LRIT

SEM VI– PAPER VI

 LRIT
LONG RANGE IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING
TRACK, IDENTIFY AND PROTECT
 LRIT
 The Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system provides
for the global identification and tracking of ships.
Established as an International system on 19 May 2006 by
the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as resolution
MSC.202(81).
This resolution amends chapter V of the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), regulation 19-1 and binds all
governments which have contracted to the IMO.
 LRIT

The SOLAS regulation on LRIT establishes a multilateral agreement

for sharing LRIT information for security and search and rescue
purposes, amongst SOLAS Contracting Governments, in order to
meet the maritime security needs and other concerns of such
Governments
 LRIT

The LRIT information ships will be required to transmit includes

• The ship's identity,
• Location and
• Date and time of the position
• AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA, 1974, AS AMENDED
CHAPTER V SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The following new regulation 19-1 is inserted after the existing regulation 19: “Regulation 19-1 Long-range
identification and tracking of ships
1 Nothing in this regulation or the provisions of 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.
2.1 Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, this regulation shall apply to the following types of ships
engaged on international voyages: .
1 passenger ships, including high-speed passenger craft; .
2 cargo ships, including high-speed craft, of 300 gross tonnage and upwards; and .
3 mobile offshore drilling units.
The term “ship”, when used in paragraphs 3 to 11.2, includes the passenger and cargo ships, the high-speed craft
and the mobile offshore drilling units which are subject to the provisions of this regulation
 LRIT
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 the LRIT
Coordinator acting on behalf of all SOLAS Contracting Governments.
Long-range identificationLong-range
and tracking (LRIT)identification and tracking (LRIT)
Page Content
The Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system provides for the global identification and tracking of ships.

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

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 the LRIT
Coordinator acting on behalf of all SOLAS Contracting Governments.

LRIT information is provided to Contracting Governments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and Search and rescue services entitled to
receive the information, upon request, through a system of National, Regional and Cooperative LRIT Data Centres using the International
LRIT Data Exchange.

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.
• LRIT information is provided to
• Contracting Governments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and
• Search and rescue services entitled to receive the information,
• upon request, through a system of National, Regional and Cooperative LRIT Data
Centres using the International LRIT Data Exchange.
• 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.
LRIT is laying the foundations, probably for the first time in maritime history,
for a fully integrated national maritime system that will allow on a legal basis
national authorities to have a complete overview of their national fleet as
well as activities in their ports and around their coastlines.
 LRIT

There will be no interface between LRIT and AIS. One of the more
important distinctions between LRIT and AIS, apart from the
obvious one of range, is that, whereas AIS is a broadcast system,
data derived through LRIT will be available only to the recipients
who are entitled to receive such information and safeguards
concerning the confidentiality of those data have been built into
the regulatory provisions.
 SOLAS V/19-1 ESSENTIALS
• Shore based infrastructure in place by December 2008
• For ships entry into force is Dec-2008 or first radio survey thereafter (Jul-2009 for Sea
Area A4).

• Applies to all passenger ships including HSC, cargo ships including HSC of > 300 gross
tonnage, and MODU’s(Mobile Offshore Drilling Units) engaged on international
voyages.

• However, it excludes ships operating exclusively in Area A1 (AIS regulation 19.2.4).

• Automatic position reports are required each 6 hours with the ability for any
authorised user to increase the position reporting interval and/or obtain an on-
demand ’polled’ position report.
 LRIT SYSTEM
Inmarsat
or Other Flag Coastal Port
Safety
Provider State State State

CSP

LRIT Data
ASP
Centre

Flag
Four reports daily

International
Data Exchange
Other Data
• Position Centres
• Date and Time
• Ship ID
Data Distribution Plan
 LRIT

International LRIT Data Exchange at Lisbon

• The MSC agreed to the establishment, maintenance and operation of the
International LRIT Data Exchange by the European Maritime Safety Agency
(EMSA), in Lisbon, Portugal, from 2011which was temporarily with USA
 LRIT

• In addition to the general requirements contained in

Assembly resolution A.694(17) on Recommendations on
general requirements for ship borne radio equipment
forming part of the global maritime distress and safety
system (GMDSS) and for electronic navigational aids, the
ship borne equipment should comply with the following
minimum requirements:
 LRIT
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; up to a minimum of 15 minutes.
3. be capable of transmitting LRIT information following receipt of polling
commands;
4. interface directly to the ship borne global navigation satellite system equipment,
or have internal positioning capability;
5. be supplied with energy from the main and emergency source of electrical power
 LRIT
DATA TO BE TRANSMITTED FROM THE SHIPBORNE EQUIPMENT
Shipborne equipment Identifier
• The identifier used by the shipborne equipment.

Positional data
• Position: The equipment should be capable of transmitting the GNSS position
(latitude and longitude) of the ship (based on WGS84 datum) as prescribed by
regulation V/19-1, without human interaction on board the ship.
 LRIT

• On-demand position reports: The equipment should be capable of

responding to a request to transmit LRIT information on demand without
human interaction onboard the ship, irrespective of where the ship is
located.
• Pre-scheduled position reports: The equipment should be capable of being
remotely configured to transmit LRIT information at intervals ranging from a
minimum of 15 min to periods of 6 h to the LRIT Data Centre, irrespective of
where the ship is located and without human interaction on board the ship.
 LRIT

Time Stamp
• The date and time associated with the GNSS position.
• The equipment should be capable of transmitting the
time associated with the GNSS position with each
transmission of LRIT information.
 LRIT

• 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 Co-ordinated Time (UTC).
 LRIT USERS
• Flag
The “Flag" state may track ships within its own fleet anywhere in the world.
• Port
The "Port" State may set its own requirements for ships that have indicated
that they intend to call at its ports based on Notice of Arrival (NOA)
• Coastal
"Coastal" States may obtain tracking information for ships navigating within
a distance up to 1000 nautical miles off their coast (this applies to ships not
intending to call and not flying that state's flag - in other words, ships on
innocent passage).
• Safety
Additionally Contracting Governments can request information on ships in
an area where a Search and Rescue operation is underway.
 LRIT

The shipborne equipment should transmit the LRIT information

using a communication system which provides coverage in all areas
where the ship operates.

Sat-C & Mini-C INMARSAT COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT IS USED

FOR TRANSMISSION OF LRIT INFORMATION
 LRIT

Inmarsat C, which includes mini-C, will be the primary system used for
LRIT as it is a reliable, proven system and the majority of ships required
to comply with the regulation are already fitted with LRIT compatible
Inmarsat C GMDSS or mini-C equipment. Therefore, most owners will not
have to invest in new equipment – which was one of the IMO’s goals
when designing the LRIT regulation.

Currently the only system and equipment type which satisfies all the
performance requirements of the LRIT regulation is Inmarsat C/mini-C.
 LRIT

Inmarsat Satellite services does not provide coverage for

ocean area A4. Hence, for LRIT services Sat-C or Mini-C
cannot be used in that area.
Alternative option is to use IRIDIUM satellite services which is
based on low orbit polar satellites and have a world wide
coverage (including A4). IMO has now type approved
POLESTAR LRIT system which will use IRIDIUM satellites for
forwarding the LRIT message.
 LRIT

Each Administration should provide to the selected LRIT Data Centre the following information for each of
the ships entitled to fly its flag which is required to transmit LRIT information:
• name of ship;
• IMO Ship identification number; (The ship number consists of the three letters "IMO" followed by a
unique seven-digit number assigned to sea-going merchant ships under the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea)
• call sign(assigned by national licensing authorities); and
• Maritime Mobile Service Identity (Unique nine digit noMaritime Mobile Service Identities (MMSIs) are
nine digit numbers used by maritime digital selective calling (DSC), automatic identification systems
(AIS) and certain other equipment to uniquely identify a ship or a coast radio station. MMSIs are
regulated and managed internationally by the International Telecommunications Union in Geneva,
Switzerland, just as radio call signs are regulated. The MMSI format and use is documented in Article 19
of the ITU Radio Regulations and ITU-R Recommendation M.585-6, available from the ITU. )
 LRIT

All LRIT Data Centres

• for LRIT information archived within the last 4 days, send the LRIT information
within 30 min of receiving a request;
• for LRIT information archived between 4 and 30 days previously, send the
LRIT information within 1 h of receiving a request;
• for LRIT information archived more than 30 days previously, send the LRIT
information within 5 days of receiving a request;
 LRIT
LRIT system performance
• LRIT information should be available to an LRIT Data User within 15 min of the
time it is transmitted by the ship.

• On-demand LRIT information reports should be provided to an LRIT Data User

within 30 min of the time the LRIT Data User requested the information.

The quality of service should be:

• 95% of the time over any 24-hour period; and
• 99% over any 1 month.
 LRIT

• The cost of the system will fall on the Solas contracting

party requesting the LRIT information, except when the
request is made to help search and rescue services.
• However, there is never to be a charge on ships.
SUMMARY
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LRIT AND AIS

• AIS system does not communicate any globally available data, whereas LRIT is a globally
available, satellite-supported system which meets the requirements of the authorities of having
access to the data of individual ships globally and at any time. Time and frequency must be
freely configurable by the authority requesting the data at all times. Manipulation by ships (e.g.,
entering incorrect data) must be eliminated.
• AIS is a broadcast system using VHF i.e., is public, whereas LRIT data are only available to
institutions which have a (governmental) entitlement to the data and guarantee the
confidentiality of these data
• AIS is a Collision avoidance system mandated by the IMO whereas LRIT is a Reporting system
mandated by the IMO.