Question 28E4

An AIS SART (Automatic Identification System Search and Rescue Transponder) is designed to aid rescue operations by broadcasting its own position and unique identifier. It transmits these signals using the standard AIS protocols on dedicated VHF marine frequencies (161.975 MHz and 162.025 MHz). Any vessel or shore station equipped with an AIS receiver will detect these signals. The AIS receiver then interprets the data and displays the AIS SART's location on a connected electronic chart display (such as an ECDIS or chart plotter). It appears as a distinct, specialized symbol, often indicating a person or survival craft in distress, along with its unique identification code, much like how a regular vessel's MMSI is displayed. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they confuse an AIS SART with a traditional Radar SART. A Radar SART transmits on 9 GHz (X-band) to appear as a series of dots on a 3-cm radar display. An AIS SART, however, operates entirely within the AIS system and its VHF frequencies; it does not transmit on 9 GHz or involve radar reflections being converted to AIS signals.