AIS-SART
Survival craft locator that transmits a synthetic AIS Class A signal pattern to nearby ship and aircraft AIS receivers.
In practice
AIS-SART mounted in a survival craft transmits a position-and-identifier message every minute on AIS frequencies; appears as an SAR icon on responding-vessel AIS displays out to 10 nm. Battery 5 years standby; replace at expiry.
Regulatory detail & full definition
An AIS-SART is a survival-craft locating device that transmits a synthetic AIS position report so that nearby ships and aircraft with AIS receivers can home in on a lifeboat or liferaft. It replaces the older 9 GHz radar SART on much newer life-saving appliances: it sends bursts of eight messages roughly once a minute, showing as 'AIS-SART ACTIVE' on receiver displays with a dedicated MMSI beginning 970, and has a range to a typical ship's AIS antenna of about 12 nautical miles. Some flag states accept the radar SART or the AIS-SART, and some require both.
Authoritative source: SOLAS Chapter III (Life-saving appliances) ↗
Related
Source: SOLAS Ch. III; IEC 61097-14
High confidence
Editorial confidence: how we grade.