AIS silence can reveal a special-operations ship

MV Ocean Trader can carry larger boats, possible stealth submersibles, and helicopters, giving special forces more options than submarine insertion alone. At a distance, its commercial appearance helps it blend into ordinary traffic. Its Automatic Identification System track is watched, however, and disappearing from public tracking can signal that an operation is underway. Warships and auxiliaries can turn AIS off or use generic identities, but observers can still notice the pattern. Concealment depends on behavior and information discipline as much as hull shape.