CT and Saldanha will pioneer new satellite ship tracking system

THE FIRST Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) centres in South Africa are to be opened at the ports of Cape Town and Saldanha Bay on February 25.
The two ports are the first to install the system in specially developed centres but all other southern African ports will follow suit in the near future. In support of the intention of maritime authorities internationally to ensure safe navigation for the next century, every vessel must be equipped in the future with what is described as a new generation of automatic identification systems (AIS).
Using satellite technology, the system allows automatic position reporting in a reliable and cost effective manner. By means of a simple vhf radio transponder transmission the precise position and accurate ship identification is available to all VHS centres.
It allows for a significant reduction of the operator work load by automatic transfer of the ship's own data, and a reduction of the usage of the vhf channels by global and regional frequency management including scanning techniques.