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CHAPTER 06 LONG RANGE IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING OF
SHIPS (LRIT)

1 Overview
As part of the international maritime community’s wide-ranging response
to the growing threat from terrorism world-wide, the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) decided to establish a new system for the global
identification and tracking of ships. Following a major effort to identify
appropriate technologies, establish the necessary global legal regime
and achieve political consensus concerning the collection, distribution
and use of the data, IMO has established a system for the Long-Range
Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT).

The LRIT system consists of shipborne LRIT information transmitting
equipment, Communication Service Provider(s), Application Service
Provider(s), LRIT Data Centre(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 Contracting Governments to the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). IMSO has been
appointed to be the LRIT Coordinator.

Under new SOLAS Regulation V/19-1, ships will be required to report
their position (LRIT information) automatically, to a special shore data
collection, storage and distribution system, at least four times a day. LRIT
information is provided to Contracting Governments and Search and
Rescue services entitled to receive the information, upon request,
through a system of National, Regional, and Co operative LRIT Data
Centres, using where necessary, the International LRIT Data Exchange.

Figure 1 provides an illustration of the LRIT system architecture.

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