Q&A · 5:08:18-5:08:31

False warship tracks in AIS

False AIS reports are a longstanding form of maritime deception and are likely to remain part of warship tracking.

Automatic Identification System Electronic Warfare Maritime Domain Awareness Spoofing

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Question

What should observers make of AIS systems reporting false warship positions?

Short answer

AIS spoofing is longstanding and likely to continue, so a reported warship position may be false.

Notes

False AIS reports about warships are identified as spoofing. The practice was already longstanding at the time of this 2021 recording and was expected to continue. A displayed position can therefore be false.