Long Range Identification and Tracking

The long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) of ships was established as an international system on 19 May 2006 by the International Maritime Organization

International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...

(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.

The LRIT regulation will apply to the following ship types engaged on international voyages:

All passenger ships including high-speed craft,
Cargo ships, including high-speed craft of 300 gross tonnage and above, and
Mobile offshore drilling units.

These ships must report their position to their flag administration

Flag administration

A merchant vessel flies a flag, typically at its stern. This flag indicates the legal jurisdiction to which it is subject. For example a vessel may fly this flag of the Greece; in this case the authority responsible for enforcing maritime regulations would be the Flag Administration of Greece....

at least four times a day. Most vessels set their existing satellite communications systems to automatically make these reports. Other contracting governments may request information about vessels in which they have a legitimate interest under the regulation.

The LRIT system consists of the already installed (generally) shipborne satellite communications equipment, communications service providers (CSPs), application service providers (ASPs), LRIT data centres, 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 the IMO and its contracting governments.

Some confuse the functions of LRIT with that of AIS (Automatic Identification System

Automatic Identification System

The Automatic Identification System is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by Vessel traffic services for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and AIS Base stations...

), a collision avoidance system also mandated by the IMO, which operates in the VHF radio band, with a range only slightly greater than line-of-sight. (See AIS) While AIS was originally designed for short-range operation as a collision avoidance and navigational aid, it has now been shown to be possible to receive AIS signals by satellite in many, but not all, parts of the world. This is becoming known as S-AIS and is completely different from LRIT. The only similarity is that AIS is also collected from space for determining location of vessels, but requires no action from the vessels themselves except they must have their AIS system turned on. LRIT requires the active, willing participation of the vessel involved, which is, in and of itself, a very useful indication as to whether the vessel in question is a lawful actor. Thus the information collected from the two systems, S-AIS and LRIT, are mutually complementary, and S-AIS clearly does not make LRIT superfluous in any manner. Indeed, because of co-channel interference near densely populated or congested sea areas satellites are having a difficult time in detecting AIS from space in those areas. Fixes are under development by several organizations, but how effective they will be remains to be seen.

Panama implementation

Panama currently has the largest LRIT NDC in the world with approximately 8,000 vessels under its flag.

After evaluating the world's leading LRIT operators, the Panama Flag Registry selected and appointed Absolute Maritime Tracking Services, Inc. (AMTS) as the sole LRIT Application Service Provider (ASP) and National Data Center (NDC) provider for all Panama flagged vessels.

ABSOLUTE MARITIME TRACKING SERVICES, INC. (AMTS) is one of the world’s largest LRIT operators with over 8,000 vessels under active long range tracking. AMTS maintains and operates the Panama National Data Center (NDC which monitors and tracks all Panama flagged ships over 300 gross tons on international voyages as well as IMO member state ships that are either bound for a Panama port or traveling within 1000 nm of the Panama coastlines.

European implementation

Following the EU Council Resolution of 2 October 2007, EU Member States (MS) decided to establish an EU LRIT Data Centre (EU LRIT DC). According to the Council Resolution, the Commission is in charge of managing the EU LRIT DC, in cooperation with Member States, through the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The Agency, in particular, is in charge of the technical development, operation and maintenance of the EU LRIT DC. It also “stresses that the objective of the EU LRIT DC should include maritime security, Search and Rescue (SAR), maritime safety and protection of the marine environment, taking into consideration respective developments within the IMO context.”

Canada

In January 2009 Canada become one of the first SOLAS contracting governments to implement a national data centre and comply with the LRIT regulation.

United States

In January 2009, the United States become one of the first SOLAS contracting governments to implement a National Data Centre and comply with the LRIT regulation.

Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) was proposed by the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

(USCG) at the International Maritime Organization

International Maritime Organization

(IMO) in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks

Aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks

The September 11 attacks were the transformative incident of the first term of President George W. Bush and led to what he has called the Global War on Terrorism, or war against terrorism. The accuracy of describing it as a "war" and the political motivations and consequences are the topic of...

to track the approximately 50,000 large ships around the world.

In the United States integration of LRIT information with that from sensors and enables the Coast Guard to correlate Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) data with data from other sources, detect anomalies, and heighten overall Maritime Domain Awareness

Maritime domain awareness

Maritime domain awareness is defined as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. It is part of a US government interagency and international maritime security effort...

(MDA). The United States implementation of this regulation is consistent with the Coast Guard's strategic goals of maritime security and maritime safety, and the Department's strategic goals of awareness, prevention, protection, and response.

Every sovereign

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

nation already has the right to request such information (and does so) for ships destined for their ports. The LRIT regulation and computer system will allow the USCG to receive information about all vessels within 1000 nautical miles (1,852 km) of US territory providing the vessel's flag administration has not excluded the US from receiving such information.

For a more detailed description of the United States implementation of the LRIT system, please
refer to the NPRM published October 3, 2007, in the US Government Federal Register
(72 FR 56600).

Brazil

In January 2009 Brazil implemented a National Datacentre and was one of the first SOLAS contracting governments to become compliant with the LRIT regulation.
And in July 2010 implemented the Regional Data Centre Brazil.

Venezuela

The Venezuelan flag registry appointed Fulcrum Maritime Systems as the sole LRIT application service provider (ASP) and national data center (NDC) provider for all Venezuelan flagged vessels.

Chile

The Chilean flag registry appointed collecte localisation satellites (CLS) as the sole LRIT application service provider (ASP) and cooperative data center (CDC) provider for all Chilean flagged vessels.

Ecuador

The Republic of Ecuador entered in LRIT production environment at April 15 of 2010. Ecuador owns a National LRIT Data Center (NDC) and recognize their Maritime Authority as Application Service Provider (ASP).

Vanuatu

The Vanuatu flag registry appointed collecte localisation satellites (CLS) as the sole LRIT application service provider (ASP) and national data center (RDC) provider for all Vanuatu flagged vessels.