FIELD OPS · CONTROLLED DOCUMENT
AE-SOP-0302 — Dark-Vessel Shadowing & AIS-Gap Tracking
To detect, track, and shadow vessels that go dark by switching off their transponders, correlating the AIS gap with satellite, radar, and acoustic signatures to maintain a track no adversary knows it has lost. The procedure guarantees that an AIS gap is corroborated by a second sensor before a vessel is called dark, that shadowing holds a covert standoff distance, and that nothing escalates without a dossier — because a track built on a single sensor is a guess, and a guess is not evidence.
ActiveField OpsRev C
Doc Control AE-SOP-0302Revision CEffective 2090-05-16Next Review 2091-05-16Owner Intelligence & DispatchApprover Fleet AdmiraltyStatus ActiveClass RESTRICTED // TIDEWATER-EYES-ONLY
1. Purpose
To detect, track, and shadow vessels that go dark by switching off their transponders, correlating the AIS gap with satellite, radar, and acoustic signatures to maintain a track no adversary knows it has lost. The procedure guarantees that an AIS gap is corroborated by a second sensor before a vessel is called dark, that shadowing holds a covert standoff distance, and that nothing escalates without a dossier — because a track built on a single sensor is a guess, and a guess is not evidence.
2. Scope
All detection and covert shadowing of dark and AIS-gap vessels.
- In scope: AIS-gap detection, multi-sensor correlation, covert shadowing, track maintenance, and handoff to dossier or interdiction.
- Out of scope: Setting the target's intervention tier, which follows AE-SOP-0301; gear-recovery action on a confirmed target, which follows AE-SOP-0320.
3. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| AIS Gap | An unexplained interruption in a vessel's transponder broadcast, the first signature of a vessel going dark. |
| Dark Vessel | A vessel running without transponder broadcast, confirmed by a second sensor beyond the AIS gap alone. |
| Multi-Sensor Correlation | Matching an AIS gap to satellite, radar, or acoustic returns to confirm a real dark vessel. |
| Covert Standoff | The shadowing distance held so the tracked vessel never detects it is being followed. |
| Track Continuity | The unbroken position estimate maintained across the gap, even with no transponder return. |
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|
| Intelligence & Dispatch (Owner) | Owns the track; authorises shadowing and the handoff to dossier or interdiction. |
| Track Analyst | Correlates AIS gaps with other sensors and maintains track continuity. |
| Shadow Vessel Master | Holds the covert standoff and reports position without revealing the shadow. |
| NEREID | Detects AIS gaps across the mesh, fuses satellite/radar/acoustic returns, and predicts the dark vessel's track through the gap. |
5. Dark-Vessel Confirmation & Shadowing
| Signature | Confirmation Rule | Standoff | Action |
|---|
| AIS gap only | Single source — unconfirmed | N/A | Hold, seek second sensor |
| AIS gap + satellite | Confirmed dark vessel | ≥ 8 nmi over-horizon | Open track, shadow covert |
| AIS gap + radar / acoustic | Confirmed dark vessel | ≥ 5 nmi, sensor-masked | Maintain shadow |
| Track lost | No return > 30 min | Re-acquire arc | Predict track, re-task sensors |
Note. A vessel is never called dark on the AIS gap alone; a second independent sensor is required, and the shadow holds covert standoff at all times — a track the adversary detects is a track lost.
6. Materials & Equipment
- AIS feed with gap-detection over the AquaLink mesh
- Satellite imagery and radar tasking access
- Passive acoustic vessel-signature library
- Covert-shadow vessel (FPV Sea Wolf or tasked hull)
- Track-fusion and prediction console
- Dossier and interdiction handoff channel
7. Procedure
7.1 Detect
- Flag AIS gaps across the mesh as candidate dark vessels.
- Hold any AIS-gap-only signature as unconfirmed.
- Seek a second independent sensor before calling a vessel dark.
7.2 Shadow
- Open a track once a second sensor confirms the dark vessel.
- Hold covert standoff so the vessel never detects the shadow.
- Maintain track continuity through any transponder gap.
7.3 Handoff
- Predict and re-acquire the track if return is lost.
- Hand the confirmed track to the dossier process for tiering.
- Escalate to interdiction only through an opened dossier.
8. Records
- Dark-vessel track record with sensor fusion (retained to case close + 5 years)
- AIS-gap detection log
- Multi-sensor correlation results
- Covert-shadow position log
- Dossier / interdiction handoff record
9. References
10. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|
| A | 2088-10-19 | Intelligence & Dispatch | Initial issue; AIS-gap detection and second-sensor confirmation established. |
| B | 2089-08-26 | Intelligence & Dispatch | Added covert standoff distances and track-continuity rules. |
| C | 2090-05-16 | Intelligence & Dispatch | NEREID sensor fusion and through-gap track prediction added. |