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Science & Technology
US Navy On The Lookout For Deviants
2009-11-13
Posted by: Anonymoose

#11  psst: see "Barney Frank"
Posted by: Frank G   2009-11-13 20:32  

#10  i thought this was a variant of "don't ask - don't tell" when i saw the headline
Posted by: abu do you love    2009-11-13 20:21  

#9  "US Navy On The Lookout For Deviants"

Start in the White House. Then move on to Congress....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-11-13 17:26  

#8  When I said legitimate, I meant a major carrier like Maersk or APL. Obviously there are vast numbers of fishing vessels or coasting traders, who are completely law-abiding, but are just too small to bother with AIS.
Posted by: Dreadnought   2009-11-13 11:02  

#7  The article was written by someone who doesn't know jack about shipping.

Just about any legitimate merchantman on the high seas is now using AIS (Automated Identification System). Think of it as IFF for ships. For any of you who served at sea even a decade ago and played the "Ship on my port bow, identify yourself" game at 3 in the morning, AIS now lets you see who that somebody is automatically.

AIS lets shipping companies know exactly where there ships are. It helps navies know where white shipping is (especially helpful during exercises and the real-deal).

In all likelihood, this PANDA thing (if the author didn't completely make up his info) is about comparing an AIS ID to the current position (manifest says you're supposed to be 2 days out of Pusan, why are you off the coast of Myanmar?) or finding non-AIS ships and having a look at them. There are well-defined great circle routes for international commerce, and ships that deviate from them are of course of interest.

This could be of use in combatting drug trafficking, arms shipments, etc.
Posted by: Dreadnought   2009-11-13 11:00  

#6  Hmmmm....small high speed boats with a crew heavily armed with AKs and RPGs trailing a known cruising merchantman would not seem to be difficult to figure out.

Think 'larger ships'. Maybe mother-ships, but more likely merchants.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-11-13 09:43  

#5  Paging Colonel Flagg...
Posted by: Bolshoun   2009-11-13 09:09  

#4  "With tens of thousands of ships on the world's oceans every day, it is very difficult to identify behaviour that may indicate a threat," said Rich Dickinson,

Hmmmm....small high speed boats with a crew heavily armed with AKs and RPGs trailing a known cruising merchantman would not seem to be difficult to figure out. Then again, I'm not a professional lawyer doing ROEs for DoD. /sarc off
Posted by: Procopius2k   2009-11-13 08:06  

#3  This article could use a Col Bat Guano graphic.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2009-11-13 06:31  

#2  Anomoly identification via pattern analysis. A step in the right direction as long as trained analysts remain in the loop...and people in key leadership positions pay attention.
Posted by: Besoeker   2009-11-13 05:43  

#1  Compare wid PAKISTANI DEFENC EOFRUM > MUSLIMS WEAR PERFUME, MAOISTS USE "DETTOL".

Whoa, first FLUS MICHELLE's repor FASHION FAUX PAX at Arlington [IMO twas Michelle's High Boots, not the whatever-women-and-fashion world-call-it dress], now COMMIE MAOISTS!

D *** NG IT, MORIARITY, STOP EXPECTIN' US GUYS = MALES TO KNOW W-T-H THAT IS! Most of us anyways.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-11-13 01:14  

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