Automated Identification System (AIS) is an automated tracking system mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).SOLAS is used for identifying, locating and tracking vessels. Satellite based AIS data collection capability globally tracks, in real-time, thousands of ships and sends that data back to the Australian Maritime Identification System (AMIS).

This data is then used in the Common Operating Picture by the Maritime Border Command (MBC), to monitor all vessels in real-time around Australia. The data feed is critical to MBC and the Australian Border Force (ABF) Operations, and is an integral part of the Threat and Risk Assessment in the Maritime Domain that MBC is responsible for. Any break/unmanaged change in the feed will have significant negative consequences for the ABF.