News Article - 6th January 2009
LRIT update
OceanWeb have been providing LRIT compliance testing & consultancy since summer 2008. There is still a lot of confucion within the industry and hopefully the information below should clarify the current situation.
The Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT) was created as measure to enhance maritime security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA and generally applies to charter and commercial yachts over 300 GRT.
LRIT provides global tracking and identification of ships and is implemented through the introduction of regulation V/19-1 to SOLAS Chapter V (Safety of Navigation). The regulation effectively requires ships to automatically transmit their identity (name, call sign, Flag, IMO, MMSI), position and the date and time of that position, nominally every six hours. This information is transmitted through LRIT compliant InmarsatC terminals and enables Flag States to receive positional reports from their flagged ships anywhere in the world (obviously within SatC coverage). Additionally, this positional information can be ‘shared’ between other Flag States whenever ships are entering their port facilities or navigating within their territorial waters.
The deadline for compliance is 31 December 2008 and applies to the following ships engaged on international voyages:
• Passenger ships, including high-speed passenger craft;
• Cargo ships, including high-speed craft, of 300 GRT and upwards;
• Mobile offshore drilling units
Please also note that all yachts over 300GRT which are in commercial use must also comply.
At the Maritime Safety Committee meeting last December, it was determined that a large number of Flag States would not be ready to integrate by the 31/12/08 deadline. Therefore a 'transitional scheme' was implemented which pushes back the deadline for compliance with the Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT) until the 1st of July 2009. This however is a relaxation of the deadline for the Flag States and not for the ship owners. All ships will still have to test prior to their first radio after 31st December 2008 and no later than the 31st December 2009.
If you have any questions about LRIT, please feel free to contact us.
