Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

Basic Concept of the GMDSS

The fundamental difference between the old and the new distress system
is that the new system is shore centred/coordinated and moves
emphasis from ship to ship alerting to ship to shore alerting. The
new system is quicker, simpler and, most importantly, more efficient and
reliable than the old manual Morse Code and radiotelephone alerting
system. GMDSS is specifically designed to automate a ships radio distress
alerting function, and consequently, remove the requirement for manual
(human) watch-keeping on distress channels.

The basic concept of the system is that search and rescue authorities ashore,
as well as shipping in the immediate vicinity of the ship in distress, will be
rapidly and automatically alerted to a distress situation so that they can
assist in a co-coordinated SAR operation with minimum delay. The system
also provides for urgency and safety communications, and the promulgation
of maritime safety information (MSI) including- navigational and
meteorological warnings and forecasts, and other urgent safety information
to ships. In other words, every ship, fitted appropriately for GMDSS, is able,
irrespective of the area in which it operates, to perform those communication
functions, which are essential for the safety of the ship itself and of other
ships operating in the same area.

Before

Now

Now

The GMDSS Equipment

INMARSAT

COSPAS
SARSAT

Rescue
co-ordination
centre

Rescue
co-ordination
centre

Local user
terminal/mission
control centre

Coast
earth
station

National/international
networks
National/international
networks

Coast
station
HF, MF, VHF

Coast
station
HF, MF, VHF

General radiocommunications
e.g. medical advice, VTS,
ship reporting etc.

Maritime safety information (MSI)

Navigational
warnings

Meteorological
warnings

SAR
information

Functional requirements
The GMDSS regulations (chapter IV of the International
SOLAS Convention), require that every GMDSS equipped
ship shall be capable of;

1. Distress alerting Ship to shore

EPIRB
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
INMARSAT

2. Distress alerting Shore to ship

3. Distress alerting Ship to ship

4. Search and Rescue Coordinating

Communications

5. On-Scene Communication

6. Locating

7. Transmission/Reception of Maritime Safety

Information

8. General Radio communications

9. Bridge-to-Bridge Communications

Application
The GMDSS applies to vessels subject to the SOLAS Convention - that is:

Commercial vessels of 300 Gross Registered Tons (GRT) and above, engaged on
international voyages.

The GMDSS became mandatory for such vessels

as at February 1, 1999.

1 February 1992 ships may comply with

the GMDSS requirements

1 August 1993 ships must comply

with satellite EPIRB and NAVTEX
requirements
1 February 1995 ships built on or
after this date must fully comply with
the GMDSS requirements

1 February 1999 ships must

comply with the GMDSS
requirements

Equipment vs Operational requirements

The major difference between the GMDSS and its predecessor systems is
that the radio communications equipment to be fitted to a GMDSS ship

is determined by the ship's area of operation, rather than by its size.

 Because the various radio systems used in the GMDSS have

different limitations with regards to range and services provided,
the new system divides the world's oceans into 4 areas:

Sea Area 1
Sea Area 2
Sea Area 3
Sea Area 4

GMDSS Sea Area 1

This area of GMDSS is within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one
VHF coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available. Such area
could extend typically 30 50 nautical miles from the coast station.

GMDSS Sea Area 2

This area of GMDSS is an area excluding sea area A1, within the
radiotelephone coverage of at least one MF coast station in which
continuous DSC alerting is available. Such area could extend typically about
50 400 nautical miles from the coast station

GMDSS Sea Area 3

This area of GMDSS is an area excluding sea area A1 and A2, within the
radiotelephone coverage of at least one HF coast station in which
continuous DSC alerting is available. This area lies between about latitudes
70 North and South.

GMDSS Sea Area 4

This area of GMDSS is an area outside sea area A1, A2 and A3.