Operational ship detection in Canada using RADARSAT

The Polar Epsilon (PE) project has implemented operational ship detection using RADARSAT-2 (R-2) data by constructing new receiving stations and a central data processing facility. R-2 imagery is exploited for ship detection using the OceanSuite tool to generate ship detection reports, usually within ten minutes of data downlink. Two new R-2 ScanSAR modes have been implemented for maritime surveillance, offering improved ship detection over wide swaths. Association of SAR ship detections with Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship reports is being trialed within the PE ground system to aid in the identification of “dark” (i.e., non-emitting) targets. The Polar Epsilon 2 (PE2) project will implement operational ship detection using the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM); RCM will include both SAR and AIS payloads with concurrent collection.