SOLAS Radar Requirements – In today’s monitored seas, hiding is nearly impossible. SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19 mandates robust navigational equipment, while digital tracking (AIS, VMS, satellite SAR) makes “invisible” ships easy targets for authorities.
The Two-Radar Rule
All ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards on international voyages must carry two functionally independent radar installations: typically one 9 GHz (X-band) for high-resolution collision avoidance and one 3 GHz (S-band) for superior long-range performance in heavy weather. Administrations may approve a second 9 GHz radar in justified cases. At 10,000 GT and above, full ARPA capabilities become mandatory.
X-band acts like a microscope for detail in clear conditions or coastal traffic; S-band is the floodlight that penetrates rain and fog where X-band attenuates badly. Merchant ships retain separate rotating scanners for redundancy and simplicity, while integrated bridge systems fuse the data with AIS and ECDIS overlays.
The Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) – The Modern Guardian
The old Radio Officer has evolved into the certified ETO, responsible for radar, ECDIS, and GMDSS suites. Maintenance is now largely modular: swap faulty GaN boards or transceivers via built-in self-tests. Component-level soldering is rare due to SMT complexity and certification rules. Major repairs often require shore-based verification to keep the vessel “in class.”
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"Going Dark" – Switching Off AIS
Disabling AIS (“going dark”) violates SOLAS and carries serious penalties. In March 2026, South African authorities (DFFE, SAPS Tactical Team, and SAMSA involvement) intercepted four Chinese-flagged trawlers—Zhong Yang 231, 232, 233, and 239—owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries. The vessels entered South Africa’s EEZ without full authorization, switched AIS on and off while transiting coastal waters, and received an administrative penalty of R400,000 per vessel under the Marine Living Resources Act. They were held at the Cape Town anchorage until the owner paid.
Legal exceptions exist (e.g., documented security concerns in piracy hotspots, logged in the ship’s log and notified to MRCC), but unauthorized IUU fishing, sanction evasion, or illegal discharges remain the primary drivers. Modern surveillance—coastal radar, VMS, satellite SAR, and electronic fingerprinting—makes evasion increasingly difficult.
From Albatross to Digital Eyes
In the 1980s, the Piaggio P.166S Albatross provided visual patrols, dropping to mast height to photograph offenders and radio positions back to base. The fleet retired around 1993; Dakotas took over intermittently but now face maintenance challenges. Today’s toolkit includes satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar, coastal VMS/radar networks, drones, and multi-agency coordination.
Ex SAAF Piaggio P166 Albatros now privately owned – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.By Farawayman – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
SOLAS Evolution Summary (1980s–2026)
Era
Key Radio Change
Key Radar Change
Personnel Change
1980s
Morse Code / SSB
Magnetron + ARPA (10k GT)
Radio Officer (Morse)
1990s
GMDSS / Sat-C
VDR (Black Box)
Transition to Deck Officers
2000s
AIS (Digital ID)
Two radars at 3,000 GT
Electronic Chart Training
2010s
ECDIS (Paperless)
Pulse Compression / Solid State
ETO Rank
2020s
Iridium / GMDSS Modernization
AESA / GaN Technology
Cyber-Security Focus
The sea is no longer a place to hide. What felt like freedom in the 1980s—turning off the radio—now paints a bright red target on your hull in 2026.
The "Technical" Irony
Modern technology has made “Going Dark” almost impossible to hide. Even if a ship switches off its AIS transponder:
- Satellite Radar (SAR): Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites can “see” the ship’s physical hull through clouds and darkness, even without an AIS signal.
- Electronic “Fingerprinting”: Every radar has a unique electronic signature. Shore-based stations can often identify a specific ship just by the “noise” its radar makes, even if its AIS name is turned off.
A Ghost in the Machine
“In the 80s, if you turned off your radio, you were a ghost. In 2026, if you turn off your AIS, you aren’t invisible—you’re just a target for a R400,000 fine and a boarding party.”
Recent Events - South Africa (SAMSA/DFFE)
The specific incident mentioned involves four Chinese-flagged trawlers (Zhong Yang 231, 232, 233, and 239) that were intercepted just last month, in March 2026.
How they were “caught” (The Vessel Situation)
The DFFE (Fisheries) still has four operational patrol vessels (the Sarah Baartman and the three Lilian Ngoyi-class boats), but their “up-time” is often a topic of heated debate in Parliament.
In this specific case, the “intercept” was a multi-agency effort rather than a classic high-seas chase:
- The Tracking: The vessels were first picked up by the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and coastal radar while moving along the KZN and Eastern Cape coasts. Even though they were switching their AIS on and off, the coastal stations kept a “track” on them.
- The Interception: They weren’t actually “boarded” by a frigate in the deep ocean. Instead, they were intercepted by Fishery Control Officers (FCOs) and a SAPS Tactical Team once they were under official scrutiny and moving toward the Port of Cape Town anchorage.
- The Guard: Once they reached the Cape Town anchorage, they were placed under physical guard by the police and fisheries officials until the fines were paid.
The “Old Guard” of Illegal Trawlers
The Chinese and Russians were the main instigators from what I recall in the 1980s. In this case the specific vessels belonged to Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries.
The Border Management Authority (BMA), was fully rolled out recently. They’ve been using a lot more tech—drones and “Push-to-Talk” real-time tracking—to compensate for the fact that we don’t have enough hulls in the water to patrol every mile of the EEZ.
Why they "Go Dark" in SA Waters
The AIS vs. Law conflict:
- The Request: These ships initially asked for “Innocent Passage” to move through our waters.
- The Illegal Act: They then applied for “Off-Port Limits” (OPL) authorization (to get supplies/fuel without coming into dock).
- The “Dark” Period: While waiting for approval, they entered our 12-nautical-mile territorial zone and disabled their AIS.
The Fine: Because they were “caught in the act” by land-based tracking and aerial surveillance, they were slapped with that R400,000 fine. The owners paid it almost immediately just to get the ships released—which tells you how much money is involved in these industrial fishing operations
The Albatross Eye in the Sky 1980s style
The “Albatross” (the Piaggio P.166S) is a legendary part of our coastal history.
The “Albats”: The Coast’s Silent Watcher
In the 80s, if you were a trawler captain pumping bilges or fishing where you shouldn’t be, the distinctive high-pitched hum of the Albatross’s twin pusher-engines was a sound that meant trouble.
- The Sighting: Since there was no AIS, the Albatross crews used visual identification and high-powered optics. They would drop down to mast-height to photograph the vessel’s name and port of registry.
- The “Radio-In”: As you noted, the law was simple: if you were in the 12-mile zone and hadn’t declared your intention via radio, you were “guilty until proven innocent.” The Albatross would circle, record the position, and radio it back to Silvermine or the nearest naval station.
- The “Pollution Patrol”: They were incredibly effective at spotting oil slicks. Because the aircraft flew relatively slowly and had great visibility from the cockpit, they could trace a bilge trail right back to the specific ship’s wake.
What happened to the “Air Patrol”?
- The 90s Retirement: The Albatross fleet was retired around 1990.
- The Dakota Era: For a long time, the C-47TP Turbo Dakota (68 years old in some cases!) took over the maritime patrol role. However, as of 2024-2026, the SAAF has struggled with maintenance contracts, and most of the “Daks” are now grounded or facing retirement.
- The Modern Gap: Today, South Africa doesn’t have a dedicated, large-scale manned aerial patrol like the Albatross anymore. Instead, we’ve moved to:
- Satellite Surveillance: Using the “Synthetic Aperture Radar” (SAR) I mentioned earlier.
- Occasional Charters: The DFFE sometimes uses smaller, privately contracted light aircraft for spot-checks.
- Drone Technology: There is a move toward using long-endurance UAVs (drones) which can stay up for 24 hours—far longer than an Albatross ever could—and send 4K video directly to SAMSA HQ.
In Conclusion
“In the 1980s, a ship’s captain looked at the horizon for the silhouette of an Albatross. If he saw it, he knew he was being watched. Today, that captain might look at a clear blue sky and think he’s alone—but he’s actually being tracked by a satellite 500km above him and an AIS receiver on a buoy 20 miles away. The ‘eye in the sky’ hasn’t gone away; it just went digital.”
Parts 1 to 4:
Credits
Research assistance provided by Grok xAi and Google’s Gemini. All facts, personal experiences, and final editing remain the responsibility of the author.
Image Credits
- Featured Image: The sinking of the Titanic prompted the SOLAS Convention) – This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: The author died in 1931, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 80 years or fewer.
- Ex SAAF Piaggio P166 Albatros now privately owned – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.By Farawayman – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,