Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

AIS Data, Vessel Tracking and Maritime Intelligence glossary

The vessel-tracking and intelligence vocabulary: AIS under SOLAS V/19, AIS aid-to-navigation (Type 21) and base stations under ITU-R M.1371, fleet-performance platforms, and the satellite-AIS and dark-activity terms. Grounds each term in the AIS message type or the tracking platform it belongs to.

211 defined terms.

A

ABS My Digital Fleet: American Bureau of Shipping fleet performance and emissions reporting platform.
AdvanFort: Maritime security firm that historically integrated AIS feeds into armed escort coordination.
AIS: Automatic Identification System, a VHF data broadcast system mandated by SOLAS V/19.2.4.
AIS aid to navigation: Virtual or physical AIS AtoN.
AIS Base Station: Shore-based AIS station that manages slot assignments and transmits Message 4.
AIS Binary Message: Application-specific Type 6 (addressed) or Type 8 (broadcast) AIS payload used to carry custom data.
AIS Channel 87B: 161.975 MHz VHF marine channel allocated as AIS 1.
AIS Channel 88B: 162.025 MHz VHF marine channel allocated as AIS 2.
AIS Class A: Mandatory transponder for SOLAS vessels broadcasting MMSI, position, course, speed.
AIS Class B: Lower-power transponder used by smaller, non-SOLAS craft.
AIS Class B+/SO: 5 W SOTDMA Class B variant offering Class A-like reporting rates on shared time slots.
AIS Dispatcher: Open source utility from MarineTraffic that forwards local AIS data to multiple internet endpoints.
AIS Dropout: A gap in AIS reception during which a vessel ceases transmitting on the terrestrial or satellite network.
AIS Gap Analysis: Forensic technique that flags missing AIS positions to infer possible dark activity or sanctions evasion.
AIS Hub: Free community-run AIS data exchange operated by MarineTraffic for contributors of raw NMEA feeds.
AIS Message Type 1: Class A scheduled position report.
AIS Message Type 12: Addressed safety-related message.
AIS Message Type 14: Safety-related broadcast and the message type used by AIS SART devices.
AIS Message Type 18: Class B standard position report.
AIS Message Type 19: Class B extended position report with static data.
AIS Message Type 2: Class A assigned-schedule position report.
AIS Message Type 20: Data link management message used by base stations to reserve slots.
AIS Message Type 21: Aid to Navigation report.
AIS Message Type 24: Class B static data report, parts A and B.
AIS Message Type 27: Long-range position report optimized for satellite reception.
AIS Message Type 3: Class A response to interrogation position report.
AIS Message Type 4: Base station report carrying UTC and position.
AIS Message Type 5: Static and voyage-related data from a Class A ship.
AIS Message Type 9: Position report for SAR aircraft.
AIS Receiver: Shore or shipboard device that decodes the 9600 bps GMSK signal on AIS 1 and AIS 2.
AIS Slot: One of 2,250 SOTDMA slots per minute per channel used to schedule transmissions.
AIS Spoofing: Falsifying AIS data (MMSI, position, identity) to disguise vessel movements.
AIS Transponder: Combined AIS transmitter and receiver installed onboard a vessel.
AIS-SART: AIS Search and Rescue Transmitter for survival craft.
AISHub: Community AIS data sharing network feeding the MarineTraffic ecosystem.
AISSat-1: Norwegian Space Centre nanosatellite launched in 2010 to demonstrate space-based AIS reception.
AISSat-2: Follow-on Norwegian AIS nanosatellite launched in 2014.
AISSat-3: Norwegian satellite AIS mission lost in a 2017 launch failure.
Alphatron Marine: Dutch supplier of bridge electronics including AIS Class A units under the AlphaBridge line.
Application Service Provider: An entity certified to handle LRIT data flows between ships and LRIT Data Centres.
AsiaPacific LRIT Cooperative Data Centre: Regional LRIT data centre serving participating Asia-Pacific flag states.
Atlas Elektronik: German naval electronics firm whose VTS portfolio includes coastal surveillance radars.
AtoN: Aid to Navigation, any device or system external to a vessel designed to assist navigation.
Automatic Identification System: VHF data system mandated by SOLAS Chapter V for vessels of 300 GT and above on international voyages.

B

Big Ocean Data: Irish provider of LRIT, VMS and AIS data services to flag administrations.
BlueVoyant Maritime: Cyber and supply chain risk service that incorporates vessel tracking signals into compliance workflows.
BMT: UK maritime consultancy whose REMBRANDT and SMART ship-tracking simulators use AIS data.
Bureau Veritas Veristar: Classification society digital platform offering fleet performance and emissions monitoring modules.

C

C-MAP: A vector chart brand originally of Norway, now part of Navico Group, producing CM93 and ECDIS-grade ENCs.
Canadian Coast Guard AIS: Nationwide terrestrial AIS network operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Cargo Type Code: Two-digit field in AIS Type 5 messages describing the broad category of cargo onboard.
CCG INNAV: Canadian Coast Guard Information System on Marine Navigation that fuses AIS, LRIT and VTS data.
CII: Carbon Intensity Indicator: the annual operational efficiency rating (A to E) of a ship of 5,000 GT and above under MARPOL Annex VI Reg.28, read with MEPC.336(76).
Clarksons Research: Valuation and market data arm of Clarkson PLC.
Class A AIS: SOLAS-grade AIS unit transmitting at up to 12.5 W with SOTDMA access.
Class B AIS: Non-SOLAS AIS unit transmitting at 2 W with CSTDMA access.
Class B SO: Class B AIS variant transmitting at 5 W using SOTDMA.
ComplyAdvantage: UK regtech screening provider whose data feeds support maritime sanctions checks.
Cooperative Data Centre: LRIT Data Centre established jointly by several flag administrations.
CSTDMA: Carrier-Sense Time Division Multiple Access access scheme used by basic AIS Class B.

D

Dark Activity: Term used by platforms such as Windward and Kpler for periods of unexplained AIS silence.
Dark Fleet: Ships obscuring identity or ownership to evade sanctions, also called shadow fleet.
dataMARITIME: Brazilian provider of port call and vessel movement analytics.
Digital Yacht: UK manufacturer of compact AIS receivers and transponders for the leisure market.
DNV ECO Insight: Det Norske Veritas fleet performance management portal covering fuel and emissions reporting.
DSC: Digital Selective Calling per ITU-R M.493 and ITU-R M.541.

E

em-trak: UK brand of AIS Class A and Class B transponders owned by SRT Marine Systems.
ENAV: European e-Navigation initiative under IALA that standardizes AIS application-specific messages.
EPIRB-AIS: EPIRB with integrated AIS Message 1 locator (e.g., Ocean Signal rescueME EPIRB3).
ESA SAT-AIS: European Space Agency program funding satellite AIS payloads such as NorSat and PROBA-V demonstrators.
EU MRV: EU Regulation 2015/757 on monitoring, reporting, and verification of CO2 emissions from shipping.
exactEarth: Satellite AIS data provider, now part of Spire Global.
exactView: Brand name of the exactEarth satellite AIS constellation.

F

Faria Watchdog: AIS-equipped vessel monitoring product used in the small-craft segment.
Fleet Xpress: Inmarsat Ka-band/L-band hybrid service.
FleetMon: Hamburg-based vessel tracking platform operated by JAKOTA Cruise Systems.
FleetMon Explorer: Live map product within the FleetMon suite.
FleetMon Sanctions: Compliance overlay that flags vessels against sanctions lists within FleetMon.
Furuno FA-150: Earlier generation Furuno Class A AIS transponder widely fitted on SOLAS ships.
Furuno FA-170: IMO-type-approved Class A AIS transponder from Furuno.

G

Garmin AIS 800: Class B SOTDMA transponder marketed by Garmin for recreational use.
GFW: Global Fishing Watch, a non-profit platform combining AIS and VMS data to monitor commercial fishing activity.
Global Fishing Watch: Platform providing transparency of fishing activity using AIS data.
GlobalVesselTracker: Vessel tracking aggregator providing terrestrial and satellite AIS feeds.
GMDSS: Global Maritime Distress and Safety System under SOLAS Chapter IV.
GNSS Spoofing: Transmission of false signals to mislead PNT receivers.
Gurtam Wialon: Telematics platform whose maritime modules ingest AIS and GPS feeds.

H

Hawkeye 360: US radio frequency geolocation operator that detects and characterizes maritime emitters including AIS.
HELCOM AIS: Baltic Sea regional AIS network coordinated by the Helsinki Commission.
Hellenic Coast Guard VTMIS: Greek vessel traffic monitoring system integrating AIS, radar and LRIT.

I

IALA: International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities.
IHS Markit Maritime: Maritime data and analytics business now part of S&P Global Commodity Insights.
IMO Number: Unique seven-digit ship identifier from IHS Markit on behalf of IMO.
Indra: Spanish technology firm supplying VTS systems to ports and coastal authorities.
Inmarsat C: Polling/EGC/SafetyNET service in GMDSS.
Inmarsat Solutions: Former arm of Inmarsat that acted as an Application Service Provider for LRIT.
International LRIT Data Exchange: Communication backbone routing LRIT messages between Data Centres.
Iridium AIS: Project led by Iridium Communications to host AIS receivers on its second-generation Certus constellation.
ITU-R M.1371: Technical characteristics of an automatic identification system using TDMA in the VHF maritime mobile band; current edition M.1371-5.

J

JAKOTA Cruise Systems: German parent company of FleetMon.
JRC JHS-183: Japan Radio Company Class A AIS transponder.

K

Kharon: US sanctions and risk intelligence firm covering maritime ownership networks.
Kongsberg C-Scope: Vessel Traffic Service platform from Kongsberg Norcontrol.
Kongsberg Norcontrol: Norwegian supplier of VTS, port management and coastal surveillance systems.
Kpler: Paris-based commodity intelligence firm that acquired MarineTraffic in 2023.
Kpler MarineTraffic: Combined offering branding MarineTraffic services under the Kpler group.

L

L3Harris VMS: Vessel Monitoring System used by fisheries authorities, complementary to AIS coverage.
LEMUR: Spire Global nanosatellite bus carrying AIS, ADS-B and GNSS-RO payloads.
Lloyd's List Intelligence: Maritime intelligence service used for compliance screening.
Lloyd's List Sanctions Search: Compliance product within Lloyd's List Intelligence focusing on vessel sanctions exposure.
LRIT: Long-Range Identification and Tracking, required by SOLAS V/19-1 since 31 December 2008.
LRIT ASP: Application Service Provider role within the LRIT architecture.
LRIT Cooperative Data Centre: LRIT facility shared by multiple participating flag states.
LRIT CSP: Communication Service Provider that carries LRIT signals between ship and Data Centre.
LRIT Data Centre: Repository that collects and forwards LRIT position reports for one or more flag administrations.
LRIT Data Distribution Plan: IMO-maintained schedule defining which states may receive LRIT data from which ships.
LRIT Data User: Government entity authorized under the IMO framework to request LRIT data.
LRIT International Data Centre: Backup LRIT facility maintained for states not joining a regional or cooperative centre.
LRIT National Data Centre: LRIT Data Centre operated by a single flag administration.
LRIT Regional Data Centre: LRIT facility serving a group of flag states in one region.

M

MarineCadastre.gov: US joint NOAA and BOEM portal publishing historic AIS data for US waters.
MarineTraffic: Commercial AIS data and tracking platform headquartered in Athens.
MarineTraffic API: REST and streaming interfaces for AIS positions, port calls and vessel particulars.
MarineTraffic Density Maps: Heatmap product derived from years of aggregated AIS positions.
Marorka Online: Icelandic ship performance and emissions monitoring service.
MARSEC AIS Encryption: Discussion of encrypted AIS variants studied under EU and IMO research programs.
Marshall Islands LRIT: National LRIT Data Centre serving Marshall Islands flagged ships, operated by international service providers.
McMurdo SmartFind: AIS SART and AIS MOB product line from Orolia Maritime.
MED-AIS: Mediterranean regional AIS data exchange among coastal states.
MMSI: Maritime Mobile Service Identity, 9-digit per ITU-R M.585.
MOB AIS: Personal locator beacon class that transmits AIS Type 1 and Type 14 messages for man-overboard alerting.
MSSIS: Maritime Safety and Security Information System, a US Navy-led AIS sharing network for partner nations.

N

NAPA Fleet Intelligence: Finnish performance monitoring service combining noon reports and AIS-derived voyage data.
NAVAREA: One of 21 navigational warning areas under the Worldwide Navigational Warning Service relevant to incident broadcasts.
NavCen AIS: United States Coast Guard Navigation Center page documenting national AIS coverage and signal specifications.
NMEA 0183: Marine electronics serial data standard.
NMEA 2000: CAN-based marine data network.
NorSat-1: Norwegian satellite carrying AIS, navigation telemetry and radiation monitoring payloads.
NorSat-2: Norwegian smallsat with AIS plus a VHF Data Exchange System payload.
NorSat-3: Norwegian satellite combining AIS with a navigation radar detector.

O

OceanMind: UK non-profit using AIS and other data to support fisheries compliance.
OilX: Oil market analytics startup acquired by Vortexa in 2022.
OpenCPN: An open-source chart plotting software supporting unencrypted ENC display.
ORBCOMM: US satellite operator providing satellite AIS data from its OG2 constellation.
ORBCOMM AIS: Service name for the satellite AIS data feed delivered by ORBCOMM in partnership with PolarSat and Luxspace.
Orolia Maritime: Manufacturer of McMurdo branded AIS distress and tracking devices.

P

Pagefind ETA: Voyage estimation product using AIS-derived speed and route data.
Phare LRIT: French LRIT solution operated by CLS for participating flag states.
Polaris Maritime: Compliance and tracking platform marketed by various national authorities.
Pole Star Global: UK provider of LRIT services and the PurpleTRAC compliance platform.
Pole Star LRIT: One of the original IMO-recognized LRIT Application Service Providers.
Port Call Optimization: Workflow that uses AIS arrival predictions to align port resources with vessel ETA.
PortVision: AIS-based port operations analytics platform owned by Oceaneering.
PROBA-V: ESA microsatellite that included an experimental AIS payload.
Project Magnet: Iridium and Northern Sky Research project to host AIS receivers on the Iridium NEXT constellation.
PurpleTRAC: Pole Star Global compliance screening platform integrating sanctions, ownership and AIS data.

Q

Qinetiq Maritime: UK defense firm offering RF surveillance products that can correlate with AIS feeds.
QPS Qastor: Pilotage and VTS tool that displays AIS targets over electronic charts.

R

Raymarine AIS700: Class B SOTDMA transponder for the leisure market from Raymarine.
RDC: Refinitiv Dow Jones compliance data partnership, used to screen vessel ownership.
Refinitiv: Financial data business now operating as LSEG Data and Analytics.
RightShip: Vetting and risk-management platform for dry bulk and other sectors.
Russian Shadow Fleet: Industry term for tankers used to move Russian crude after 2022 sanctions, often flagged with weak AIS discipline.

S

S-AIS: Satellite-received AIS, used to extend AIS coverage offshore (e.g., Spire, ORBCOMM, Kpler/exactEarth).
S&P Global Commodity Insights: Successor name to IHS Markit's commodities and shipping business.
Saab R5: Saab's solid-state VTS radar family used in port and coastal surveillance.
Saab TransponderTech R5: Class A AIS transponder series widely fitted in commercial fleets.
Sailwx: Long-running free site aggregating ship weather reports and AIS positions.
Sanctions List Screening: Compliance step matching MMSI, IMO and ownership data against OFAC, EU and UK lists.
SART: Search and Rescue Transponder, with the AIS SART variant transmitting on AIS frequencies.
Satlink VMS: Vessel Monitoring System provider whose terminals also forward AIS data.
Sayari: US risk intelligence company offering corporate network mapping used in maritime compliance.
Sayari Maritime: Maritime-focused dataset within the Sayari graph platform.
Schiebel Camcopter: Unmanned helicopter often used with AIS receivers for maritime surveillance.
ShipFinder: Vessel tracking application produced by Pole Star Global.
Shipnext: Chartering platform that uses AIS-derived position data to match cargoes with tonnage.
ShipXplorer: Vessel tracking site providing terrestrial AIS coverage and historical playback.
SI-AIS: Search and rescue transmitter form designated AIS Locator under IEC standards.
Sintela Mira: LRIT and ship-tracking service line within BMT and partner organizations.
SOTDMA: Self-Organized Time Division Multiple Access scheme used by Class A AIS.
Spire Global: US-based satellite operator providing S-AIS services after the acquisition of exactEarth.
Spire Maritime: AIS, weather and dynamic vessel data service from Spire Global.
StratumFive: UK fleet operations software combining AIS, weather and noon reports.
STS transfer: Ship-to-ship transfer of cargo, used for LNG bunkering and LNG reloading from FSRUs.

T

Tankers International: VLCC tanker pool whose commercial activities engage brokers and operators.
TankerTrackers.com: Independent open source intelligence service tracking crude shipments via AIS and satellite imagery.
Trafigura: Commodities trader that has invested in CO2 shipping and offshore renewable projects.
Transas Navi-Harbour: VTS suite originating with Transas and now part of Wartsila Voyage.

U

UAIS: Universal AIS, the formal ITU term distinguishing the standardized system from earlier proprietary systems.
USCG NAIS: United States Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System.
USCG NavCen: US Coast Guard Navigation Center maintaining national AIS and LRIT guidance.

V

VDES: VHF Data Exchange System, ITU-R M.2092, an evolution of AIS adding ASM and VHF Data Exchange channels with satellite component.
VDR: Voyage Data Recorder, required under SOLAS V/20.
Veson Nautical: Charter and voyage management software that ingests AIS positions for voyage estimation.
Vesper Cortex: Networked Class B AIS transponder family from Vesper Marine.
Vesper Marine: New Zealand AIS manufacturer acquired by Garmin in 2021.
Vessel traffic service: VTS under IMO Resolution A.857(20).
VesselFinder: Commercial AIS tracking provider based in Varna, Bulgaria.
VesselsValue: Vessel valuation and data provider widely used by lenders and owners.
VHF Data Link: General term for the 161.975 and 162.025 MHz channels carrying AIS messages.
VIIRS Boat Detection: Satellite optical method that complements AIS by detecting illuminated fishing fleets at night.
VMS: Vessel Monitoring System used by fisheries authorities, distinct from AIS but often integrated in compliance dashboards.
Vortexa: London-based commodity intelligence firm founded in 2016 specializing in oil and gas flow analytics from AIS.
VT Explorer: Vessel tracking site providing AIS positions and port calls.
VTMIS: Vessel Traffic Management and Information System, a broader EU-defined evolution of VTS integrating AIS, LRIT and SafeSeaNet.
VTS: Vessel Traffic Service, IMO Resolution A.857(20).

W

Wartsila FOS: Fleet Operations Solution from Wartsila Voyage covering performance and emissions monitoring.
Wartsila Voyage: Business unit of Wartsila that integrates the former Transas portfolio, including NTPRO 5000 simulators and ECDIS products.
Windward: Toward the wind.
Windward MEA: Maritime AI predictive intelligence platform from Windward.

Z

Zhongtian AIS: Chinese supplier of AIS shipborne equipment certified to CCS standards.