identification System (AIS) when sailing in areas with high ship traffic, such as the South China Sea or off the coast of Japan. Two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Fitzgerald and USS McCain have collided with merchant vessels this year. While both collisions are still under investigation, it seems pretty clear that in both instances one or both vessels involved was not aware a collision was imminent.

The AIS system is a global system designed to help mariners locate and identify ship traffic in their vicinity. AIS sends a ship's location, speed, and navigational status via VHF maritime transmitter every two to ten seconds. That information is freely shared around the world, including on the Internet . The system is designed to help avoid collisions, aid in search and rescue operations, and keep track of fishing fleets.

The U.S. Coast Guard requires most commercial vessels operating in American territorial waters to use AIS. The data can also be used to investigate incidents. For example, here's the data from the ACX Crystal, which collided with the USS Fitzgerald, showing the ship's movements before and after the accident:

Via Wikipedia

U.S. Navy vessels are outfitted with AIS but were not required to use it. Making matters a little more difficult is that the Arleigh Burke-class of destroyers, which includes the Fitzgerald and McCain, were the first American warships designed with reduced radar signatures , making them appear smaller on nearby radars than they really are. While this is useful in wartime to avoid detection and targeting by enemy forces, it is potentially hazardous to civilian mariners in peacetime. Broadcasting the identity of Navy ships should make those sailing around them better informed of their presence.

That said, broadcasting AIS data addresses only half of the problem. While civilian merchantmen may not have seen the Fitzgerald and McCain, it seems likely those onboard the destroyers didn't see the merchant ships, either. Navy vessels have better radars to detect other ships and are supposed to have watchstanders scanning the nearby seas for potential dangers. Why those recent accidents happened nonetheless is the subject of ongoing Navy probes.

Could this location-sharing make Navy ships more vulnerable to attack? Knowing exactly where the U.S. Navy is operating at any one time would make it possible to attack individual ships. Anything is possible, but the AIS system will only be activated in high traffic areas, meaning it will provide an incomplete picture of the Navy at sea. It would also be turned off while operating in dangerous areas, such as the Red Sea, where U.S. Navy destroyers were recently targeted with anti-ship missiles . The decision to use AIS could also be reversed once the Navy has decided it has a handle on the situation.

Read more at USNI News.

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