Trimaran II employs Airbus’ unique portfolio of satellites and imaging services, including SAT-AIS data, and is augmented by a dedicated photo-interpretation team, available 24/7. The project’s core objective was to detect and identify vessels travelling from the Venezuelan coast, and was conducted using optical images from the cost-effective Sentinel-2 constellation.
Over a five-day period, a total of 35 potentially relevant vessels were detected within the area of interest. Through analysis of each vessel and its navigation behaviour, it was determined that five craft met the criteria of ‘Go-Fast’ boats, with an additional three vessels located west of the Antilles Arc, out of territorial waters, and two further boats observed leaving the coast of Venezuela within the southern part of the observation area.