Resolution MSC.130(75)
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR INMARSAT SHIP
EARTH STATIONS CAPABLE OF TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS
(adopted
on 21 May 2002)
THE
MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,
RECALLING
Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization
concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING
ALSO resolution A.886(21), by which the Assembly resolved that the Function of
adopting performance standards and technical specifications, as well as
amendments thereto shall be performed by the Maritime Safety Committee on
behalf of the Organization,
RECALLING
FURTHER regulations IV/10.1 and 14.1 the International Convention for the
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended, concerning radiocommunications
for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), which require,
respectively, that ships remaining in sea area A3 be provided with an Inmarsat
ship earth station and that such ship earth stations shall conform to
appropriate performance standards not inferior to those adopted by the
Organization,
FURTHER
RECALLING resolution A.888(21) by which the Assembly adopted the criteria and
requirements for mobile-satellite communication systems being designed for use
in the GMDSS after 1 February 1999 and, in particular, the requirements for new
systems to provide prioritised pre-emption,
FURTHER
NOTING the transition of Inmarsat to a national law company and the
consequential re-structuring of the International Mobile Satellite Organization
(IMSO) to oversee
certain
public interests in the company's operations, including the continued provision
of satellite services for the GMDSS,
RECOGNIZING
the need to prepare performance standards for Inmarsat satellite communication
equipment designed in accordance with resolution A.888(21) in order to ensure
the operational reliability of such equipment and to avoid, as far as
practicable, adverse interaction between satellite communication equipment and
other communication and navigation equipment aboard the ship,
RECOGNIZING
ALSO that Inmarsat discontinued type approval of Inmarsat-A ship earth stations
in 1991,
RECOGNIZING
FURTHER that the international telex service is being discontinued in an
increasing number of countries,
HAVING
CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Radiocommunications and Search and
Rescue Sub-Committee at its sixth session,
1.
ADOPTS the Recommendation on Performance Standards for Inmarsat Ship Earth
Stations Capable of Two-Way Communications set out in the Annex to the present
resolution;
2.
NOTES that part A of the Inmarsat design and installation guidelines is similar
to the performance standards for ship earth stations capable of two-way
communications and to the general requirements for shipborne radio equipment
set out in resolution A.694(17);
3.
RECOMMENDS Governments to ensure that every Inmarsat ship earth station which
forms part of the GMDSS:
a) if designed to operate in
a system introduced after 1 February 1999 complies with the relevant
requirements of resolution A.888(21);
b) if installed on or after
23 November 1996, conforms to performance standards not inferior to those
specified in the Annex to the present resolution;
c) if installed before 23
November 1996, conforms to performance standards not inferior to those
specified in the Annex to resolution A.698(17), which are in accordance with
part A of the Inmarsat ship earth station design and installation guidelines;
4.
INVITES IMSO to ensure that any amendments to part A of the ship earth station
design and installation guidelines are agreed with the Organization prior to
their adoption.
ANNEX.
RECOMMENDATION ON PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR INMARSAT SHIP EARTH STATIONS
CAPABLE OF TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS
The
ship earth station installation capable of telephony and data communications
should comply with the general requirements set out in resolution A.694(17) and
with the following minimum requirements.
The
equipment should be type approved by Inmarsat and should comply with the
environmental conditions specified in its technical requirements for Inmarsat
ship earth stations capable of two-way communications.
3.1
No control external to the equipment should be available for alteration of the
ship station identity.
3.2
It should be possible to initiate and make distress calls by telephony or data
communications from the position at which the ship is normally navigated and
from any other position designated for distress alerting. In addition, where a
room is provided for radiocommunications, means to initiate distress calls
should also be fitted in that room.
3.3
Where no other means of receiving distress, urgency and safety broadcasts or an
addressed distress alert relay are provided and existing levels of aural
signals produced by the telephone or printer are considered to be inadequate,
the ship earth station equipment should provide an aural/visual alarm of
appropriate level.
3.4
It should be possible to interrupt and initiate distress calls at any time.
3.5
A distress call should be activated only by means of a dedicated distress
button. This button should not be any key of an ITU-T digital input panel or an
ISO keyboard provided on the equipment.
3.6
The dedicated distress button should*:
.1 be clearly identified;
and
.2 be protected against
inadvertent operation.
_______________
* See MSC/Circ.862 - Clarifications of certain
requirements in IMO Performance Standards for GMDSS equipment.