Frequencies for distress and safety, search and

rescue and emergencies in the UK

V1.0
12 January 2017
 FREQUENCIES FOR DISTRESS AND SAFETY, SEARCH AND RESCUE AND
EMERGENCIES

Given the global nature of travel with the potential risk of accidents the international community
has agreed that the use of certain frequencies be harmonised globally for distress and safety,
search and rescues and emergency use. Collectively, these are referred to as ‘Search and
Rescue’ or ‘SAR’. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) publishes the global rules
detailing which frequencies are to be used for SAR.
Distress communication includes all messages relating to immediate assistance required by
persons, aircraft, or marine craft in distress, including medical assistance. It may also include
SAR communications and on-scene communications by the rescue services. Distress calls take
absolute priority over all other transmissions; anyone receiving a distress call must immediately
cease any transmissions that may interfere with the call and listen on the frequency used for the
call.
Some distress frequencies may be used to call other stations to establish contact, whereupon
the stations move to another frequency. Such channels are known as distress, safety and calling
frequencies. The object of SAR communications is to facilitate SAR operations. Such
communications must allow for:
a) rapid transmission of distress messages from aircraft, ships and small craft, including for
medical assistance;
b) rapid communication of distress information to the authorities responsible for organising
and effecting rescue;
c) coordination of the operation of the various SAR units; and
d) liaison between controlling/coordinating authorities and SAR units.
UK organisation of Search and Rescue
The organisation for search and rescue (SAR) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland (UK) is an amalgam of separate Government Departments, the Emergency
Services and a number of search and rescue charities and voluntary organisations. The UK
organisation for civil maritime and civil aeronautical search and rescue is derived from the UK
Government's adherence a number of international Conventions.
Responsibility for the overall provision of national civil aeronautical and maritime SAR and its
policies rests with the Department for Transport (DfT) through its Aviation Airspace Division
(AAD) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Further information on the organisation of
Search and Rescue in the UK can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/593127/mca_uks
ar.pdf .
Ofcom is responsible for the management of UK spectrum and the authorisation of frequencies
for non-Crown users.
 Table of frequency allocations

Frequency Use

490 kHz Transmission by coast stations or meteorological and navigational

warnings and urgent information to ships by means of narrow-band
direct-printing (NBDP) telegraphy (national NAVTEX service).

518 kHz Transmission by coast stations of meteorological and navigational

warnings and urgent information to ships by means of narrow-band
direct-printing telegraphy (International NAVTEX service).

2174∙5 kHz International Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
distress frequency for narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy.

2182 kHz International distress carrier frequency for radiotelephony. Distress calls
and traffic, signals of emergency position-indicating radio-beacons
(EPIRBs), urgency signal and urgency messages and the safety signal.
GMDSS distress and safety traffic by radiotelephony. Search and
Rescue (SAR) operations concerning manned space vehicles.

2187∙5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using digital selective calling (DSC).

2226 kHz Transmission of maritime safety information (MSI), 3 Day weather

forecast.

2596 kHz Carrier frequency for radiotelephony. Used in the UK for SAR purposes
by HM Coastguard (HMCG) and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
(RNLI).

3023 kHz Aeronautical carrier frequency for radio-telephony. Can also be used in
co-ordinated SAR operations. SAR operations concerning manned
space vehicles.

3500 - 3800 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.

4125 kHz Carrier frequency used to supplement 2 182 kHz for distress and safety.
GMDSS distress and safety traffic by radiotelephony. May be used by
aircraft to communicate with stations of the Maritime Mobile service for
distress and safety purposes, including SAR.

4177∙5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

4207∙5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

Frequency Use

4209∙5 kHz National NAVTEX service transmissions by coast stations by means of

NBDP.

4210 kHz Transmission by coast stations of Maritime Safety Information (MSI) by

means of NBDP.

5680 kHz Aeronautical carrier frequency for radiotelephony. Used in co-ordinated

SAR operations. SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

6215 kHz Carrier frequency used to supplement 2 182 kHz for distress and safety.
GMDSS distress and safety traffic by radiotelephony.

6268 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

6312 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

6314 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

6425 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP

7000 - 7200 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area

8291 kHz Carrier frequency for GMDSS distress and safety traffic by
radiotelephony.

8364 kHz Used by survival craft in SAR operations with stations of the Maritime
and Aeronautical Mobile services.

8376∙5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

8414∙5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

8416∙5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

10003 kHz SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

10100 - 10150 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.
Frequency Use

12290 kHz Carrier frequency for GMDSS distress and safety traffic by
radiotelephony.

12520 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

12577 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

12579 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

14000 - 14350 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.

14993 kHz SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

16420 kHz Carrier frequency for GMDSS distress and safety traffic by
radiotelephony.

16695 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

16804∙5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

16806∙5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

18068 - 18168 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.

19680∙5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

19993 kHz SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

21000 - 21450 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.

22376 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

24890 - 24990 kHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.
Frequency Use

26100∙5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

86·30625 - UK - Land Search & Rescue.

86·31875 MHz

121·45 - 121·55 Aeronautical emergency frequency for the purposes of distress and
MHz urgency for radiotelephony by stations of the Aeronautical Mobile
service. May also be used for these purposes by survival craft stations.
EPIRBs may also use this frequency. SAR operations concerning
manned space vehicles.

123∙1 MHz Auxiliary to 121∙5 MHz, for use by stations of the Aeronautical Mobile
service and by other mobile and land stations engaged in co-ordinated
SAR operations.

132∙65 MHz SAR helicopter co-ordination and counter-pollution operations.

144 - 146 MHz Amateur band; in the event of natural disasters, may be used by
non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international communications
in the disaster area.

147.34375 - MCA for Land SAR management

147.49375 MHz

155·34375 - Land Search & Rescue – Scotland only.

155·35625 MHz

155.9625 - MCA for SAR management

155.9875 MHz

155.7750 - MCA for Land SAR management

155.9625 MHz

156·0 MHz HMCG SAR on the UK coast.

156.1250 c/w MCA for Maritime Safety Information

160.7250 MHz 156.125 MHz also for SAR A2G

156.175 c/w MCA for Maritime Safety Information

160.7750 MHz

156.225 c/w MCA for Maritime Safety Information

160.8250 MHz
Frequency Use

156∙3 MHz Communications between ship stations and aircraft stations engaged in
co-ordinated SAR operations. May be used by aircraft stations to
communicate with ship stations for other safety purposes.

156·375 MHz Communication between ship stations, aircraft stations and participating
land stations engaged in co-ordinated SAR and anti-pollution operations.
HMCG Yacht safety channel (1st reserve).

156·5 MHz Communication between ship stations, aircraft stations and participating
land stations engaged in co-ordinated SAR and anti-pollution operations.

156·525 MHz In the Maritime Mobile VHF service, the frequency 156∙525 MHz is to be
used exclusively for digital selective calling for distress, safety and
calling (see Resolution 323 (Mob-87).

156·65 MHz GMDSS ship-to-ship communications relating to the safety of navigation.

156·675 MHz Communications between ship stations, aircraft stations and

participating land stations engaged in co-ordinated SAR and
anti-pollution operations. HMCG 2nd reserve channel for SAR.

156·8 MHz International distress and safety frequency for radiotelephony. Used for
the distress signal the distress call, distress traffic, the urgency signal
urgency traffic and the safety signal. GMDSS distress and safety traffic
by radiotelephony. May be used by aircraft stations for safety purposes
only. SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

158·65 MHz Land SAR - Scotland.

160·6 MHz HMCG SAR on the UK coast.

161.975 MHz AIS 1 – used for AIS search and rescue transmitters (AIS-SART) for use
in search and rescue operations.

162.025 MHz AIS 2 – used for AIS search and rescue transmitters (AIS-SART) for use
in search and rescue operations.

242·95 - 243·05 Survival craft stations and equipment used for survival purposes. SAR
MHz operations concerning manned space vehicles.

282·8 MHz Survival craft stations and equipment used for survival purposes. SAR
operations concerning manned space vehicles.
Frequency Use

406 – 406·1 MHz Satellite EPIRBs in the Earth-to-space direction.

1530 - 1544 MHz In addition to routine non-safety use, is used for distress and safety
purposes in the space-to Earth direction in the Maritime Mobile-Satellite
service.

1544 - 1545 MHz Distress and safety operations including feeder links of satellites need to
relay the emissions of satellite EPIRBs to Earth stations and
narrow-band (space-to-Earth) links from space stations to mobile
stations.

1626∙5 - 1645∙5 In addition to routine non-safety use, is used for distress and safety
MHz purposes in the Earth-to-space direction in the Maritime Mobile-Satellite
service.

1645 - 1646∙5 MHz Distress and safety operations including transmissions from satellite
EPIRBs and relay distress alerts received by satellites in low polar earth
orbits to geostationary satellites.

9200 – 9500 MHz Search and rescue Radar transponders to facilitate SAR.