Seasat’s Lightfish voyage through the Taiwan Strait. (Image credit: Seasats) This milestone redefines what is possible with autonomous maritime systems in one of the world’s most sensitive waterways. The vessel was deployed by Seasats from hundreds of miles away, and traversed the full length of the strait over five days while continuously monitoring surface vessel traffic. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, including a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette. Notably, these vessels were operating well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without transmitting their identity via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The Lightfish was able to track these vessels and capture images confirming their type and origin. “This isn’t our vessel’s first run-in with a Chinese warship,” said Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan, “but the location and timing make this encounter notable.…