The invisibility cloak for Russian oil tankers.
Author: Micheal Miller | Image: Getty.
The latest attempt by Russia to bypass Western sanctions is to have their oil tankers "going dark" by disabling their onboard automated identification systems (AIS). The move is seen as an attempt to circumvent the latest international sanctions brought about by the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The AIS is an emergency position indicating a radio beacon that sends out a signal that can be detected by passing ships. The AIS enables the tracking of vessels, movement, and crew emergency contacts. The device is typically integrated into the ship's radar system so that it would appear on the radar as a bright blip. It is mandatory for all large vessels engaged in transportation and trading to have a functioning AIS transceiver at all times.
Going dark is a deceptive shipping practice involving a vessel that operates while blocking or disabling its AIS transmissions from receiving it from other ships or maritime authorities. In the marine industry, such shady practices can also be used for more illegal activities like smuggling and terrorist attacks too, according to U.S Department of Treasury officials.
Last week, it was found that Russian oil-chemical and oil-product tankers had 33 occurrences of dark activity in just four weeks. This is an increase from their average of 7 per week for 2020. Of these 33 events last week, Windward Ltd., an Israeli consultancy firm specializing in maritime risk management and domain awareness, categorized them as lasting more than three hours, which doubled their weekly average.
These include cargo vessels, container ships, and tankers from different countries—for instance, China, Singapore, and in minor cases, the United States. Observational data on Russia's maritime activities show that such vessels can bypass international sanctions by engaging with the Russian Tankers in clandestine ship-to-ship operations and dark activity lasting at least three hours, giving them ample time to conduct their illicit business before carrying on towards their destination.
