How Falcon Eye Supports Rapid Maritime Incident Response in the UAE

ESS TEAM
Jun 18
2 min read

Following the recent Adalynn/Front Eagle tanker collision off the coast of Fujairah, we’ve received a number of queries about how marine incidents are detected, tracked, and modelled in real time.

In response, we’re sharing insight into Falcon Eye—a fully operational maritime incident monitoring and modelling system, currently being deployed to support one of the UAE’s leading energy infrastructure operators. Falcon Eye is the result of a strategic collaboration between ESS Emergency Safety Solutions and Riskaware, built on Riskaware’s trusted MarineAware platform.

Falcon Eye provides round-the-clock satellite tracking, automated oil spill modelling, source identification, and operational support—empowering frontline teams with reliable, actionable intelligence.

🛰️ What is Falcon Eye?

Unlike reactive or manual systems, Falcon Eye delivers a live, integrated view of marine conditions across critical zones. With an intuitive online interface, it allows multiple operator teams to view, coordinate, and act—informed by scientifically validated data, not assumptions.

Key features include:

Day-to-day satellite detection of oil spills using both optical and radar imagery (Sentinel-1 & 2)
Immediate alerting via email with direct links to imagery and modelling data
Automated oil spill dispersion modelling, reducing reliance on 24/7 manual input
Integrated AIS ship tracking to assist with incident investigation and enforcement
Historical data storage for long-term reference and analysis
Live mapping of vessel routes, environmental risk zones, and model outputs

🔬 Powered by MarineAware – Scientifically Validated, Operationally Proven

At the core of Falcon Eye is MarineAware, Riskaware’s flexible, scalable incident modelling platform. MarineAware’s oil spill modelling has been independently validated by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) using real-world data and a custom performance metric framework (OMEN).

Technical Capabilities:

Oil Trajectory Modelling: Predicts the movement, spread, and weathering of oil in real time to support clean-up strategy.
Source Identification: Uses satellite imagery and AIS data to identify likely origin points—including ships potentially involved in unreported discharges. Developed with the University of Oxford, this capability is a deterrent as well as an investigative tool.
Satellite-Based Detection: Automatically identifies potential oil slicks, presenting them to operators for validation. These learnings are fed into the system via machine learning, increasing autonomous accuracy over time.
Scenario Simulation & Future Readiness: Operators can simulate high-risk spill events, test responses, and pre-position resources where the model shows high sensitivity along the coast.

⚓ Real-Time Decision Support for Marine Infrastructure

Falcon Eye’s primary mission is to protect UAE marine infrastructure, delivering:

Live alerts for unreported spills
Predictive insights for active incidents
Day-to-day monitoring across a vast marine area
Incident records to support environmental compliance and regulatory reporting
Operator coordination across multiple remote sites

The platform is also used to run emergency response tabletop exercises, giving operators hands-on experience with realistic spill scenarios and modelling outputs.

If safeguarding marine assets is a priority for your organisation, we encourage you to experience Falcon Eye in action—its satellite tracking, real-time modelling, and in-depth reporting are designed to support confident, informed decision-making.