diff --git a/scripts/package-boundaries.json b/scripts/package-boundaries.json
index c94739ced..d658f4290 100644
--- a/scripts/package-boundaries.json
+++ b/scripts/package-boundaries.json
@@ -1471,6 +1471,12 @@
       "src/layers/vessels/rendering.js",
       "src/data/entityRecords.js",
       "src/data/billboardMirror.js",
+      "src/data/iconSetPrimitive.js",
+      "src/data/iconSet.js",
+      "src/data/iconSegment.js",
+      "src/data/iconAtlas.js",
+      "src/data/aircraftRecession.js",
+      "src/data/motionModel.js",
       "src/layers/vessels/selection.js",
       "src/layers/vessels/state.js",
       "src/layers/vessels/testing.js",
diff --git a/src/data/aisLiveVessels.test.mjs b/src/data/aisLiveVessels.test.mjs
index 210f6aa43..529cf545d 100644
--- a/src/data/aisLiveVessels.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/aisLiveVessels.test.mjs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import {
   presentSelectedVessel,
   subscribeSelectedVessel,
 } from '../hudReadouts.js';
-import { mirrorBillboard, setBillboard } from './billboardMirror.js';
+import { createIconSet } from './iconSet.js';
 
 test('open feed with vessels is healthy (null)', () => {
   assert.equal(deriveAisFeedError({ status: 'open', lastMessageAt: 1, error: null }, 42), null);
@@ -656,17 +656,18 @@ test('disable and destroy make abort-ignoring AIS responses inert', async () =>
   }
 });
 
+/** One vessel row in a fresh set, as the layer adds it, plus its record. */
+function focusFixture() {
+  const icons = createIconSet();
+  const row = icons.add('353136000', { layer: 'ais-live-vessels', id: '353136000' });
+  icons.setSize(row, 32, 32);
+  const record = { iconId: '353136000', position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 }, visible: true };
+  return { icons, records: [record], record, focus: () => icons.focus(icons.row('353136000')) };
+}
+
 test('vessel focus wire animates alpha with deadband and restores after tracking ends', () => {
   let writes = 0;
-  const makeColor = (alpha) => ({ alpha, withAlpha: (next) => makeColor(next) });
-  let color = makeColor(1);
-  const billboard = mirrorBillboard({
-    position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 },
-    show: true,
-    get color() { return color; },
-    set color(next) { writes += 1; color = next; },
-  });
-  const records = [{ position: billboard.position, billboard }];
+  const { icons, records, focus } = focusFixture();
   const target = {
     screenRect: { left: 40, top: 40, right: 60, bottom: 60 },
     paddingPx: 0,
@@ -686,6 +687,7 @@ test('vessel focus wire animates alpha with deadband and restores after tracking
   const apply = (nowMs, focusTarget) => {
     const result = applyVesselFocusDeemphasis({
       records,
+      icons,
       target: focusTarget,
       previousActiveCount: activeCount,
       nowMs,
@@ -694,34 +696,30 @@ test('vessel focus wire animates alpha with deadband and restores after tracking
       params,
     });
     activeCount = result.activeCount;
+    writes += result.writes;
     return result;
   };
 
   assert.equal(apply(0, target).writes, 0);
   assert.equal(apply(150, target).writes, 1);
-  assert.ok(color.alpha > 0.25 && color.alpha < 1);
+  assert.ok(focus() > 0.25 && focus() < 1);
   assert.equal(apply(150, target).writes, 0, 'same timestamp stays inside deadband');
   assert.equal(apply(300, target).writes, 1);
-  assert.equal(color.alpha, 0.25);
+  assert.equal(focus(), 0.25);
   assert.equal(apply(300, null).writes, 0, 'release starts continuously from the floor');
   assert.equal(apply(600, null).writes, 1);
-  assert.ok(color.alpha > 0.25 && color.alpha < 1);
+  assert.ok(focus() > 0.25 && focus() < 1);
   assert.equal(apply(900, null).writes, 1);
-  assert.equal(color.alpha, 1);
+  assert.equal(focus(), 1);
   assert.equal(apply(901, null).writes, 0, 'settled restoration causes no churn');
   assert.equal(writes, 4);
 });
 
 test('vessel focus wire performs no alpha writes when nothing has been tracked', () => {
-  let writes = 0;
-  const billboard = mirrorBillboard({
-    position: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 },
-    show: true,
-    get color() { return { alpha: 1 }; },
-    set color(_next) { writes += 1; },
-  });
+  const { icons, records, focus } = focusFixture();
   const result = applyVesselFocusDeemphasis({
-    records: [{ position: billboard.position, billboard }],
+    records,
+    icons,
     target: null,
     nowMs: 100,
     screenPositionFor: () => ({ x: 50, y: 50 }),
@@ -733,17 +731,11 @@ test('vessel focus wire performs no alpha writes when nothing has been tracked',
     activeCount: 0,
     ran: false,
   });
-  assert.equal(writes, 0);
+  assert.equal(focus(), 1);
 });
 
 test('vessel focus wire restores a hidden sprite before releasing the active pass', () => {
-  const makeColor = (alpha) => ({ alpha, withAlpha: (next) => makeColor(next) });
-  const billboard = mirrorBillboard({
-    position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 },
-    show: true,
-    color: makeColor(1),
-  });
-  const records = [{ billboard }];
+  const { icons, records, record, focus } = focusFixture();
   const target = {
     screenRect: { left: 40, top: 40, right: 60, bottom: 60 },
     paddingPx: 0,
@@ -759,6 +751,7 @@ test('vessel focus wire restores a hidden sprite before releasing the active pas
   };
   const pass = (nowMs, focusTarget, previousActiveCount) => applyVesselFocusDeemphasis({
     records,
+    icons,
     target: focusTarget,
     previousActiveCount,
     nowMs,
@@ -770,15 +763,15 @@ test('vessel focus wire restores a hidden sprite before releasing the active pas
   pass(0, target, 0);
   const dimmed = pass(params.attackMs, target, 0);
   assert.equal(dimmed.activeCount, 1);
-  assert.equal(billboard.color.alpha, params.dimFloor);
+  assert.equal(focus(), params.dimFloor);
 
-  setBillboard(billboard, 'show', false);
+  record.visible = false;
   const releaseStart = pass(params.attackMs, null, dimmed.activeCount);
   const restored = pass(params.attackMs + params.releaseMs, null, releaseStart.activeCount);
   assert.equal(restored.ran, true);
   assert.equal(restored.activeCount, 0);
   assert.equal(restored.writes, 1);
-  assert.equal(billboard.color.alpha, 1);
+  assert.equal(focus(), 1);
 });
 
 // --- Selection gestures (FB-1) ---------------------------------------------
@@ -847,7 +840,6 @@ function makeRecord(overrides = {}) {
     lastPositionUtc: '',
     missedRefreshes: 0,
     position: POS,
-    billboard: null,
     ...overrides,
   };
 }
@@ -1056,18 +1048,9 @@ test('vessel interaction wire: CCTV-owned pick preserves vessel selection', () =
 });
 
 test('vessel interaction wire: own-layer unkeyed record pick does not deselect', () => {
-  const harness = installWireHarness({ id: makeRecord({ mmsi: undefined }) });
-  try {
-    harness.handler.click({ position: { x: 10, y: 20 } });
-    assert.equal(aisLiveVesselsLayer.getSelectedInfo()?.mmsi, harness.record.mmsi);
-    assert.equal(harness.trail.clearCalls, 0);
-  } finally {
-    harness.cleanup();
-  }
-});
-
-test('vessel interaction wire: own-shaped evicted record pick does not deselect', () => {
-  const harness = installWireHarness({ id: makeRecord({ mmsi: '999999999' }) });
+  const icons = createIconSet();
+  icons.add('ais-unkeyed:1', { id: 'ais-unkeyed:1' });
+  const harness = installWireHarness({ id: 'ais-unkeyed:1' }, { icons });
   try {
     harness.handler.click({ position: { x: 10, y: 20 } });
     assert.equal(aisLiveVesselsLayer.getSelectedInfo()?.mmsi, harness.record.mmsi);
@@ -1350,11 +1333,9 @@ test('buildVesselCard: unnamed vessels title as MMSI; long names truncate', () =
   assert.ok(long.title.length <= 26, `title too long: ${long.title.length}`);
 });
 
-test('buildVesselCard: anchors to the billboard position when present', () => {
+test('buildVesselCard: anchors to the drawn position', () => {
   const rendered = new Cesium.Cartesian3(9, 9, 9);
-  const card = buildVesselCard(
-    makeRecord({ billboard: mirrorBillboard({ position: rendered }) }),
-  );
+  const card = buildVesselCard(makeRecord({ position: rendered }));
   assert.deepEqual(card.position, rendered);
 });
 
@@ -1452,7 +1433,6 @@ test('vessel real layer lifecycle publishes protected selection and leaves no st
     viewer: { scene: { canvas: { clientWidth: 1600, clientHeight: 900 } } },
     records: [record],
     selectedRecord: record,
-    billboardCollection: { show: true, remove() {} },
   });
   try {
     _updateVesselCardsForTest([]);
@@ -1535,7 +1515,7 @@ test('EGM96 N pins the field finding: Rotterdam sea sits ~45 m ABOVE the ellipso
 // camera, whether the camera was free or tracking something else. The layer
 // only announces the click — the UI owns the flight (src/worldFocus.js).
 test('vessel interaction wire: selecting a vessel by click requests a camera transfer', () => {
-  const harness = installWireHarness({ id: makeRecord() }, { selectedRecord: null });
+  const harness = installWireHarness({ id: makeRecord().mmsi }, { selectedRecord: null });
   const requests = [];
   harness.windowTarget.addEventListener(
     WORLD_FOCUS_REQUEST_EVENT,
@@ -1744,19 +1724,13 @@ test('vessel selection passes the opaque source reference to optional history',
 });
 
 test('vessel focus wire skips hidden sprites at rest while a target is tracked', () => {
-  const makeColor = (alpha) => ({ alpha, withAlpha: (next) => makeColor(next) });
-  const sprite = (show) =>
-    mirrorBillboard({
-      position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 },
-      show,
-      color: makeColor(1),
-    });
-  const visible = sprite(true);
-  const hidden = Array.from({ length: 50 }, () => sprite(false));
-  const records = [visible, ...hidden].map((billboard) => ({
-    position: billboard.position,
-    billboard,
-  }));
+  const icons = createIconSet();
+  const records = Array.from({ length: 51 }, (_, i) => {
+    const iconId = String(i);
+    icons.setSize(icons.add(iconId, { id: iconId }), 32, 32);
+    return { iconId, position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 }, visible: i === 0 };
+  });
+  const focus = (record) => icons.focus(icons.row(record.iconId));
   const target = {
     screenRect: { left: 40, top: 40, right: 60, bottom: 60 },
     paddingPx: 0,
@@ -1767,6 +1741,7 @@ test('vessel focus wire skips hidden sprites at rest while a target is tracked',
   const apply = (nowMs) =>
     applyVesselFocusDeemphasis({
       records,
+      icons,
       target,
       nowMs,
       screenPositionFor: () => {
@@ -1786,7 +1761,7 @@ test('vessel focus wire skips hidden sprites at rest while a target is tracked',
   // Only the on-screen sprite pays for projection and distance.
   assert.equal(projected, 2);
   assert.equal(measured, 2);
-  assert.equal(visible.color.alpha, 0.25);
+  assert.equal(focus(records[0]), 0.25);
   assert.equal(result.activeCount, 1);
-  for (const billboard of hidden) assert.equal(billboard.color.alpha, 1);
+  for (const record of records.slice(1)) assert.equal(focus(record), 1);
 });
diff --git a/src/data/firmsInteraction.test.mjs b/src/data/firmsInteraction.test.mjs
index d735df3f8..eeac4c979 100644
--- a/src/data/firmsInteraction.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/firmsInteraction.test.mjs
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ test('a click on neither sprite nor card clears without moving the camera', () =
 const SIBLING_PICKS = [
   ['flights', 'a1b2c3', { id: 'a1b2c3' }],
   ['flights', 'a1b2c3', { primitive: { id: 'a1b2c3' } }],
-  ['ais-live-vessels', '353136000', { id: { mmsi: '353136000', name: 'EVER GIVEN' } }],
+  ['ais-live-vessels', '353136000', { id: '353136000' }],
   ['cctv', 'atx-cam-3', { id: { id: 'atx-cam-3', name: 'entity-like' } }],
   ['satellites', '25544', { id: 25544 }],
 ];
diff --git a/src/data/focusResumeGate.test.mjs b/src/data/focusResumeGate.test.mjs
index 93d4c2ba1..8719bb436 100644
--- a/src/data/focusResumeGate.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/focusResumeGate.test.mjs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { applyCctvFocusDeemphasis } from './cctv.js';
 import { applySatellitePointFocusDeemphasis } from './satellites.js';
 import { DEFAULT_FOCUS_DEEMPHASIS_PARAMS } from './focusDeemphasis.js';
 import { mirrorBillboard } from './billboardMirror.js';
+import { createIconSet } from './iconSet.js';
 
 const params = { ...DEFAULT_FOCUS_DEEMPHASIS_PARAMS, paddingPx: 0 };
 const target = {
@@ -52,18 +53,14 @@ function assertResumeGate(name, makePass) {
 }
 
 assertResumeGate('vessel', () => {
-  const billboard = mirrorBillboard({
-    position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 },
-    show: true,
-    width: 32,
-    height: 32,
-    scale: 1,
-    color: color(),
-  });
+  const icons = createIconSet();
+  icons.setSize(icons.add('353136000', { id: '353136000' }), 32, 32);
+  const record = { iconId: '353136000', position: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 }, visible: true };
   return {
     pass: ({ nowMs, target: focusTarget, previousActiveCount }) => (
       applyVesselFocusDeemphasis({
-        records: [{ billboard }],
+        records: [record],
+        icons,
         target: focusTarget,
         previousActiveCount,
         nowMs,
@@ -72,7 +69,7 @@ assertResumeGate('vessel', () => {
         params,
       })
     ),
-    readAlpha: () => billboard.color.alpha,
+    readAlpha: () => icons.focus(icons.row('353136000')),
   };
 });
 
diff --git a/src/data/iconAtlas.js b/src/data/iconAtlas.js
index 8e08c2532..9dd7be8d5 100644
--- a/src/data/iconAtlas.js
+++ b/src/data/iconAtlas.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const MAX_SIZE_PX = 4096;
 function createAtlas() {
   const slotOfKey = new Map();
   const entries = [];
+  const listeners = new Set();
   const atlas = {
     /** Bumped whenever the canvas or a slot rectangle changes. */
     version: 0,
@@ -57,6 +58,17 @@ function createAtlas() {
     ready(slot) {
       return atlas.rects[slot * 4 + 2] > 0;
     },
+
+    /**
+     * Call `listener` after every repack, so a renderer that draws on demand
+     * can ask for the frame that shows a newly loaded image.
+     * @param {() => void} listener
+     * @returns {() => void} Stops listening.
+     */
+    onChange(listener) {
+      listeners.add(listener);
+      return () => listeners.delete(listener);
+    },
   };
 
   function load(entry) {
@@ -120,6 +132,7 @@ function createAtlas() {
       atlas.rects[o + 3] = (entry.y + entry.sizePx) / size;
     }
     atlas.version++;
+    for (const listener of listeners) listener();
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/data/iconSetPrimitive.js b/src/data/iconSetPrimitive.js
index 6aaf9907e..90f0900ce 100644
--- a/src/data/iconSetPrimitive.js
+++ b/src/data/iconSetPrimitive.js
@@ -208,13 +208,19 @@ const EARTH_BOUNDS = new Cesium.BoundingSphere(
 );
 
 /**
- * @param {{ set: object, renderTime: () => Cesium.JulianDate }} options `renderTime`
- *   gives the instant to draw at (the layer's delayed clock).
+ * @param {{ set: object, renderTime: () => Cesium.JulianDate,
+ *   requestRender?: () => void }} options `renderTime` gives the instant to draw
+ *   at (the layer's delayed clock). `requestRender` asks for a frame when the
+ *   atlas packs a newly loaded image, for a layer that does not render
+ *   continuously.
  */
 export class IconSetPrimitive {
-  constructor({ set, renderTime }) {
+  constructor({ set, renderTime, requestRender }) {
     this.set = set;
     this.renderTime = renderTime;
+    this._stopAtlasListener = requestRender
+      ? iconAtlas.onChange(requestRender)
+      : null;
     this.show = true;
     this._tau = 0;
     this._generation = -1;
@@ -571,6 +577,7 @@ export class IconSetPrimitive {
   }
 
   destroy() {
+    this._stopAtlasListener?.();
     this._destroyBuffers();
     this._programs?.opaque.destroy();
     this._programs?.translucent.destroy();
diff --git a/src/data/pickRegistry.js b/src/data/pickRegistry.js
index ef3d8074e..a891b6c5b 100644
--- a/src/data/pickRegistry.js
+++ b/src/data/pickRegistry.js
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@ const _owners = new Map();
 /**
  * Resolves a scene.pick() result to a String pick id for the ownership scan.
  *
- * Layers use heterogeneous pick ids: flights/military/bikeshare/CCTV use
- * strings, satellites use numeric NORAD catalog ids, live AIS vessels attach
- * the vessel record OBJECT (identity = its `mmsi`), and entity picks surface
- * the Cesium Entity (identity = its string `id`). Everything is coerced to a
- * String so predicates match against one canonical form.
+ * Layers use heterogeneous pick ids: flights/military/vessels/bikeshare/CCTV
+ * use strings, satellites use numeric NORAD catalog ids, and entity picks
+ * surface the Cesium Entity (identity = its string `id`). Everything is
+ * coerced to a String so predicates match against one canonical form.
  *
  * @param {object|null|undefined} picked - Result of `scene.pick()`.
  * @returns {string|null} Canonical pick id, or null when the pick carries none.
@@ -33,9 +32,7 @@ export function resolvePickId(picked) {
   const unwrap = (id) => {
     if (id === null || id === undefined) return undefined;
     if (typeof id === 'object') {
-      // AIS vessel record (id object with .mmsi) or Cesium Entity (.id string)
-      if (typeof id.mmsi === 'string' || typeof id.mmsi === 'number')
-        return id.mmsi;
+      // A Cesium Entity (.id string)
       if (typeof id.id === 'string' || typeof id.id === 'number') return id.id;
       return undefined;
     }
diff --git a/src/data/pickRegistry.test.mjs b/src/data/pickRegistry.test.mjs
index 43f11260f..a9076b02b 100644
--- a/src/data/pickRegistry.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/pickRegistry.test.mjs
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ test('resolvePickId: numeric pick id (satellite NORAD numbers) → String', () =
   assert.equal(resolvePickId({ id: undefined, primitive: { id: 43013 } }), '43013');
 });
 
-test('resolvePickId: AIS vessel record object → its mmsi', () => {
-  const record = { mmsi: '367123450', name: 'EVER GIVEN', billboard: {} };
-  assert.equal(resolvePickId({ id: record }), '367123450');
-  assert.equal(resolvePickId({ primitive: { id: record } }), '367123450');
-});
-
 test('resolvePickId: Cesium-Entity-like object → its string id', () => {
   const entity = { id: 'cctv-atx-cam-3-center', properties: {} };
   assert.equal(resolvePickId({ id: entity }), 'cctv-atx-cam-3-center');
@@ -48,7 +42,7 @@ test('resolvePickId: unresolvable picks → null', () => {
   assert.equal(resolvePickId(null), null);
   assert.equal(resolvePickId(undefined), null);
   assert.equal(resolvePickId({}), null);
-  assert.equal(resolvePickId({ id: {} }), null); // object with no mmsi/id
+  assert.equal(resolvePickId({ id: {} }), null); // object with no id
   assert.equal(resolvePickId({ primitive: {} }), null);
 });
 
@@ -67,8 +61,8 @@ test('ownership: sibling layers recognize each other via String-coerced ids', ()
   try {
     // Flights asking about a satellite pick (raw numeric id → String upstream)
     assert.equal(isOwnedByOtherLayer('flights', resolvePickId({ id: 25544 })), true);
-    // Flights asking about a vessel pick (record object → mmsi)
-    assert.equal(isOwnedByOtherLayer('flights', resolvePickId({ id: { mmsi: '367123450' } })), true);
+    // Flights asking about a vessel pick (an icon row id: the mmsi)
+    assert.equal(isOwnedByOtherLayer('flights', resolvePickId({ id: '367123450' })), true);
     // A layer never owns its own pick via the sibling scan
     assert.equal(isOwnedByOtherLayer('satellites', '25544'), false);
     // Unknown ids belong to nobody
@@ -147,7 +141,7 @@ test('touch contact pick expands only a surface miss, bounded to 8 hits in 14 CS
 test('touch contact pick returns the first registered sibling, never a caller-specific preference', (t) => {
   primaryPointer(t, true);
   contactOwners(t);
-  for (const first of [{ id: 'military' }, { id: { mmsi: '123456789' } }]) {
+  for (const first of [{ id: 'military' }, { id: '123456789' }]) {
     const scene = {
       pick: () => mapTile,
       drillPick: () => [mapTile, first, { id: 'civil' }],
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/evidence.js b/src/layers/vessels/evidence.js
index 9cbf6521a..8041840f7 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/evidence.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/evidence.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
 import { FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV } from './policy.js';
-import { billboardState } from '../../data/billboardMirror.js';
 
 export function createEvidence({
   vesselState,
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ export function createEvidence({
   /** Replace live AIS rows through the production reconciliation path (DEV only). */
 
   function _setFocusEvidenceVessels(rows = []) {
-    if (!FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV || !state.viewer || !state.billboardCollection) {
+    if (!FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV || !state.viewer || !state.icons) {
       return { ok: false, count: 0 };
     }
     components.selection.clearVesselInspection();
@@ -40,18 +39,19 @@ export function createEvidence({
   function _focusEvidenceVesselSnapshot() {
     if (!FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV || !state.viewer) return [];
     return state.records.all.map((record) => {
-      const bb = components.rendering.getVisual(record).billboard;
-      const icon = billboardState(bb);
-      const screen = icon?.position
+      const visual = components.rendering.getVisual(record);
+      const row = state.icons?.row(visual.iconId) ?? -1;
+      const position = row >= 0 ? visual.position : null;
+      const screen = position
         ? Cesium.SceneTransforms.worldToWindowCoordinates(
             state.viewer.scene,
-            icon.position,
+            position,
           )
         : null;
       return {
         id: record.mmsi,
-        show: icon?.show === true,
-        alpha: bb?.color?.alpha ?? null,
+        show: row >= 0 && visual.visible === true,
+        alpha: row >= 0 ? state.icons.focus(row) : null,
         x: screen?.x ?? null,
         y: screen?.y ?? null,
       };
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/lifecycle.js b/src/layers/vessels/lifecycle.js
index 1c1f611cc..eafd05b35 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/lifecycle.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/lifecycle.js
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ export function createLifecycle({
     state.feed.firstConnectDeadline = null;
     state.feed.firstConnectTimer = null;
     state.feed.abort = null;
-    state.billboardCollection = null;
+    state.icons = null;
+    state.iconPrimitive = null;
     state.records.all = [];
     state.records.byMmsi = new Map();
     state.records.unkeyed = [];
@@ -187,8 +188,7 @@ export function createLifecycle({
             /* grid failed to load — anchors stay at ellipsoid 0 */
           });
       }
-      // Pick-ownership (H2): vessel picks carry the record OBJECT as their id;
-      // the registry resolver reduces it to the record's mmsi (a string key).
+      // Pick-ownership (H2): a vessel icon's pick id is its row id, the MMSI.
       registerPickOwner('ais-live-vessels', (pickedId) =>
         state.records.byMmsi.has(pickedId),
       );
@@ -233,9 +233,13 @@ export function createLifecycle({
       unregisterPickOwner('ais-live-vessels');
       components.selection.clearVesselInspection();
       components.tracking.destroySelectedVesselTrail();
-      if (state.billboardCollection && activeViewer?.scene?.primitives) {
-        activeViewer.scene.primitives.remove(state.billboardCollection);
+      if (state.iconPrimitive && activeViewer?.scene?.primitives) {
+        activeViewer.scene.primitives.remove(state.iconPrimitive);
       }
+      // Not in a scene (or no viewer to remove it from): still stop its atlas
+      // listener and free its GPU resources.
+      if (state.iconPrimitive && !state.iconPrimitive.isDestroyed())
+        state.iconPrimitive.destroy();
       vesselState._vesselOverlayHost.clearSource(VESSEL_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID);
       vesselState._vesselOverlayHost.setVisible(
         VESSEL_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID,
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs b/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs
index d5cd274c2..955d012d4 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import test from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { createVesselLayer } from './index.js';
 import { createVesselState } from './state.js';
+import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
+import { createIconSet } from '../../data/iconSet.js';
 
 const noop = () => {};
 function services() {
@@ -13,7 +15,7 @@ function services() {
     trails: {
       createTrail: () => ({ setPositions: noop, clear: noop, destroy: noop }),
     },
-    labels: {},
+    labels: { formatKnots: (knots) => `${knots} kt` },
     picking: { unregisterPickOwner: noop },
     overlay: {
       setOverlayEntries: noop,
@@ -36,20 +38,10 @@ function services() {
     },
   };
 }
-function setup(source, options = {}) {
+function setup(source, options = {}, viewer = {}) {
   const layer = createVesselLayer({ source, services: services(), options });
-  const primitives = new Set();
-  layer.testing._setVesselStateForTest({
-    viewer: {},
-    billboardCollection: {
-      add(options) {
-        const primitive = { ...options };
-        primitives.add(primitive);
-        return primitive;
-      },
-      remove: (primitive) => primitives.delete(primitive),
-    },
-  });
+  const icons = createIconSet();
+  layer.testing._setVesselStateForTest({ viewer, icons });
   let now = 1000;
   layer.testing._setAisRuntimeForTest({
     now: () => now,
@@ -58,7 +50,7 @@ function setup(source, options = {}) {
   });
   return {
     layer,
-    primitives,
+    icons,
     advance: (ms) => {
       now += ms;
     },
@@ -283,27 +275,31 @@ test('partial-feed expiry releases a selected vessel and its pending trail', asy
   assert.equal(layer.testing._getVesselStateForTest().trailPositionCount, 0);
 });
 
-test('refresh keeps pick identity and renderer geometry separate, and eviction releases the primitive', async () => {
+test('refresh keeps the icon row and its pick identity, and eviction releases the row', async () => {
   let current = snapshot([observation('111')]);
-  const { layer, primitives } = setup({ getSnapshot: async () => current });
+  const { layer, icons } = setup({ getSnapshot: async () => current });
   await layer.update();
-  const [primitive] = primitives;
-  const record = primitive.id;
-  for (const key of ['position', 'surfacePosition', 'normal', 'billboard']) {
-    assert.equal(Object.hasOwn(record, key), false);
-  }
-  assert.deepEqual(layer.findByQuery('111').position, primitive.position);
-  const oldPosition = primitive.position;
+  assert.equal(icons.count, 1);
+  assert.equal(icons.idAt(0), '111');
+  const meta = icons.metaAt(0);
+  const drawn = () =>
+    icons.position(icons.row('111'), 0, new Cesium.Cartesian3());
+  const near = (a, b) => Cesium.Cartesian3.distance(a, b) < 0.01;
+  assert.ok(near(layer.findByQuery('111').position, drawn()));
+  const oldPosition = drawn();
   current = snapshot([{ ...observation('111'), longitude: 4.06 }]);
   await layer.update();
-  assert.equal(primitives.size, 1);
-  assert.equal([...primitives][0], primitive);
-  assert.equal(primitive.id, record);
-  assert.notDeepEqual(primitive.position, oldPosition);
-  assert.deepEqual(layer.findByQuery('111').position, primitive.position);
+  assert.equal(icons.count, 1);
+  assert.equal(
+    icons.metaAt(icons.row('111')),
+    meta,
+    'focus identity survives a refresh',
+  );
+  assert.ok(!near(drawn(), oldPosition));
+  assert.ok(near(layer.findByQuery('111').position, drawn()));
   current = snapshot([observation('222')]);
   await layer.update();
-  assert.equal(primitives.has(primitive), false);
+  assert.equal(icons.has('111'), false);
   assert.equal(layer.findByQuery('111'), null);
 });
 
@@ -409,3 +405,43 @@ test('empty coverage cannot hide stale, incomplete or rejected source data', asy
     assert.ok(layer.getStats().error, JSON.stringify(patch));
   }
 });
+
+test('cards and detection judge the horizon where the icon shader culls the row', async () => {
+  // A camera over the limb that sees the row's cull point (lifted to 12 m) but
+  // not the drawn position (3 m above the ellipsoid before the geoid loads).
+  const ship = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(4.05, 51.93, 3);
+  const lifted = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(4.05, 51.93, 12);
+  const occluder = new Cesium.EllipsoidalOccluder(Cesium.Ellipsoid.WGS84, ship);
+  let positionWC = null;
+  for (let lon = 4.05; lon < 40 && !positionWC; lon += 0.0005) {
+    occluder.cameraPosition = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(
+      lon,
+      51.93,
+      400_000,
+    );
+    if (occluder.isPointVisible(lifted) && !occluder.isPointVisible(ship))
+      positionWC = occluder.cameraPosition;
+  }
+  assert.ok(positionWC, 'found a camera between the two horizons');
+  const viewer = { camera: { positionWC, heading: 0, pitch: 0, roll: 0 } };
+  const current = snapshot([observation('111')]);
+  const { layer, icons } = setup(
+    { getSnapshot: async () => current },
+    {},
+    viewer,
+  );
+  await layer.update();
+  const row = icons.row('111');
+  occluder.cameraPosition = positionWC;
+  assert.equal(
+    occluder.isPointVisible(
+      icons.cullPoint(row, icons.position(row, 0, new Cesium.Cartesian3())),
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    layer.getDetectableObjects().map((entry) => entry.sourceId),
+    ['111'],
+  );
+  layer.testing._setVesselStateForTest({ enabled: false });
+});
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/queries.js b/src/layers/vessels/queries.js
index 56d86e104..320c977d1 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/queries.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/queries.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import {
   REFRESH_MS,
   FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV,
 } from './policy.js';
-import { billboardState } from '../../data/billboardMirror.js';
 
 export function createQueries({
   vesselState,
@@ -469,12 +468,7 @@ export function createQueries({
      * @returns {Array<{position: Cesium.Cartesian3, id: string, type: string, skipLabel: boolean}>}
      */
     getDetectableObjects(options = {}) {
-      if (
-        !state.feed.enabled ||
-        !state.billboardCollection ||
-        !state.billboardCollection.show
-      )
-        return [];
+      if (!state.feed.enabled || !state.icons?.show) return [];
       const records = state.records.all;
       if (!Array.isArray(records) || !records.length) return [];
 
@@ -492,9 +486,8 @@ export function createQueries({
         if ((idx - start) % stride !== 0) continue;
         const record = records[idx];
         const visual = components.rendering.getVisual(record);
-        const icon = billboardState(visual.billboard);
-        if (icon && !icon.show) continue;
-        const position = icon?.position || visual.position;
+        if (!visual.visible) continue;
+        const position = visual.position;
         if (!position) continue;
         result.push({
           position,
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/records.js b/src/layers/vessels/records.js
index ad6d85cbd..011b7cf26 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/records.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/records.js
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ export class VesselRecords {
       seen.add(next.mmsi);
       const record = this.byMmsi.get(next.mmsi);
       if (record) {
-        const before = effects.beforeUpdate(record);
         record.reference = next.reference;
         record.receivedAtMs = next.receivedAtMs;
         record.lat = next.lat;
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ export class VesselRecords {
         record.lastPositionEpoch = next.lastPositionEpoch;
         record.missedRefreshes = 0;
 
-        effects.updated(record, before);
+        effects.updated(record);
       } else {
         effects.add(next);
         this.byMmsi.set(next.mmsi, next);
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/records.test.mjs b/src/layers/vessels/records.test.mjs
index d3e19dcd6..a22e8dcc9 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/records.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/records.test.mjs
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ function setup() {
   const events = [];
   const effects = {
     add: (record) => events.push(['add', record]),
-    beforeUpdate: (record) => record.type,
-    updated: (record, before) => events.push(['update', record, before]),
+    updated: (record) => events.push(['update', record]),
     remove: (record, evicted) =>
       events.push(['remove', record, evicted, store.byMmsi.has(record.mmsi)]),
     removed: (id) => events.push(['removed', id, store.byMmsi.has(id)]),
@@ -46,9 +45,16 @@ test('vessel reconciliation preserves record identity and first duplicate while
   probe.reconcile([row('111', { lat: 51.94, type: 'Tanker' })]);
   assert.equal(probe.store.byMmsi.get('111'), record);
   assert.equal(record.lat, 51.94);
-  assert.equal(probe.events.find((event) => event[0] === 'update')[2], 'Cargo');
+  assert.equal(probe.events.find((event) => event[0] === 'update')[1], record);
+  assert.equal(record.type, 'Tanker');
   assert.equal(probe.store.byMmsi.has('222'), false);
-  for (const field of ['position', 'surfacePosition', 'normal', 'billboard'])
+  for (const field of [
+    'position',
+    'surfacePosition',
+    'normal',
+    'billboard',
+    'iconId',
+  ])
     assert.equal(Object.hasOwn(record, field), false);
   assert.deepEqual(structuredClone(record), record);
 });
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/rendering.js b/src/layers/vessels/rendering.js
index eaf7851be..bea2b3a2d 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/rendering.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/rendering.js
@@ -7,10 +7,15 @@ import {
   applyVesselOverlayPolicy,
   VESSEL_CARD_FADE_DISTANCE_M,
 } from '../../data/vesselLabels.js';
+import { cameraPoseSignature } from '../../data/iconOrientation.js';
 import {
-  cameraPoseSignature,
-  screenProjectedRotation,
-} from '../../data/iconOrientation.js';
+  createIconSet,
+  ICON_CULL_LIFT,
+  ICON_ROTATES,
+} from '../../data/iconSet.js';
+import { writeHoldSegment } from '../../data/iconSegment.js';
+import { IconSetPrimitive } from '../../data/iconSetPrimitive.js';
+import { iconAtlas } from '../../data/iconAtlas.js';
 import {
   VESSEL_LIFT_M,
   DEFAULT_RENDER_ROWS,
@@ -20,11 +25,9 @@ import {
   LABEL_GRID_PX,
   CARD_MIN_SEP_PX,
 } from './policy.js';
-import {
-  addBillboard,
-  billboardState,
-  setBillboard,
-} from '../../data/billboardMirror.js';
+
+/** The ship artwork's own raster size (px). */
+const SHIP_ICON_PX = 32;
 
 export function createRendering({
   vesselState,
@@ -41,16 +44,21 @@ export function createRendering({
     return visualRecords.get(record) || record;
   }
 
-  /** Where a record's icon was drawn, from Core's mirror, else its visual position. */
+  /** Where a record's icon is drawn: its row holds at the visual position. */
   function iconPosition(record) {
-    const visual = getVisual(record);
-    return billboardState(visual.billboard)?.position || visual.position;
+    return getVisual(record).position;
   }
 
   function prepareRecordVisual(record) {
     let visual = visualRecords.get(record);
     if (!visual) {
-      visual = { billboard: record.billboard || null };
+      // Unkeyed records (no MMSI) are rebuilt every poll, so their rows take
+      // a fresh id that no MMSI can collide with.
+      visual = {
+        iconId:
+          record.mmsi || `ais-unkeyed:${++vesselState._unkeyedIconSequence}`,
+        visible: false,
+      };
       visualRecords.set(record, visual);
     }
     const heightM = components.queries.vesselDatumHeightM(
@@ -62,15 +70,6 @@ export function createRendering({
       record.lat,
       heightM,
     );
-    visual.surfacePosition = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(
-      record.lon,
-      record.lat,
-      0,
-    );
-    visual.normal = Cesium.Ellipsoid.WGS84.geodeticSurfaceNormal(
-      visual.position,
-      new Cesium.Cartesian3(),
-    );
     return visual;
   }
 
@@ -110,62 +109,95 @@ export function createRendering({
     return Math.min(DEFAULT_ACTIVE_LABELS, renderRowLimit());
   }
 
+  /**
+   * The layer's icon set and its primitive. Vessels hold still between polls,
+   * so each row is a hold segment and the primitive's clock only keeps segment
+   * times small. The set draws depth-test-free on the near plane and culls the
+   * far side on the GPU (locked height-datum principle #2: contacts are ALWAYS
+   * visible; the tile sea mesh ≠ the geoid, so a depth-tested chevron at the
+   * geoid would clip behind local tide/mesh noise).
+   */
   function ensureCollections(viewer) {
-    if (!viewer || state.billboardCollection) return;
-    state.billboardCollection = new Cesium.BillboardCollection({
-      blendOption: Cesium.BlendOption.TRANSLUCENT,
+    if (!viewer || state.icons) return;
+    const epoch = Cesium.JulianDate.now();
+    state.icons = createIconSet({ epoch });
+    state.icons.show = state.feed.enabled;
+    state.iconPrimitive = new IconSetPrimitive({
+      set: state.icons,
+      renderTime: () => epoch,
+      requestRender: () => governorRequestRender('ais-vessels-icons'),
     });
-    state.billboardCollection.show = state.feed.enabled;
-    viewer.scene.primitives.add(state.billboardCollection);
-    registerSpriteCollection('ais', state.billboardCollection);
+    viewer.scene.primitives.add(state.iconPrimitive);
+    registerSpriteCollection('ais', state.iconPrimitive);
   }
 
   /**
-   * Create the billboard primitive for a freshly added vessel record. Map labels
-   * are canvas cards (vesselLabels.js) rebuilt by the declutter pass — no
-   * per-record label primitive exists anymore.
+   * Add a freshly added vessel record's icon row. Map labels are canvas cards
+   * (vesselLabels.js) rebuilt by the declutter pass — no per-record label
+   * primitive exists anymore.
    * @param {Object} record - Normalized vessel record.
    * @param {Cesium.EllipsoidalOccluder|null} occluder - Horizon occluder for initial visibility.
    */
 
   function addRecordPrimitives(record, occluder) {
-    const visible =
-      state.feed.enabled &&
-      isVisible(getVisual(record).surfacePosition, occluder);
-    getVisual(record).billboard = addBillboard(state.billboardCollection, {
-      position: getVisual(record).position,
-      show: visible,
-      image: shipIcon(record, false),
-      // The ship artwork's own size, stated so Core's mirror knows it.
-      width: 32,
-      height: 32,
-      scale: shipScale(record),
-      // Screen-projected rotation lands on the next visibility/rotation pass.
-      rotation: 0,
-      alignedAxis: Cesium.Cartesian3.ZERO,
-      horizontalOrigin: Cesium.HorizontalOrigin.CENTER,
-      verticalOrigin: Cesium.VerticalOrigin.CENTER,
-      // Locked height-datum principle #2: contacts are ALWAYS visible —
-      // depth-test-free sprites; the EllipsoidalOccluder handles the far side.
-      // (The tile sea mesh ≠ the geoid exactly, so a depth-tested chevron at
-      // the geoid still clips out behind local tide/mesh noise.)
-      disableDepthTestDistance: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
-      id: record,
+    const visual = getVisual(record);
+    const set = state.icons;
+    const row = set.add(visual.iconId, {
+      layer: 'ais-live-vessels',
+      id: visual.iconId,
     });
+    set.setSize(row, SHIP_ICON_PX, SHIP_ICON_PX);
+    set.setFlag(row, ICON_ROTATES, true);
+    // Sea level sits at geoid N, below the ellipsoid across much of the ocean.
+    set.setFlag(row, ICON_CULL_LIFT, true);
+    set.setShown(row, true);
+    syncRecordIcon(record);
+    visual.visible = isVisible(visual.cullPosition, occluder);
   }
 
   /**
-   * Remove a record's billboard primitive from its collection.
+   * Write a record's row from its visual position, course, tint and selection,
+   * and keep the point the shader judges the horizon at (`cullPosition`) so
+   * the CPU card/focus pass draws the same boundary.
+   * @param {Object} record - Vessel record with a prepared visual.
+   */
+
+  function syncRecordIcon(record) {
+    const visual = getVisual(record);
+    const set = state.icons;
+    const row = set?.row(visual.iconId) ?? -1;
+    if (row < 0 || !visual.position) return;
+    const selected = record === state.selectedRecord;
+    const slot = iconAtlas.slot(shipIcon(record, selected), SHIP_ICON_PX);
+    set.setImage(row, slot, slot);
+    set.setScale(row, shipScale(record) * (selected ? 1.2 : 1));
+    writeHoldSegment(
+      set.segments,
+      row,
+      visual.position,
+      vesselCourseDeg(record),
+    );
+    set.segmentWritten(row);
+    visual.cullPosition = set.cullPoint(
+      row,
+      visual.position,
+      visual.cullPosition,
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Remove a record's icon row.
    * @param {Object} record - Vessel record to tear down.
    */
 
   function removeRecordPrimitives(record) {
     if (!record) return;
-    if (getVisual(record).billboard && state.billboardCollection) {
-      forgetSpriteFocus(getVisual(record).billboard);
-      state.billboardCollection.remove(getVisual(record).billboard);
-    }
-    getVisual(record).billboard = null;
+    const set = state.icons;
+    const visual = getVisual(record);
+    const row = set?.row(visual.iconId) ?? -1;
+    if (row < 0) return;
+    forgetSpriteFocus(set.metaAt(row));
+    set.remove(visual.iconId);
   }
 
   function shipScale(record) {
@@ -178,8 +210,7 @@ export function createRendering({
   /**
    * Best available real-world direction of travel for a vessel, degrees
    * clockwise from north (true heading preferred, course-over-ground fallback).
-   * Screen rotation is computed from this by the shared projected-rotation
-   * pass in updateVisibility — never directly from the compass value.
+   * The icon set turns this into its screen rotation on the GPU each frame.
    * @param {Object} record - Vessel record.
    * @returns {number} Course in degrees (0 when unknown).
    */
@@ -191,8 +222,8 @@ export function createRendering({
 
   /**
    * Build (and cache) a chevron/delta-wing SVG data URL tinted for the vessel.
-   * The shape points north (up) so billboard rotation maps directly to heading.
-   * One icon is generated per color+variant and reused across all billboards.
+   * The shape points north (up) so the row's course maps directly to heading.
+   * One icon is generated per color+variant and shares one atlas slot.
    * @param {Object} record - Vessel record (drives per-type tint).
    * @param {boolean} selected - True for the white/brighter selected variant.
    * @returns {string} SVG data URL.
@@ -291,31 +322,15 @@ export function createRendering({
     if (regularPass) {
       // Candidate construction stays on the original 800 ms selector cadence.
       // The 80 ms focus-only pass below never allocates label candidates.
-      const poseSig = camera ? cameraPoseSignature(camera) : '';
-      const doRotations = force || poseSig !== vesselState._lastCamPoseSig;
-      if (doRotations) vesselState._lastCamPoseSig = poseSig;
+      // Icons cull and rotate on the GPU; this pass only picks the cards and
+      // remembers which vessels the horizon leaves in view for focus.
+      if (camera) vesselState._lastCamPoseSig = cameraPoseSignature(camera);
       const occluder = makeOccluder();
       const labelCandidates = [];
       for (const record of state.records.all) {
         const visual = getVisual(record);
-        const visible = isVisible(visual.surfacePosition, occluder);
-        if (visual.billboard) {
-          if (billboardState(visual.billboard).show !== visible)
-            setBillboard(visual.billboard, 'show', visible);
-          if (visible && doRotations && scene) {
-            const { rotation } = billboardState(visual.billboard);
-            const rot = screenProjectedRotation(
-              scene,
-              visual.position,
-              vesselCourseDeg(record),
-              rotation,
-            );
-            if (rot !== null && Math.abs(rot - rotation) > 0.002) {
-              setBillboard(visual.billboard, 'rotation', rot);
-            }
-          }
-        }
-        if (visible) labelCandidates.push(record);
+        visual.visible = isVisible(visual.cullPosition, occluder);
+        if (visual.visible) labelCandidates.push(record);
       }
       updateClusteredLabels(labelCandidates);
     }
@@ -342,14 +357,19 @@ export function createRendering({
   }
 
   /**
-   * Apply focus alpha to vessel sprites. Kept as a production wire seam so the
-   * animation/deadband contract can be tested without constructing WebGL.
+   * Apply focus emphasis to vessel icons through the set's focus column
+   * (narrow always-visible amendment: the ship chevron remains present at the
+   * non-zero floor while it competes with the tracked target). Kept as a
+   * production wire seam so the animation/deadband contract can be tested
+   * without constructing WebGL.
    * @param {object} input
+   * @param {object} [input.icons] The icon set (defaults to the layer's).
    * @returns {{writes:number,transitioning:boolean,activeCount:number,ran:boolean}}
    */
 
   function applyVesselFocusDeemphasis({
     records,
+    icons = state.icons,
     target,
     previousActiveCount = 0,
     nowMs,
@@ -365,43 +385,37 @@ export function createRendering({
     let activeCount = 0;
     for (const record of records || []) {
       const visual = getVisual(record);
-      const bb = visual?.billboard;
-      const icon = billboardState(bb);
-      const position = icon?.position || visual?.position;
-      if (!bb || !position) continue;
-      // Most of a worldwide feed sits behind the horizon. A hidden sprite with
-      // no pending focus state and full alpha would advance to exactly what it
-      // already is, so skip it instead of paying its distance and state work
-      // every 80 ms while anything is tracked.
+      const row = icons?.row(visual?.iconId) ?? -1;
+      const position = visual?.position;
+      if (row < 0 || !position) continue;
+      const sprite = icons.metaAt(row);
+      // Most of a worldwide feed sits behind the horizon. A hidden icon with
+      // no pending focus state at full emphasis would advance to exactly what
+      // it already is, so skip it instead of paying its distance and state
+      // work every 80 ms while anything is tracked.
       if (
-        icon.show === false &&
-        spriteFocusAtRest(bb) &&
-        !focusAlphaNeedsWrite(bb.color?.alpha, 1, params)
+        !visual.visible &&
+        spriteFocusAtRest(sprite) &&
+        !focusAlphaNeedsWrite(icons.focus(row), 1, params)
       )
         continue;
-      const focus = advanceSpriteFocus(bb, {
-        // Hidden/far-side sprites still finish any pending release so the active
+      const focus = advanceSpriteFocus(sprite, {
+        // Hidden/far-side icons still finish any pending release so the active
         // count remains truthful and they cannot reappear with stale dim alpha.
-        screenPosition:
-          icon.show === false ? null : screenPositionFor(position),
+        screenPosition: visual.visible ? screenPositionFor(position) : null,
         cameraDistance: cameraDistanceFor(position),
         nowMs,
         target,
         params,
-        // Vessel artwork is 32 px before billboard scale. Including the
-        // ambient chevron's own rendered extent prevents edge-overlap misses.
-        spriteHalfWidthPx: (icon.width || 32) * (icon.scale || 1) * 0.5,
-        spriteHalfHeightPx: (icon.height || 32) * (icon.scale || 1) * 0.5,
+        // Vessel artwork is 32 px before scale. Including the ambient
+        // chevron's own rendered extent prevents edge-overlap misses.
+        spriteHalfWidthPx: icons.width(row) * icons.scale(row) * 0.5,
+        spriteHalfHeightPx: icons.height(row) * icons.scale(row) * 0.5,
       });
       transitioning ||= focus.transitioning;
       if (focus.active) activeCount += 1;
-      if (focusAlphaNeedsWrite(bb.color?.alpha, focus.factor, params)) {
-        // Narrow always-visible amendment: the ship chevron remains present at
-        // the non-zero floor while it competes with the tracked target. Preserve
-        // the billboard's existing base RGB, matching the other layer patterns,
-        // rather than repainting every chevron from a hard-coded WHITE base.
-        const baseColor = bb.color || Cesium.Color.WHITE;
-        bb.color = baseColor.withAlpha(focus.factor);
+      if (focusAlphaNeedsWrite(icons.focus(row), focus.factor, params)) {
+        icons.setFocus(row, focus.factor);
         writes += 1;
       }
     }
@@ -417,9 +431,9 @@ export function createRendering({
     );
   }
 
-  function isVisible(surfacePosition, occluder) {
-    if (!surfacePosition || !occluder) return true;
-    return occluder.isPointVisible(surfacePosition);
+  function isVisible(cullPosition, occluder) {
+    if (!cullPosition || !occluder) return true;
+    return occluder.isPointVisible(cullPosition);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -569,9 +583,7 @@ export function createRendering({
   }
 
   function setVisible(show) {
-    if (state.billboardCollection) {
-      state.billboardCollection.show = show;
-    }
+    if (state.icons) state.icons.show = show;
     vesselState._vesselOverlayHost.setVisible(VESSEL_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, show);
   }
   return {
@@ -583,6 +595,7 @@ export function createRendering({
     labelRowLimit,
     ensureCollections,
     addRecordPrimitives,
+    syncRecordIcon,
     removeRecordPrimitives,
     shipScale,
     vesselCourseDeg,
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/selection.js b/src/layers/vessels/selection.js
index 42e6b7ae5..5111d8ed4 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/selection.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/selection.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
 import { isPointerFree } from '../../data/inputOwnership.js';
 import { VESSEL_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID } from '../../data/vesselLabels.js';
-import { setBillboard } from '../../data/billboardMirror.js';
 
 export function createSelection({
   vesselState,
@@ -43,11 +42,14 @@ export function createSelection({
         : viewer.scene.pick(click.position);
       const pickedId = resolvePickId(picked);
       let record = pickedId ? state.records.byMmsi.get(pickedId) : null;
-      const rawId = picked?.id ?? picked?.primitive?.id;
+      // A vessel icon's pick id is its row id: the MMSI, or an unkeyed row's.
+      // Removing a row destroys its pick id, so an evicted vessel cannot be
+      // picked at all; a live row whose record is gone stays a no-op below.
+      const rawId = picked?.id;
       const ownRecordPick =
-        rawId && typeof rawId === 'object' && Object.hasOwn(rawId, 'mmsi');
+        typeof rawId === 'string' && state.icons?.has(rawId) === true;
 
-      // An own-layer record without a live map key is a strict no-op (FB-1
+      // An own-layer row without a live map key is a strict no-op (FB-1
       // residual). Trails carry no layer identity and hug their contacts, so any
       // `gev-trail:*` pick is also a no-op. Every other non-vessel pick — sibling
       // unowned scene picks dismiss the current vessel inspection.
@@ -170,15 +172,7 @@ export function createSelection({
     clearSelection({ preserveTrail: reuseTrail });
     state.selectedRecord = record;
     record.missedRefreshes = 0;
-    if (components.rendering.getVisual(record).billboard) {
-      components.rendering.getVisual(record).billboard.image =
-        components.rendering.shipIcon(record, true);
-      setBillboard(
-        components.rendering.getVisual(record).billboard,
-        'scale',
-        components.rendering.shipScale(record) * 1.2,
-      );
-    }
+    components.rendering.syncRecordIcon(record);
     // Rebuild the card set immediately so the full-detail card appears on the
     // click, not up to VISIBILITY_UPDATE_MS later.
     components.rendering.updateVisibility(true);
@@ -229,16 +223,8 @@ export function createSelection({
 
   function clearSelection({ preserveTrail = false, evicted = false } = {}) {
     const record = state.selectedRecord;
-    if (components.rendering.getVisual(record)?.billboard) {
-      components.rendering.getVisual(record).billboard.image =
-        components.rendering.shipIcon(record, false);
-      setBillboard(
-        components.rendering.getVisual(record).billboard,
-        'scale',
-        components.rendering.shipScale(record),
-      );
-    }
     state.selectedRecord = null;
+    if (record) components.rendering.syncRecordIcon(record);
     // Drop the full-detail card right away (no-op when the layer is disabled —
     // disable() clears the entry set itself).
     if (record && state.feed.enabled)
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/snapshotRenderer.js b/src/layers/vessels/snapshotRenderer.js
index 99c6b47bf..887fc5540 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/snapshotRenderer.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/snapshotRenderer.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 /** Connect portable vessel reconciliation to scene and selection operations. */
-import { setBillboard } from '../../data/billboardMirror.js';
 
 export function createVesselSnapshotRenderer({
   state,
@@ -24,22 +23,10 @@ export function createVesselSnapshotRenderer({
           rendering.prepareRecordVisual(record);
           rendering.addRecordPrimitives(record, occluder);
         },
-        beforeUpdate(record) {
-          return rendering.shipIcon(record, record === state.selectedRecord);
-        },
-        updated(record, prevIcon) {
+        updated(record) {
           const selected = record === state.selectedRecord;
-          const visual = rendering.prepareRecordVisual(record);
-          if (visual.billboard) {
-            setBillboard(visual.billboard, 'position', visual.position);
-            setBillboard(
-              visual.billboard,
-              'scale',
-              rendering.shipScale(record) * (selected ? 1.2 : 1),
-            );
-            const nextIcon = rendering.shipIcon(record, selected);
-            if (nextIcon !== prevIcon) visual.billboard.image = nextIcon;
-          }
+          rendering.prepareRecordVisual(record);
+          rendering.syncRecordIcon(record);
           if (record.mmsi === state.trailMmsi)
             tracking.appendSelectedVesselTrailFix(record);
           if (selected) {
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/state.js b/src/layers/vessels/state.js
index 3ccaf08d9..02ce6e752 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/state.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/state.js
@@ -46,12 +46,18 @@ export function createVesselState({ source, services }) {
 
   vesselState.shipIconCache = new Map();
 
+  /** Row ids for unkeyed (no-MMSI) records, which are rebuilt every poll. */
+
+  vesselState._unkeyedIconSequence = 0;
+
   vesselState.state = {
     feed: createVesselFeed(),
     records: new VesselRecords({ now: () => vesselState._aisRuntime.now() }),
     viewer: null,
 
-    billboardCollection: null,
+    /** The vessels' icon set and the primitive that draws it. */
+    icons: null,
+    iconPrimitive: null,
     clickHandler: null,
     /** Exact EventTarget currently holding the Escape listener. */
     keyTarget: null,
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/testing.js b/src/layers/vessels/testing.js
index 6cab17086..9aa35d8ff 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/testing.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/testing.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { DEFAULT_AIS_RUNTIME } from './policy.js';
+import { createIconSet } from '../../data/iconSet.js';
 
 export function createTesting({
   vesselState,
@@ -48,7 +49,8 @@ export function createTesting({
         .map((record) => [record.mmsi, record]),
     );
     state.selectedRecord = options.selectedRecord || null;
-    state.billboardCollection = options.billboardCollection || { remove() {} };
+    state.icons = options.icons || createIconSet();
+    state.iconPrimitive = null;
     state.trail = options.trail || null;
     state.trailMmsi = options.trailMmsi || null;
     state.trailPositions = Array.isArray(options.trailPositions)
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/tracking.js b/src/layers/vessels/tracking.js
index b2faf0cd3..bd6b793a1 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/tracking.js
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/tracking.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import {
   TRAIL_MAX_POINTS,
   TRAIL_MIN_MOVE_M,
 } from './policy.js';
-import { setBillboard } from '../../data/billboardMirror.js';
 
 export function createTracking({
   vesselState,
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@ export function createTracking({
   const { state } = vesselState;
   const { geoidHeight } = services.geoid;
   const { createTrail } = services.trails;
+  const { governorRequestRender } = services.render;
 
   /**
    * Geoid undulation N at (lat, lon), or null until the grid has loaded.
@@ -72,9 +72,10 @@ export function createTracking({
         record.lat,
         heightM,
       );
-      if (visual.billboard)
-        setBillboard(visual.billboard, 'position', visual.position);
+      components.rendering.syncRecordIcon(record);
     }
+    // The rows moved with no poll behind them: draw the frame that shows it.
+    governorRequestRender('ais-vessels-refloor');
   }
 
   /**