Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration Collaborates with Relevant Units to Conduct Emergency Drills for Maritime Radio Monitoring

“Severe noise interference in the VHF (Very High Frequency Radio) signal in Zone 2 Alert Area, obstructing ship communication. Suspected signal interference detected!” Recently, an emergency drill for waterborne radio monitoring was conducted intensively in the core port area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port. Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration, Ningbo Radio Management Bureau, and Ningbo Communication Center participated in the drill, deploying one vessel, one radio monitoring vehicle, three drones, and 17 enforcement personnel to carry out a joint investigation simultaneously from sea, land, and air dimensions.

The drill simulated an emergency scenario of abnormal waterborne radio signals and obstructed ship-to-ship communication in key port waters during the post-fishing season with dense navigation. Upon receiving feedback about the anomaly, Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration enforcement personnel immediately contacted Ningbo Radio Management Bureau and Ningbo Communication Center to initiate emergency response measures.

In the maritime domain, Ningbo Communication Center staff, together with Ningbo maritime enforcement personnel, conducted bidirectional signal data comparison using handheld waterborne radio monitoring receivers and AIS slot analyzers to refine interference characteristics. On land, Ningbo Radio Management Bureau staff drove a radio monitoring vehicle to scan the dedicated waterborne frequency bands across the area, quickly pinpointing the coverage range of the abnormal signal. Meanwhile, Ningbo maritime enforcement personnel and Ningbo Radio Management Bureau staff deployed drones equipped with professional monitoring devices to conduct aerial inspections, overcoming the limitations of surface patrols and accurately locating the involved vessel.

After multi-source data comparison and joint analysis, technicians reported: “Interference signal identified, caused by unauthorized installation of illegal radio equipment on the vessel!” The “Marine Patrol 0718” vessel was promptly dispatched to the target waters, where enforcement personnel boarded the involved vessel for inspection, dismantled the illegal equipment in accordance with the law, and completely eliminated the source of signal interference.

After the equipment was dismantled, Ningbo Communication Center staff conducted real-time re-testing of the frequency signals, confirming that high-frequency communication in the jurisdictional waters had been restored to clear and smooth operation. The joint drill was successfully completed. The exercise lasted 25 minutes, fully demonstrating the robust capabilities of multi-department rapid coordination, collaborative operations, and precise risk elimination.

The relevant exercise leader from Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration stated that this drill provided valuable experience for various units to carry out routine inspections of waterborne radio hazards in the future. All units will further focus on illegal frequency usage and unauthorized station setups at sea, jointly purifying the maritime radio order and safeguarding navigation safety during the fishing season.