The Prince William Sound automated dependent surveillance system

The US Coast Guard is presently conducting a project in order to implement an automated dependent surveillance system (ADSS) in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. The ADSS will expand the coverage area of the present vessel traffic service (VTS) by over 3000 square miles, provide all weather surveillance, and maintain well defined tracks for all participants. The ADSS will utilize differential GPS (DGPS), digital selective calling (DSC), and an electronic chart based geographic information system (GIS) in order to track participating vessels. Additionally, the PWS ADSS can integrate radar and dependent surveillance data where radar coverage is provided. This paper describes the impact of the PWS ADSS on current VTS systems, the forces behind ADS implementation, the ADS concept and design, along with suggested directions for ADS systems in the United States.<
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