History Main / SpyShip

* Tom Clancy's ''Without Remorse'' has Russian "fishing trawlers" following a fleet battlegroup on a highly classified and sensitive mission. Fortunately, they're known to be gathering intel and are easily fooled.

Has nothing to do with [[IThoughtItMeant romance between spies]].

* Before WWII, a small Japanese fishing boat was actually mapping the coast of Southern California and northern Mexico, and listening to radio signals.

** In 2013 the RussiansWithRustingRockets commissioned the first Project 18280 [=ElInt=] ship, which will rely on low-signature "stealth" tech rather than being BeneathSuspicion, and will likely spy on the US "missile shield", which the Russians refuse to believe to be designed to stop Iranian missiles. HereWeGoAgain, Cold War!

* [[TypesOfNavalShips Many navies do it:]]

** Villainous example on the ''Disco Volante'' on ''Film/{{Thunderball}}''. The version that appears on TheRemake ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'' even adds a pretty advanced secret communications room.

** The USSR had at least ten types of these, such as the "Okean" and "Primorye" classes. Much of their commercial fishing fleet was, according to TheOtherWiki, also engaged in spying ops on the side. These "trawlers" frequently were used to spy on US carrier battle groups as that was the greatest threat to the Soviet Navy. It helped that all those ships were state-owned anyway.

* Free Traders can sometimes do this in ''{{Traveller}}''.

** The episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E4BartTheMurderer "Bart the Murderer"]] featured a pizza van with satellite dishes on the roof listening in on the Simpsons when Bart is accused of murder. Marge notes it had been there a week and asks how long it takes to deliver a pizza. The van drives off and is replaced with another van with "'''F'''lowers '''B'''y '''I'''rene" on the side.
** [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS22E12HomerTheFather "Homer the Father"]], a 2011 episode had a series of these, each of them having the initials of an American government agency [[IThoughtItMeant but standing for something completely different]] ([[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld CIA = Chinese Intelligence Agency]], [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys FBI = French Bureau of Investigation]], and [[Series/TheATeam ATF = A-Team of Finland]]).

** The episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E4BartTheMurderer "Bart the Murderer"]] featured one with the letters F-B-I painted prominently on the side. (The letters stood for "Flowers By Irene".) Cue the line, "I wonder why that [moving van / florist's van / pizza delivery van / whatever] has been parked there for two weeks," or similar, whereupon the van instantly screeched away and was replaced by another (that was just as suspicious).

** In 2013 the RussiansWithRustingRockets commissioned the first Project 18280 [=ElInt=] ship, which will rely on low-signature "stealth" tech rather than being BeneathSuspicion, and will likely spy on the US "missile shield", which the Russians refuse to believe to be [[BlatantLies designed to stop Iranian missiles]]. HereWeGoAgain, Cold War!
** Also, the Soviets outdid everyone in regards to size. In order to spy on US missile tests in the Pacific, they commissioned one Project 1941 Titan ship, the [[Franchise/MassEffect SSV]]-33 ''Ural'', which used the stretched hull of the Project 1144 Orlan nuclear-powered heavy cruiser (a.k.a. the [[ReportingNames Kirov battlecruiser]]), and was the '''single biggest Soviet surface ship ever'''. SoMuchForStealth.

* USS Pueblo. This was a rather less subtle type, rather than being disguised as a commonplace civilian vessel it was openly a US Navy vessel, but officially a "technical research ship" that was supposedly [[BlatantLies researching atmospheric phenomena]]. The lack of a disguise meant that such ships could be equipped with a more extensive array of electronic surveillance devices it also meant their true mission was pretty much an open secret.
** Another "technical research ship" was the USS Liberty, infamously attacked by the Israeli military in an apparent case of mistaken identity during the [[UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict Six Day War]]. Whether Israel actually mistook the Liberty for a much smaller Egyptian ship as claimed remains deeply controversial to this day and quickly became fodder for conspiracy theories.
* In modern times submarines have largely taken over this role from surface vessels as they are more easily able to escape detection(obviously). This largely happened as a result of the USS Pueblo incident. This is known as ELINT(Electronic Intelligence) and is one of the most useful purposes for submarines today.

** Truth in television, see real life below

* ''Polar Star'' by Martin Cruz Smith. The protagonist discovers that the Soviet factory ship he's working on is broadcasting fake submarine signals meant to be picked up by an American spy vessel -- one of the trawlers that provide their fish.
* Tom Clancy's ''Without Remorse'' has Russian "fishing trawlers" following a fleet battlegroup on a highly classified and sensitive mission. Fortunately, they're known to be gathering intel and are easily fooled.

* At one point in ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', smuggler and information broker Talon Karrde is discreetly informed by an ally that the ally's ships will attack the Imperial shipyard at Bilbringi. In order to spy on the resulting chaos, Karrde arranges for his ships to take on a legitimate shipping contract to deliver parts to Bilbringi (a ruse which he uses several times, equally often for spying or sabotage). [[MeaningfulBackgroundEvent While there]], they also happen to record a mysterious but trivial detail that ultimately proves highly valuable to the New Republic.

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* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks "Remembrance of the Daleks"]] has a variation. The Seventh Doctor encounters an antenna van that ''seems'' to be tracking who's paid their TV license fee, but is actually tracking alien (read: Dalek) energy signatures.

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* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSF_Explorer Hughes Glomar Explorer]], built under the cover of being a mineral exploration ship, was actually used by the CIA in an attempt to salvage a sunken Soviet missile submarine. During the mission, the ship was even shadowed by a Soviet "fishing trawler" of the kind mentioned above.

Not Film/JamesBond/[[Series/{{Alias}} Sydney Bristow]], although that's one for TheShipYard...

* At one point in Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy, smuggler and information broker Talon Karrde is discreetly informed by an ally that the ally's ships will attack the Imperial shipyard at Bilbringi. In order to spy on the resulting chaos, Karrde arranges for his ships to take on a legitimate shipping contract to deliver parts to Bilbringi (a ruse which he uses several times, equally often for spying or sabotage). [[MeaningfulBackgroundEvent While there]], they also happen to record a mysterious but trivial detail that ultimately proves highly valuable to the New Republic.

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "Remembrance of the Daleks" has a variation. The Seventh Doctor encounters an antenna van that ''seems'' to be tracking who's paid their TV license fee, but is actually tracking alien (read: Dalek) energy signatures.

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<<|EspionageTropes|>>

* Free Traders can sometimes do this in {{Traveller}}.

* The GLA Bomb truck can serve this purpose in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'', as it can be disguised as any vehicle (allied, hostile, or one of the neutrals that are there to be turned into ActionBombs by the Terrorist unit) and is only revealed when detonating, which doesn't have to be done manually. Even better against AI opponents, who don't react ''at all'' to the random passenger car that's running over their infantry one by one.

* ''TheSimpsons'' featured one with the letters F-B-I painted prominently on the side. (The letters stood for "Flowers By Irene".) Cue the line, "I wonder why that [moving van / florist's van / pizza delivery van / whatever] has been parked there for two weeks," or similar, whereupon the van instantly screeched away and was replaced by another (that was just as suspicious).
** "Homer the Father", a 2011 episode had a series of these, each of them having the initials of an American government agency [[IThoughtItMeant but standing for something completely different]] ([[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld CIA = Chinese Intelligence Agency]], [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys FBI = French Bureau of Investigation]], and [[Series/TheATeam ATF = A-Team of Finland]]).

* GhengisKhan and probably every other ruler in the world used merchants as spies from time to time. As they are among the few people who will be traveling, it makes sense.

* The second mission of ''AceCombat5'' has the player character and his squadron investigating a reconnaissance vessel that had launched [=UAVs=] near the Osean shoreline. Later in the game, the ''Andromeda'''s signal intercept capabilities play a key role in the plot.

* The ''DoctorWho'' story "Remembrance of the Daleks" has a variation. The Seventh Doctor encounters an antenna van that ''seems'' to be tracking who's paid their TV license fee, but is actually tracking alien (read: Dalek) energy signatures.

** The USSR had at least ten types of these, such as the "Okean" and "Primorye" classes. Much of their commercial fishing fleet was, according to TheOtherWiki, also engaged in spying ops on the side. These "trawlers" frequently were used to spy on US carrier battle groups as that was the greatest threat to the Soviet Navy.