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Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships

SSM Roundel

Steamship Mutual

Published: January 01, 2008

The regulation in SOLAS Chapter V Safety of Navigation* introduces long-range identification and tracking of ships, LRIT, as a mandatory requirement for the following ships on international voyages: passenger ships, including high-speed craft; cargo ships, including high-speed craft, of 300 gross tonnage and upward; and mobile offshore drilling units. 

  • Ships constructed on or after 31 December 2008 must be fitted with a system to transmit automatically the identity of the ship, the position of the ship (latitude and longitude) and the date and time of the position provided.  
  • Ships constructed before 31 December 2008 and certified for operations in sea areas A1 and A2, or A1, A2 and A3, must be fitted with the equipment not later than the first survey of the radio installation after 31 December 2008.  
  • Ships constructed before 31 December 2008 certified for operations in sea areas Al, A2, A3 and A4, must comply not later than the first survey of the radio installation after 1 July 2009 (but must comply earlier, as above, if they operate within sea areas A2 and A3). 
  • Ships operating exclusively in sea area A1 and fitted with an automatic identification system (AIS) are exempted from the requirement to transmit LRIT information.  

The LRIT system is intended to be operational with respect to the transmission of LRIT information by ships from 30 December 2008. 

*May 2006 amendments to SOLAS 

Based on information from IMO Briefing 53/2007 of 20 Dcember 2007

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