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SATHYA-MDA · Maritime Domain Awareness

Satellite Vessel Detection & Dark Vessel Monitoring

SATHYA-MDA uses AI and satellite intelligence to detect vessels at sea, track how they move, and flag suspicious behavior, including ships that switch off their AIS transponders. Maritime teams get one command-ready view instead of scattered data.

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  • Vessel Tracking
  • Dark Vessel Detection
  • Loitering Analysis
  • Ship-to-Ship Transfers
  • Operational Alerts

What SATHYA-MDA detects

The world's oceans are vast, dynamic and increasingly complex. SATHYA-MDA turns remote sensing data and AIS signals into clear answers: which vessels are where, where they have been, and which ones need a closer look.

Vessel Detection & Tracking

Locate vessels across your area of interest and follow their movement over time, including a view of all vessel activity over the past 72 hours.

Dark Vessel Detection

Identify vessels operating with AIS switched off, a common sign of illegal fishing, smuggling or sanctions evasion.

Loitering Analysis

Flag vessels that linger in one area longer than expected, near sensitive zones, shipping lanes or offshore infrastructure.

Ship-to-Ship (STS) Transfers

Spot vessels meeting at sea, where cargo such as oil or LPG can change hands outside port oversight.

Movement History & Tracks

Review full vessel tracks, including tanker and LPG movements, to understand patterns and spot route deviations.

Operational Alerts

Detections and suspicious behavior reach operators as alerts, so teams act on events instead of searching for them.

How AI vessel detection works

Vessel detection combines satellite remote sensing with the positions ships report about themselves. At a high level, the workflow looks like this:

  1. CollectSatellite imagery over the area of interest is combined with AIS position broadcasts from ships.
  2. DetectAI/ML models scan the imagery and locate vessels automatically, at a scale no analyst team could match by hand.
  3. CorrelateEach detection is matched against AIS data. A vessel visible in imagery with no matching AIS signal is flagged as a potential dark vessel.
  4. AnalyzeMovement patterns are checked for loitering, ship-to-ship meetings and unusual routes.
  5. AlertFindings appear on geospatial dashboards and as alerts for fast operational decisions.

Inside the SATHYA-MDA dashboard

Operational dashboards highlight movement history, tanker and LPG tracks, and potential loitering behavior.

SATHYA-MDA map of all vessels over 72 hours from AIS data
All vessels over 72 hours from AIS data
SATHYA-MDA dark vessel activity view showing vessels with AIS switched off
Dark vessel activity (AIS off)
SATHYA-MDA vessel loitering detection on a maritime map
Vessel loitering
SATHYA-MDA ship-to-ship transfer detection between two vessels at sea
Ship-to-ship transfer (STS)
SATHYA-MDA map showing all vessel tracks
All tracks of vessels

See SATHYA-MDA in action

A short walkthrough of maritime domain awareness with SATHYA-MDA.

Mission applications for vessel detection

The same detection and tracking stack supports a range of maritime missions.

Navy and maritime security monitoring

Navy & Maritime Security

Maritime traffic awareness, coastal monitoring and mission intelligence for naval operations.

Illegal fishing vessel monitoring in coastal waters

Illegal Fishing Monitoring

Detect suspicious vessel activity, protected-zone incursions and illegal fishing risk indicators across coastal waters.

Drug smuggling detection through maritime movement analysis

Drug Smuggling Detection

Identify route deviations, high-risk vessel behavior and suspicious maritime movement indicators.

Vessel monitoring across the Gulf of Arabia and the Red Sea

Gulf of Arabia & Red Sea Monitoring

Regional vessel movement and operational risk monitoring across the Gulf of Arabia and the Red Sea.

Vessel detection FAQ

What is vessel detection?

In maritime intelligence, vessel detection means automatically finding ships and boats in satellite imagery and other sensor data. Combined with AIS tracking, it shows not only where vessels say they are, but where they actually are.

What is a dark vessel?

A dark vessel is one that switches off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder, or broadcasts false information, so it cannot be tracked through normal channels. Dark activity is often linked to illegal fishing, smuggling and sanctions evasion.

Why use satellites if ships already broadcast AIS?

AIS is self-reported. It can be switched off or spoofed, and many smaller vessels never carry it. Satellite imagery observes the vessels themselves, so it can reveal activity that AIS misses.

What behaviors can SATHYA-MDA flag?

Dark activity (AIS off), loitering, ship-to-ship transfers and unusual movement along vessel tracks, delivered as alerts on operational dashboards.

Who is SATHYA-MDA built for?

Navies, coast guards, maritime security agencies, and organizations that monitor fisheries, shipping lanes and offshore assets.

How can I see a demo?

Request a demo through our contact form and tell us about your area of interest.

See vessel detection over your area of interest

Talk to the Sathya team about using SATHYA-MDA for your mission.

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