Jun 03, 2025 (MarketLine via COMTEX) --
Matt Meehling, director of product marketing at Babel Street, explains how open-source intelligence can improve the maritime sector.
The global shipping industry is now on the frontlines of a new kind of conflict aEUR" one defined not by declared wars, but by economic coercion, shadow fleets, and contested logistics. As tariff regimes expand and national security policies increasingly target commercial vessels, maritime operators are being forced to navigate a risk environment shaped more by geopolitics than weather.AA
Matt Meehling, director of product marketing, Babel StreetTrade disruptions are no longer accidental byproducts of diplomacy aEUR" they are deliberate policy levers. Tariff escalation between the US and China, sanctions on Russian oil, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are not isolated threats. They signal a new normal in which governments treat shipping as a tactical asset.
From ChinaaEUR(TM)s military-civil fusion shipbuilding policies to LOGINK, its state-run maritime surveillance network, the very infrastructure of global trade is becoming entangled in national agendas.AA
The complexity of threatsAShadow fleets, illicit networks, and military-grade commercial vessels are no longer theoretical risks. These realities challenge regulatory compliance, insurance viability, and operational safety. Shadow fleets operated by sanctioned states rely on tactics like false flagging, frequent ownership changes, and manipulations of the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
By turning off transponders, spoofing locations, or falsifying data, these vessels can effectively vanish from traditional tracking systems. This disappearance makes ships harder for authorities to trace and easier for adversaries to exploit for sanctions evasions or covert logistics. ChinaaEUR(TM)s commercial fleets increasingly mirror military standards, raising concerns about dual-use capabilities and strategic readiness under the guise of trade.AA
New threats emerge as sea lanes evolve. Melting polar ice is opening Arctic routes dominated by Russian ships, where traditional enforcement is limited. At the same time, nations like China are floating nuclear-powered cargo vessels, promising cleaner energy but signalling strategic naval capability.
The need for a new risk frameworkAMaritime operators must now consider not just where a ship is going, but who built it, what surveillance data it shares, and how foreign governments may view its role in future conflicts.AA
For logistics and shipping leaders, the implications are immediate. This is no longer about simply avoiding sanctioned cargo aEUR" itaEUR(TM)s about forecasting how governments will act and how quickly those actions can alter operations.
Vessels expected to be available may be commandeered, sanctioned, or rerouted without warning. Insurance may evaporate. Contracts may become liabilities.AA
To navigate this terrain, organisations must adopt a new kind of visibility: one that models the cascading effects of tariffs, military requisition policies, and enforcement shifts. This is where Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) becomes indispensable.AA
OSINT as an industry compassAOSINT draws from publicly available data aEUR" including satellite imagery, port registries, and social media aEUR" to provide real-time context on geopolitical risks.
It can be used to track vessel flagging and ownership changes, monitor transhipment hubs, and surface anomalies in crew rosters and employment histories aEUR" indicators often tied to sanctions evasion or illicit activity.
AIS anomaly detection reveals when ships aEURoego dark.aEUR Satellite imagery exposes vessels operating without transponders. Tracking shifts in vesselsaEUR(TM) flagging or changes in crew manifests can signal risk before it hits operations.AA
For insurers and regulators, OSINT supports risk modelling by revealing trends like flag-of-convenience usage, secondary insurance underwriting in high-risk zones, and affiliations with known bad actors. OSINT doesnaEUR(TM)t just enhance compliance aEUR" it enables foresight. It empowers industry players to anticipate when and where governments will act.
Tariff announcements, sanction designations, and strategic military exercises are not isolated datapoints aEUR"theyaEUR(TM)re early indicators of disruption.AA
The business imperativeAfor OSINTThe age of separating business risk from political risk is over. Global shipping is now a domain of contested logistics where the rules can change as fast as a sanctions update or a new enforcement directive.
Companies that integrate OSINT into their operational planning gain the ability to model and mitigate threats proactively. Those that donaEUR(TM)t may find themselves caught in the crossfire aEUR" financially, operationally, and reputationally.AA
These realities drove the development of our vendor threat mitigation and maritime intelligence solutions, because the industry needs access to the same kind of threat modelling governments use to act.
In an era of mounting complexity, the role of OSINT in securing global shipping networks cannot be overstated.ATo the shipping industry: the seas are rough aEUR" OSINT solutions can help you steer through.
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