February 5, 2026
Tracking RAIDER: How Long-Term Vessel Behavior Uncovered a Pacific Drug Operation
Leverage AI-based behavioral models and remote sensing intelligence to expose illegal fishing operations exploited for hybrid threats and covert maritime activity.
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels cover for smuggling, forced labor, and intelligence ops. Windward exposes what’s hiding in plain sight across strategic waters.
IUU fishing operates through complex networks designed to evade detection. Expose these ecosystems by detecting AIS manipulation, loitering, and covert rendezvous, and linking them to forced labor, smuggling, and supply-chain fraud.
IUU fleets sustain covert presence under commercial cover. Identify persistent operations, coordinated behavior, and concealed networks to expose smuggling, infrastructure interference, and sanctions evasion across fishing and support vessels.
Forced labor is embedded in IUU fishing and often goes undetected. Flag at-risk vessels by tracking extended time at sea, abnormal port patterns, and fleet activity to build evidence and strengthen enforcement against abuse.
Continuously monitor high-risk fishing areas and protected waters to detect non-cooperative or AIS-dark vessels at scale. Use SAR and RF to identify suspicious activity across vast and remote zones, enabling early detection of illegal fishing and emerging hotspots.
Fuse SAR, EO, RF, and AIS to move from detection to attribution. Confirm vessel identity, type, and activity, and generate visual and behavioral evidence on specific vessels to support enforcement, investigations, and legal action.
Detect and analyze ship-to-ship meetings used to resupply fleets, transfer catch, rotate crews, or launder illicit activity at sea. Reveal hidden logistics networks linking fishing vessels, reefers, and auxiliary ships that sustain IUU fishing operations.
IUU fishing adapts routes, flags, and tactics constantly. Analyze long-term vessel behavior to spot emerging hotspots and evolving patterns. Detect new trends before they become entrenched or costly to address.
What is Windward’s IUU Fishing solution?
Windward’s IUU Fishing solution uses long-term behavioral analysis and Remote Sensing Intelligence to detect illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing operations. It exposes covert fishing activity, supporting fleets, and hidden networks that often intersect with smuggling, forced labor, and broader maritime security threats.
Why is IUU fishing considered a maritime security risk?
IUU fishing is increasingly used as cover for non-commercial and illicit activity, including smuggling, forced labor, intelligence gathering, and sustained presence in strategic waters. These fleets exploit jurisdictional gaps and limited visibility, making IUU fishing a growing hybrid maritime security challenge.
How does Windward detect illegal fishing activity at scale?
Windward analyzes vessel behavior over time, identifying patterns inconsistent with legitimate fishing. This includes AIS manipulation, prolonged loitering, irregular port usage, covert rendezvous, and coordinated fleet behavior, allowing agencies to detect illegal fishing even when vessels avoid direct enforcement contact.
What role does Remote Sensing Intelligence play in IUU fishing detection?
Remote Sensing Intelligence enables the detection of non-cooperative or AIS-dark vessels using SAR, EO, and RF sensors. It provides persistent coverage across remote waters, protected zones, and EEZs, supporting early detection, attribution, and visual confirmation of illegal fishing activity.
Can Windward detect vessels pretending to fish but conducting non-commercial operations?
Yes. Windward identifies fishing vessels and support ships used to sustain covert or non-commercial activity by detecting persistent presence, coordinated movements, and logistics patterns that do not align with legitimate fishing behavior. This helps uncover operations linked to smuggling, infrastructure interference, or sanctions evasion.
Can Windward help identify forced labor and human rights risks?
Yes. Windward flags vessels at risk of forced labor by analyzing long periods at sea, abnormal port call behavior, crew rotation patterns, and support-vessel interactions. This long-term behavioral evidence supports enforcement, due diligence, and human rights investigations.
How does Windward establish vessel attribution for enforcement and investigations?
Windward fuses satellite imagery (SAR and EO), RF detections, and AIS data with behavioral and identity analysis to move from detection to attribution. This confirms vessel identity, type, and activity, generating evidence that supports inspections, interdictions, and legal action.
Can Windward identify emerging IUU fishing trends and hotspots?
Yes. By analyzing historical and real-time vessel behavior at scale, Windward detects shifts in routes, flags, fishing grounds, and tactics. This enables early identification of emerging IUU hotspots and evolving methods before they become entrenched.
How does Windward expose entire IUU fishing networks?
Rather than focusing on individual vessels, Windward reveals relationships between fishing vessels, support fleets, reefers, and associated entities. This network-level visibility helps agencies disrupt IUU ecosystems rather than reacting to isolated incidents.
Who uses Windward’s IUU Fishing solution?
The solution is used by coast guards, navies, fisheries enforcement agencies, maritime security organizations, and intelligence teams responsible for EEZ protection, counter-illicit activity, and maritime domain awareness.
How is Windward’s IUU Fishing solution different from traditional fisheries monitoring systems?
Traditional systems focus on compliance signals or single events. Windward applies behavioral intelligence, network analysis, and remote sensing to expose covert activity, hybrid threats, and long-term patterns, delivering intelligence-grade insights rather than compliance-only monitoring.
