What Is a False Flag Vessel, and Why Is the Problem Growing?
At a Glance What Is a False Flag Vessel? A false flag vessel is a ship that broadcasts the flag of a country whose maritime administration has not authorized the vessel to fly it. The vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmits a country identifier that is either not recognized by that country’s official registry, or...
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What Defensible Marine Insurance Compliance Looks Like in 2026
At a Glance Compliance Sits at the Center of the Coverage Process Compliance managers in marine insurance carry a heavier operational load in 2026 than at any point in the recent past. The coverage process has five stages: new business enquiry, underwriting, ongoing monitoring, claims, and renewal. Compliance touches four of them, more than any...
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How Three Sensors Surface a Vessel of Interest in Australia’s Cable Damage
At a Glance What Happened Off Perth Over the weekend of August 9-10, 2026, two of Australia’s subsea internet cables, Indigo West and Indigo Central, were damaged inside the Submarine Cable Protection Zone off Perth. Owned by SUBCO, the cables form part of the infrastructure carrying international internet traffic between Australia and Southeast Asia. Australian...
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What Is Dark Activity, and Why Is It Surging in 2026?
At a Glance What Is Dark Activity? Dark activity refers to periods when a commercial vessel intentionally stops broadcasting its Automatic Identification System, or AIS, signal. When a vessel goes dark, its position, course, speed, and identity are no longer visible to the shore-based and satellite-based tracking systems that comprise the global maritime picture. The...
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Resolving Charter Disputes When Vessels Go Dark in the Strait of Hormuz
At a Glance The Legal Landscape Is Shifting Legal commentary on Strait of Hormuz-related maritime disputes has grown consistently through 2026. Holland & Knight’s March 2026 analysis flagged the rising risk of charter disputes as the Hormuz disruption continued. Skuld’s charterparty implications has addressed the AIS switch-off question directly, alongside force majeure and safe-port warranty...
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