The narrow body of water known as the Malacca Straits that flows between West and East Asia is a river of life to the littoral countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. On any given day, nearly a thousand trading ships of all types – tankers, container ships, fishing vessels, water taxis, and tourist cruise ships can be counted moving inside the straits.

This shipping serves the economic needs of not only the littoral states, but the vital global industries of many countries that are thousands of miles away from the actual straits themselves. For example, the Straits tie together the oil fields of the Middle East and the vast industrial complexes of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan which rely on this oil to manufacture the goods that are shipped back not only to the Middle East, but also to the markets of Europe, North America and the rest of the world.

Further, as the straits shrink to a mere 5 kilometers wide at their narrowest point, the need for a heightened awareness of maritime navigation safety becomes obvious to even the most untrained observer's eyes. The layman can easily see the mammoth tankers and container ships lining up to file through this part of the straits. This crucial point and the safe parameters of passing through it are clearly defined by navigation equipment, which in some cases emit electronic identification signals to make it easier for navigators to identify and steer their ships safely.