Fort Lauderdale: ACR Electronics’ move into the Automatic Identification System (AIS) sector this year is paying off. The move comes ahead of next year’s US regulation enforcing all ships calling at American ports to have AIS installed.
“As well as announcing the acquisition of marine safety and communication specialist Ocean Signal, ACR Electronics also made the strategic decision to enter a new sector of the marine market with our range of AIS transceivers,” says Gerry Angeli, president of ACR Electronics.
Angeli adds: “Demand for Class A AIS transceivers is expected to increase in the months leading up to next year’s deadline for the new US Coast Guard mandate which requires most US and foreign-flag commercial vessels operating in US navigable waters to install AIS.”
The new US Coast Guard mandate to install a US Type Approved AIS by March 2016 will affect thousands of commercial owners and operators.
“Many will be installing Class A systems in the coming months, while some may also be able to install Class B transceivers depending on factors such as the number of passengers, operating area and maximum speed. In particular, certain vessels, such as fishing and small passengers vessels, may not have considered AIS before,” Angeli points out.
