Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Apr 5: In response to rising concerns over smuggling, illegal fishing, and “dark shipping” amid the West Asia crisis, a Bengaluru-based startup has developed an innovative tool capable of tracking ships and aircraft even when GPS systems are disabled, reports The New Indian Express.

Xovian Aerospace uses radio frequency (RF) signals combined with satellite technology to detect and monitor vessels and aircraft that vanish from conventional radar.

Co-founder Ankit Bhateja explained, “Our artificial intelligence-powered RF capture tool can be deployed across ships, defence installations, aircraft, and the industrial sector. Pilot projects are underway with commercial shipping companies, and discussions with the Indian defence sector are in progress.”

Representational image

The 14-member team, which includes former ISRO scientists, spent two years developing the technology before its official launch.

Bhateja noted that traditional tracking depends on satellite imagery and GPS. “When GPS is turned off, our system analyses RF signals emitted by onboard instruments and the electromagnetic trails they leave behind,” he said.

For instance, ships usually transmit signals at 160 MHz on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) band. Even when AIS is disabled, other onboard devices continue emitting RF signals that can be detected. If all communications are switched off, the system estimates movement using the vessel’s last known location and signals from surrounding ships.

Currently, tracking relies on multiple data sources, causing a delay of around 20 minutes. With the launch of Xovian Aerospace’s own spectrum-scanning RF payload satellite, Bhateja expects tracking time to reduce to a few minutes.

“We are in talks with ISRO and international launch providers to deploy our indigenously developed satellite this financial year,” he added.