The Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcasts and receives vessel identity details, position coordinates, course, speed, and navigational status in real time. Integrated with onboard radar and electronic chart systems, AIS enhances situational awareness among nearby vessels and port authorities, facilitating collision avoidance maneuvers and traffic monitoring. Mandatory for SOLAS-regulated ships and increasingly adopted by smaller vessels, AIS plays a critical role in maritime surveillance and navigational safety.
