Revoked by MSC.263(84)/REV.1

Resolution MSC.263(84)

REVISED PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LONG-RANGE IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING OF SHIPS

(adopted on 16 May 2008)

 

 

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) on Procedure for the adoption of, and amendments to, performance standards and technical specifications, 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,

 

RECALLING FURTHER the provisions of the new regulation V/19-1 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (the Convention), relating to the long-range identification and tracking of ships,

 

ALSO RECALLING the Performance standards and functional requirements for the long-range identification and tracking of ships (the Performance standards) adopted by resolution MSC.210(81) and amended by resolution MSC.254(83),

 

RECOGNIZING the need to adopt certain amendments to the Performance standards,

 

HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made, at its eighty-fourth session,

 

1. ADOPTS the Revised performance standards and functional requirements for the long-range identification and tracking of ships, set out in the Annex to the present resolution;

 

2. RECOMMENDS Contracting Governments to the Convention to ensure that:

 

.1 shipborne systems and equipment used to meet the requirements of regulation V/19-1 of the Convention conform to performance standards not inferior to those specified in the Annex to the present resolution;

 

.2 all Long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) Data Centres and the International LRIT Data Exchange conform to functional requirements not inferior to those specified in the Annex to the present resolution; and

 

.3 they promptly submit to the Organization and to the LRIT Data Centres the required information to enable the establishment and the continuous functioning of the LRIT system and that they update such information as and when changes occur;

 

3. AGREES to review and amend, in the light of experience gained as necessary, the Revised performance standards and functional requirements for the long-range identification and tracking of ships, set out in the Annex to the present resolution;

 

4. REVOKES resolutions MSC.210(81) and MSC.254(83).

 

Annex.

REVISED PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LONG-RANGE IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING OF SHIPS

 

1. Overview

 

1.1 The Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system provides for the global identification and tracking of ships.

 

1.2 The LRIT system consists of the shipborne LRIT information transmitting equipment, the Communication Service Provider(s), the Application Service Provider(s), the LRIT Data Centre(s), including any related Vessel Monitoring System(s), the LRIT Data Distribution Plan and the International LRIT Data Exchange. Certain aspects of the performance of the LRIT system are reviewed or audited by an LRIT Coordinator acting on behalf of all Contracting Governments. Figure 1 provides an illustration of the LRIT system architecture.

 

Figure 1

 

 

1.3 LRIT information is provided to Contracting Governments and Search and rescue services¹ entitled to receive the information, upon request, through a system of National, Regional, Cooperative and International LRIT Data Centres, using where necessary, the International LRIT Data Exchange.

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¹The term search and rescue service is defined in regulation V/2.5

 

1.4 Each Administration should provide to the LRIT Data Centre it has selected, a list of the ships entitled to fly its flag, which are required to transmit LRIT information, together with other salient details and should update, without undue delay, such lists as and when changes occur. Ships should only transmit the LRIT information to the LRIT Data Centre selected by their Administration.

 

1.5 The obligations of ships to transmit LRIT information and the rights and obligations of Contracting Governments and of Search and rescue services to receive LRIT information are established in regulation V/19-1 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention.

 

2. Definitions

 

2.1 Unless expressly provided otherwise:

 

.1 Convention means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.

 

.2 Regulation means a regulation of the Convention.

 

.3 Chapter means a chapter of the Convention.

 

.4 LRIT Data User means a Contracting Government or a Search and rescue (SAR) service which opts to receive the LRIT information it is entitled to.

 

.5 Committee means the Maritime Safety Committee.

 

.6 High-speed craft means a craft as defined in regulation X/1.3.

 

.7 Mobile offshore drilling unit means a mobile offshore drilling unit as defined in regulation XI-2/1.1.5.

 

.8 Organization means the International Maritime Organization.

 

.9 Vessel Monitoring System means a system established by a Contracting Government or a group of Contracting Governments to monitor the movements of the ships entitled to fly its or their flag. A Vessel Monitoring System may also collect from the ships information specified by the Contracting Government(s) which has established it.

 

.10 LRIT information means the information specified in regulation V/19-1.5.

 

2.2 The term "ship", when used in the present performance standards, includes mobile offshore drilling units and high-speed craft as specified in regulation V/19-1.4.1 and means a ship which is required to transmit LRIT information.

 

2.3 Terms not otherwise defined should have the same meaning as the meaning attributed to them in the Convention.

 

3. General provisions

 

3.1 It should be noted that regulation V/19-1.1 provides that:

 

Nothing in this regulation or the provisions performance standards and functional requirements adopted by the Organization in relation to the long-range identification and tracking of ships shall prejudice the rights, jurisdiction or obligations of States under international law, in particular, the legal regimes of the high seas, the exclusive economic zone, the contiguous zone, the territorial seas or the straits used for international navigation and archipelagic sea lanes.

 

3.2 In operating the LRIT system, recognition should be given to international conventions, agreements, rules or standards that provide for the protection of navigational information.

 

3.3 The present performance standards should always be read together with regulation V/19-1 and the technical specifications for the LRIT system².

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² Refer to MSC.1/Circ.1259 on Interim revised technical specifications for the LRIT system.

 

4. Shipborne equipment

 

4.1 In addition to the general requirements contained in resolution A.694(17) on Recommendations on general requirements for shipborne radio equipment forming part of the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) and for electronic navigational aids, the shipborne equipment should comply with the following minimum requirements:

 

.1 be capable of automatically and without human intervention on board the ship transmitting the ship’s LRIT information at 6-hour intervals to an LRIT Data Centre;

 

.2 be capable of being configured remotely to transmit LRIT information at variable intervals;

 

.3 be capable of transmitting LRIT information following receipt of polling commands; and

 

.4 interface directly to the shipborne global navigation satellite system equipment, or have internal positioning capability;

 

.5 be supplied with energy from the main and emergency source of electrical power³; and

 

.6 be tested for electromagnetic compatibility taking into account the recommendations⁴ developed by the Organization.

 

4.2 In addition to the provisions specified in paragraph 4.1 above, the shipborne equipment should provide the functionality specified in table 1.

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³ This provision should not apply to ships using for the transmission of LRIT information any of the radio communication equipment provided for compliance with the provisions of chapter IV. In such cases, the shipborne equipment should be provided with sources of energy as specified in regulation IV/13.

⁴ Refer to resolution A.813(19) on General requirements for electromagnetic compatibility of all electrical and electronic ship’s equipment.

 

Table 1
Data to be transmitted from the shipborne equipment

 

 

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ On -demand position reports means transmission of LRIT information as a result of either receipt of polling command or of remote configuration of the equipment so as to transmit at interval other than the preset ones.

⁽²⁾ Pre-scheduled position reports means transmission of LRIT information at the preset transmit intervals.

⁽³⁾ All times should be indicated as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

 

 

4.3 The shipborne equipment should transmit the LRIT information using a communication system which provides coverage in all areas where the ship operates.

 

4.4 The shipborne equipment should be set to automatically transmit the ship’s LRIT information at 6-hour intervals to the LRIT Data Centre identified by the Administration, unless the LRIT Data User requesting the provision of LRIT information specifies a more frequent transmission interval.

 

4.4.1 When a ship is undergoing repairs, modifications or conversions in dry-dock or in port or is laid up for a long period, the master or the Administration may reduce the frequency of the transmission LRIT information to one transmission every 24-hour period, or may temporarily stop the transmission of such information.

 

5. Application Service Providers

 

5.1 Application Services Provider(s) (ASPs) providing services to:

 

.1 a National LRIT Data Centre, should be recognized by the Contracting Government establishing the centre;

 

.2 a Regional or a Cooperative LRIT Data Centre, should be recognized by the Contracting Governments establishing the centre. In such a case, the arrangements for recognizing the ASPs should be agreed amongst the Contracting Governments establishing the centre; and

 

.3 an International LRIT Data Centre, should be recognized by the Committee.

 

5.2 Contracting Governments should provide to the Organization a list with the names and contact details of the ASPs they recognize together with any associated conditions of recognition and thereafter should, without undue delay, update the Organization as changes occur.

 

5.2.1 The Organization should communicate information it receives pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 5.2 and information in relation to the ASP(s) recognized by the Committee for providing services to the International LRIT Data Centre and any changes thereto to all Contracting Governments, all LRIT Data Centres, the International LRIT Data Exchange and the LRIT Coordinator.

 

5.3 An ASP function should:

 

.1 provide a communication protocol interface between the Communication Service Providers and the LRIT Data Centre to enable the following minimum functionality:

 

.1 remote integration of the shipborne equipment into an LRIT Data Centre;

 

.2 automatic configuration of transmission of LRIT information;

 

.3 automatic modification of the interval of transmission of LRIT information;

 

.4 automatic suspension of transmission of LRIT information;

 

.5 on demand transmission of LRIT information; and

 

.6 automatic recovery and management of transmission of LRIT information;

 

.2 provide an integrated transaction management system for the monitoring of LRIT information throughput and routeing; and

 

.3 ensure that LRIT information is collected, stored and routed in a reliable and secure manner.

 

5.4 The ASP where used should add the data identified in table 2 to each transmission of LRIT information:

 

Table 2.
Data to be added by an application service provider and at the LRIT Data Centre

 

 

Notes:

 

⁽¹⁾ See regulation XI-1/3 and resolution A.600(15) on IMO ship identification number scheme.

⁽²⁾ All times should be indicated as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

 

5.5 In addition to the provisions of paragraph 5.3, Administrations, Contracting Governments and the Committee may establish, in relation to the ASPs seeking their recognition, specific requirements as a condition of recognizing a particular ASP.

 

6. Communications Service Providers

 

6.1 Communications Service Providers (CSPs) provide services which link the various parts of the LRIT system using communications protocols in order to ensure the end-to-end secure transfer of the LRIT information. This requirement precludes the use of non-secure broadcast systems.

 

6.2 A CSP may also provide services as an ASP.

 

7. LRIT Data Centre

 

7.1 All LRIT Data Centres should:

 

.1 establish and continuously maintain systems which ensure, at all times, that LRIT Data Users are only provided with the LRIT information they are entitled to receive as specified in regulation V/19-1;

 

.2 collect LRIT information from ships instructed by their Administrations to transmit the LRIT information to the centre;

 

.3 obtain, when requested to provide LRIT information transmitted by ships other than those which transmit the information to the centre, LRIT information from other LRIT Data Centres through the International LRIT Data Exchange;

 

.4 make available, when requested to provide LRIT information transmitted by ships which transmit the information to the centre, LRIT information transmitted to the centre to other LRIT Data Centres through the International LRIT Data Exchange;

 

.5 execute requests received from LRIT Data Users for polling of LRIT information or for change(s) in the interval(s) of transmission of LRIT information by a ship or a group of ships transmitting the information to the centre;

 

.6 relay, when required, requests received from LRIT Data Users through the International LRIT Data Exchange to the other LRIT Data Centres for polling of LRIT information or for change(s) in the interval(s) of transmission of LRIT information by a ship or a group of ships not transmitting the information to the centre;

 

.7 execute requests received through the International LRIT Data Exchange from other LRIT Data Centres for polling of LRIT information or for change(s) in the interval(s) of transmission of LRIT information by a ship or a group of ships transmitting the information to the centre;

 

.8 upon request disseminate to LRIT Data Users the LRIT information they are entitled to receive in accordance with the agreed arrangements and notify the LRIT Data User and the Administration when a particular ship stops transmitting LRIT information;

 

.9 archive LRIT information from ships which transmit the information to the centre, for at least one year and until such time as the Committee reviews and accepts the annual report of the audit of its performance by the LRIT Coordinator. However, the archived LRIT information should provide a complete record of the activities of the centre between two consecutive annual audits of its performance;

 

.10 for LRIT information archived within the last 4 days, send the LRIT information within 30 min of receiving a request;

 

.11 for LRIT information archived between 4 and 30 days previously, send the LRIT information within 1 h of receiving a request;

 

.12 for LRIT information archived more than 30 days previously, send the LRIT information within 5 days of receiving a request;

 

.13 ensure using appropriate hardware and software, that LRIT information is backed-up at regular intervals, stored at suitable off-site location(s) and available as soon as possible in the event of disruption to ensure continuity of service;

 

.14 maintain a record of the ships which transmit LRIT information to the centre including name of ship, IMO Ship identification number, call sign and Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI);