Garmin (Europe) has announced the introduction of Automatic Identification System (AIS) on all of its new chartplotters, providing all round long-range visibility.

"AIS is a valuable safety feature that gives Garmin customers even more situational awareness while on the water," said Richard Thoroughgood, UK marine sales manager.

"With a compatible AIS receiver connected to one of our next-generation chartplotters, mariners can be automatically notified with critical information on nearby ships and boats."

The GPSMAP 292, GPSMAP 298, and GPSMAP 2100 series of chartplotters and multifunction displays are all AIS compatible. Owners of the GPSMAP 3000 series can upgrade their units to be AIS compatible with a free software update from the Garmin website. To take advantage of this functionality, a third-party NMEA 0183HS-compliant AIS receiver is required.