MARINE NOTICE 5 / 2009:
Long Range Identification and Tracking
Supersedes 6/2008
Marine Orders Part 21, Issue 5 Amendment, Order 6 of 2007 implements SOLAS Regulation V/19-1, requirements for Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) in Australia. These Regulations came into force on 1 January 2008, with compliance initially required from 31 December 2008. However, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee 85th meeting (MSC85) agreed to a transitional period of six months. The date for compliance is now 30 June 2009.
Port State Control During the Transitional Period
AMSA surveyors will not carry out inspections on LRIT equipment during the transitional period.
General Applicability and Requirements
The LRIT regulation applies to the following ships engaged on international voyages:
- all passenger ships including high speed craft;
- cargo ships, including high speed craft, of 300 gross tonnage and above; and
- mobile offshore drilling units.
Ship-based LRIT equipment must be capable of being configured to transmit the following minimum information:
- the identity of the ship;
- the position of the ship; and
- the date and time of the position.
This information must be transmitted in an automatically generated position report at least four times per day (every six hours) to a Data Centre as identified by the Flag Administration.
LRIT makes use of existing marine satellite technology to transmit position reports from ships to the Flag Administration and to other Governments with a legitimate right to the information. At the moment the following platforms have been identified as suitable for the transmission of LRIT data:
- INMARSAT C
- INMARSAT D+
- Iridium
Other equipment may also be suited to respond to the Regulation.
As indicated in the SOLAS V/19-1 (Section 11.1) Contracting Governments are required to bear all costs associated with any LRIT information they request and receive.
To respond to the requirements of LRIT in a timely and cost effective manner, Australia has contracted the services of a commercial data centre provider – Pole Star (www.polestarglobal.com).
Equipment Survey and Testing for Australian Flagged Vessels
MSC85 also considered a number of issues relating to the survey and certification of ship board equipment to respond to the requirements of the regulation. MSC.1/Circular 1296 provides guidance on the options for documenting compliance, including survey and testing.
Appendix 1 of MSC.1/Circ.1296 identifies the LRIT equipment conformance testing to be undertaken. To facilitate this process Administrations can authorise Application Service Providers (ASP) to carry out conformance testing. The authorised testing ASP’s that can be used by Australian flag vessels are listed in the AMSA LRIT Fact Sheet.
IMO SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19-1 does not identify a specific requirement for a conformance certificate to be provided as LRIT is included in the Safety Equipment Certificate. A Conformance Test Report issued in accordance with Appendix 2 of MSC.1/Circ.1296 is evidence that the LRIT equipment carried on the vessel complies with SOLAS V/19-1.
IMO indicates that equipment compliance testing should be carried out prior to the date on which the ship would need to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of SOLAS Regulation V/19-1.
Contact details:
Manager, Vessel Tracking,
AMSA
Email: vesseltracking@amsa.gov.au
For more information on the introduction of LRIT, please consult the AMSA web site: www.amsa.gov.au/Shipping_Safety/Vessel_Tracking/LRIT.asp
Graham Peachey
Chief Executive Officer
31 March 2009
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
GPO Box 2181
CANBERRA ACT 2601
File No: 2007/117
Internet Address for all current Marine Notices: www.amsa.gov.au