Technical Circular

No.: 026/2022 Date: 07th April 2022

Subject: Amendments to the Performance Standards for VDR, S-VDR &

EPIRB.
1. IMO has adopted amendments to the performance standards for following shipborne
navigational and radio equipment;

i. Simplified Voyage Data Recorders (S-VDRs): Revised performance standard vide

Resolution MSC. 493 (104) is to be applied on or after 1 July 2022 as follows -

“S-VDRs installed on or after 1 July 2022, must conform to performance standards

not inferior to those specified in the annex to resolution MSC.163 (78), as amended
by resolution MSC.214 (81) and MSC. 493 (104)”.

ii. Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs): Revised performance standard vide Resolution
MSC. 494 (104) is to be applied on or after 1 July 2022 as follows -

“VDRs installed on or after 1 July 2022, must conform to performance standards not
inferior to those specified in the annex to resolution MSC.333 (90), as amended by
resolution MSC. 494 (104)”.

iii. Float-free Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) operating on

406 MHz: Revised performance standard vide Resolution MSC. 471 (101) is to be
applied on or after 1 July 2022 as follows -

“Float-free EPIRBs operating on 406 MHz, installed on or after 1 July 2022, must
conform to performance standards and type-approval standards not inferior to those
specified in the annex to the resolution MSC. 471 (101)”.

2. Ship owners/ managers and masters are advised to take note of above and accordingly
plan in consultation with the manufacturer that above mentioned shipborne navigational
and radio equipment installed onboard on or after 1 July 2022 conforms to the amended
performance standards as above.

Enclosure:

1. IMO Resolution, MSC. 471 (101).

2. IMO Resolution, MSC. 493 (104).
3. IMO Resolution, MSC. 494 (104).

. This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of
supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any
person.
. While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to
verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.
Whilst the utmost care has been taken in the compilation of the Technical Information, neither Indian Register of
Shipping, its affiliates and subsidiaries if any, nor any of its directors, officers, employees or agents assume any
responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused in any manner
whatsoever by reliance on the information in this document.
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ANNEX 24

RESOLUTION MSC.471(101)
(adopted on 14 June 2019)

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR FLOAT-FREE EMERGENCY

POSITION-INDICATING RADIO BEACONS (EPIRBs)
OPERATING ON 406 MHz

THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,

RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization

concerning the functions of the Committee,

RECALLING ALSO regulations IV/7.1 and 14.1 of the International Convention for the Safely
of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended, concerning radiocommunications for the Global
Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), which require, inter alia, that ships be
provided with an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), which shall conform to
appropriate performance standards not inferior to those adopted by the Organization,

RECOGNIZING the need to prepare performance standards for float-free EPIRBs operating
on 406 MHz through the Cospas-Sarsat System of low-altitude earth orbiting, medium-altitude
earth orbiting, and geostationary earth orbiting satellites to be used in the GMDSS, in order to
ensure the operational reliability of such equipment and to avoid, as far as practicable, adverse
interaction between such equipment and other communication and navigation equipment on
board ships,

RECOGNIZING ALSO that EPIRBs, as a component of the GMDSS and operating through
the Cospas-Sarsat System in the frequency band 406-406.1 MHz, should be type-approved to
ensure the integrity of the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system, avoid harmful interference to the
spaceborne equipment, exclude unauthorized transmissions, and to provide reliable data to
rescue coordination centres,

HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by Sub-Committee on Navigation,

Communications and Search and Rescue, at its sixth session,

1 ADOPTS the Recommendation on performance standards for float-free Emergency

Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) operating on 406 MHz, set out in the annex to
the present resolution;

2 RECOMMENDS that Member States ensure that float-free EPIRBs operating on the
frequency 406 MHz, which form part of the GMDSS:

.1 if installed on or after 1 July 2022, conform to performance standards and

type-approval standards not inferior to those specified in the annex to the
present resolution;

.2 if installed before 1 July 2022, conform to performance standards not inferior

to those specified in the annex to resolution A.810(19), as amended by
resolutions MSC.56(66) and MSC.120(74), and type-approval standards not
inferior to those specified in resolution A.696(17);

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3 INVITES the Cospas-Sarsat partners to ensure that any amendments to the

specification for Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz distress beacons that could impact on this
performance standard are agreed with the Organization prior to their adoption;

4 AGREES that any proposed amendments to this resolution are agreed with the
Cospas-Sarsat partners prior to their adoption;

5 ALSO AGREES to keep these Performance Standards under review and to adopt
amendments thereto, as necessary.

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ANNEX

RECOMMENDATION ON PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR

FLOAT-FREE EMERGENCY POSITION-INDICATING RADIO
BEACONS (EPIRBs) OPERATING ON 406 MHz

Part A – GENERAL

1 INTRODUCTION

The emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) should, in addition to meeting the
requirements of the Radio Regulations, the relevant ITU-R Recommendations and the general
requirements set out in resolution A.694(17), comply with the following performance standards.

2 GENERAL

2.1 The EPIRB should be capable of transmitting a distress alert, including encoded
position information from a receiver using a recognised global navigation satellite system
(GNSS) with global coverage, to satellites equipped with a search and rescue 406 MHz
processor or repeater.

2.2 The EPIRB should be of an automatic float-free type. The equipment, mounting and
releasing arrangements should be reliable, and should operate satisfactorily under the most
extreme conditions likely to be met with at sea.

2.3 The EPIRB should:

.1 be fitted with adequate means to prevent inadvertent activation;

.2 be so designed that the electrical portions are watertight at a depth of 10 m

for at least 5 min. Consideration should be given to a temperature variation
of 45°C during transitions from the mounted position to immersion. The
harmful effects of a marine environment, condensation and water leakage
should not affect the performance of the beacon;

.3 be automatically activated after floating free;

.4 be capable of manual activation and deactivation;

.5 be provided with means to indicate that signals are being emitted;

.6 be capable of floating upright in calm water and have positive stability and
sufficient buoyancy in all sea conditions;

.7 be capable of being dropped into the water without damage from a height
of 20 m;

.8 be capable of being tested, without using the satellite system, to determine

that the EPIRB is capable of operating properly;

.9 be of highly visible yellow/orange colour and be fitted with retroreflecting

material;

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.10 be equipped with a buoyant lanyard suitable for use as a tether (to a liferaft,
lifeboat or person in the water but not to the ship), which should be so
arranged as to prevent its being trapped in the ship's structure when floating
free;

.11 be provided with a low duty cycle light (0.75 cd), active during darkness,
visible to the human eye and detectable by all types of night vision devices,
to indicate its position to nearby survivors and to rescue units;

.12 not be unduly affected by seawater or oil or both;

.13 be resistant to deterioration in prolonged exposure to sunlight;

.14 be provided with a 121.5 MHz beacon primarily for homing by aircraft;

.15 be provided with a GNSS receiver for position fixes and an associated
indication that GNSS signal reception is satisfactory or unsatisfactory; and

.16 be provided with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) locating signal in

accordance with the Recommendation ITU-R M.1371, Technical
characteristics for an automatic identification system using time division
multiple access in the VHF maritime mobile frequency band.

2.4 The battery should have sufficient capacity to operate the EPIRB for a period of at
least 48 h.

2.5 The EPIRB should be so designed as to operate under any of the following
environmental conditions:

.1 ambient temperatures of -20°C to +55°C;

.2 icing;

.3 relative wind speeds up to 100 knots; and

.4 after stowage, at temperatures between -30°C and +70°C.

2.6 The installed EPIRB should:

.1 have local manual activation; remote activation may also be provided from
the navigating bridge, while the device is installed in the float-free mounting;

.2 be capable, while mounted on board, of operating properly over the ranges

of shock and vibration and other environmental conditions normally
encountered above deck on seagoing ships; and

.3 be designed to release itself and float free before reaching a depth of 4 m at

a list or trim of any angle.

3 DISTRESS FUNCTION

3.1 When the EPIRB is manually operated a distress alert should be initiated only by
means of a dedicated distress alert activator.

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3.2 The dedicated activator should:

.1 be clearly identified; and

.2 be protected against inadvertent operation.

3.3 Manual distress alert initiation should require at least two independent actions.

3.4 The EPIRB should not be automatically activated after being manually removed from
the release mechanism.

4 GNSS RECEIVER POSITION REPORTING

When the EPIRB is activated:

.1 the GNSS position fix shall be updated at intervals of no more than five
minutes; and

.2 when an updated fix is transmitted in the AIS message for the first time, the
error between the transmitted and the actual position shall not exceed 30 m
assuming a drift rate of 3 kn.

5 LABELLING

5.1 Labelling for operation controls and indicators should, as far as possible, be
understood through graphical images and symbols without the need for text.

5.2 In addition to the items specified in resolution A.694(17) on general requirements, the
following should be clearly indicated on the exterior of the equipment:

.1 brief operating instructions;

.2 expiry date for the primary battery used; and

.3 the identity codes programmed into the transmitters.

Part B – RADIO-FREQUENCY SIGNALS

1 The technical characteristics of the transmitted signal and the message format should
be in accordance with the requirements of Cospas-Sarsat System documents C/S T.001
or C/S T.018.

2 Provisions should be included for storing the fixed portion of the distress message in
the EPIRB using non-volatile memory.

3 A unique beacon identification code should be made part of all 406 MHz messages.
For EPIRBs compliant with C/S T.001 this identification code should include a three-digit
maritime identification digits (MID) code to denote the country in which the beacon is
registered, followed by either:

.1 the trailing 6 digits of the ship station identity in accordance with appendix 43
of ITU Radio Regulations Recommendation ITU-R M.585, Assignment and
use of identities in the maritime mobile service; or

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.2 a unique serial number; or

.3 a radio call sign.

Preference is given to the method in sub-paragraph .1 above.

For EPIRBs compliant with C/S T.018 this identification code should include a three-digit
maritime identification digits (MID) code to denote the country in which the beacon is
registered, followed by a unique serial number and either the maritime mobile service identity
or a radio call sign.

4 The 121.5 MHz homing signal should:

.1 have a 121.5 MHz transmitting duty cycle not less than 50% (1.125 seconds
on, 1.125 seconds off) and if more than 50%, the on time should be increased
beyond 1.125 seconds and the off time reduced accordingly; and

.2 with the exception of the sweep direction, meet the technical characteristics
of appendix 15 of the Radio Regulations. The sweep may be either upward
or downward.

5 The AIS locating signal should:

.1 transmit in accordance with recommendation ITU-R Rec M.1371;

.2 start after the first 406 MHz satellite message and ensure the AIS signal does
not conflict with a scheduled 406 MHz satellite signal;

.3 when the AIS signal coincides with a scheduled 121.5 MHz homing signal,
then the 121.5 MHz homing signal may be interrupted for the transmission
of the AIS signal, provided the minimum 50% duty cycle is maintained;

.4 broadcast the Cospas-Sarsat beacon 15 HEX-ID in the AIS message 14,

alternating with the text " "EPIRB ACTIVE" on AIS1 and AIS2; and

.5 indicate in the transmitted AIS locating signal when the included position fix
is more than five minutes old.

Part C –TYPE APPROVAL OF EPIRBs OPERATING IN THE Cospas-Sarsat SYSTEM

1 EPIRBs forming an integral component of the GMDSS and operating through the
Cospas-Sarsat satellite system in the frequency band 406 - 406.1 MHz should be type
approved to ensure the integrity of the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system, avoid harmful
interference to the spaceborne equipment, exclude unauthorized transmissions, and to provide
reliable data to rescue coordination centres.

2 National administrations should:

.1 ensure, as part of national type approval procedures, that any new type of
EPIRB to be deployed on board ships is tested to confirm that it is in
accordance with the performance standards for EPIRBs; confirmation that
the EPIRB meets part B of this performance standard can be achieved by
either:

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.1 performing, or having performed, under national procedures, all

appropriate tests; and/or

.2 accepting type approval test results obtained through the

Cospas-Sarsat type approval procedure for first generation beacons
(Cospas-Sarsat document C/S T.007) or the Cospas-Sarsat type
approval procedure for second generation beacons (Cospas-Sarsat
document C/S T.021) and confirmed by the delivery of a
Cospas-Sarsat Type Approval Certificate; and

.2 encourage national type approval authorities to develop test procedures

compatible, to the extent possible, with Cospas-Sarsat System document
C/S T.007 or C/S T.021 as appropriate and, if necessary, in consultation with
the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat.

***

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Annex 28, page 1

ANNEX 28

RESOLUTION MSC.493(104)
(adopted on 7 October 2021)

AMENDMENTS TO THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SHIPBORNE SIMPLIFIED

VOYAGE DATA RECORDERS (S-VDRs) (RESOLUTION MSC.163(78), AS AMENDED)

THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,

RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization

concerning the functions of the Committee,

RECALLING ALSO resolution A.886(21), by which the Assembly resolved that the
functions of adopting performance standards for radio and navigational equipment, as well
as amendments thereto, shall be performed by the Maritime Safety Committee on behalf
of the Organization,

RECALLING FURTHER the Performance standards for shipborne simplified voyage data
recorders (S-VDRs) adopted by resolution MSC.163(78), as amended by resolution
MSC.214(81),

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Performance standards for float-free emergency

position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) operating on 406 MHz, adopted by resolution
MSC.471(101), which are applicable to float-free EPIRBs operating in the frequency
band 406.0-406.1 MHz which form part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
(GMDSS), installed on or after 1 July 2022,

RECOGNIZING the need to amend resolution MSC.163(78), as amended, with respect to

float-free recording medium to effect consequential amendments related to the adoption of
resolution MSC.471(101),

HAVING CONSIDERED, at its 104th session, the recommendation made by the

Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue, at its eighth
session,

1 ADOPTS the Amendments to the Performance standards for shipborne simplified

voyage data recorders (S-VDRs), set out in the annex to the present resolution;

2 RECOMMENDS Governments to ensure that S-VDRs:

.1 if installed on or after 1 July 2022, conform to performance standards not

inferior to those specified in the annex to resolution MSC.163(78),
as amended by resolution MSC.214(81) and the present resolution;

.2 if installed on or after 1 June 2008, but before 1 July 2022, conform to

performance standards not inferior to those specified in the annex to
resolution MSC.163(78), as amended by resolution MSC.214(81); and

.3 if installed before 1 June 2008, conform to performance standards not inferior

to those specified in the annex to resolution MSC.163(78).

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ANNEX

AMENDMENTS TO THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SHIPBORNE

SIMPLIFIED VOYAGE DATA RECORDERS (S-VDRs)

1 In paragraph 3.2:

.1 resolutions A.810(19) and A.812(19) are deleted from the list; and

.2 the following resolution is added to the list:

ʺ- MSC.471(101) Performance standards for float-free emergency

position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) operating
on 406 MHzʺ

2 Paragraph 5.1.3.3 is replaced by the following:

ʺ5.1.3.3 The float-free type protective capsule should:

.1 be fitted with means to facilitate grappling and recovery;

.2 be so constructed as to comply with the requirements specified in

resolution MSC.471(101) and to minimize risk of damage during recovery
operations; and

.3 the device should be capable of transmitting an initial satellite distress

alerting signal and further locating and homing signals over a period of not
less than seven days/168 hours.ʺ

***

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Annex 29, page 1

ANNEX 29

RESOLUTION MSC.494(104)
(adopted on 7 October 2021)

AMENDMENTS TO THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SHIPBORNE VOYAGE

DATA RECORDERS (VDRs) (RESOLUTION MSC.333(90))

THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,

RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization

concerning the functions of the Committee,

RECALLING ALSO resolution A.886(21), by which the Assembly resolved that the function of
adopting performance standards and technical specifications, as well as amendments thereto,
shall be performed by the Maritime Safety Committee and/or the Marine Environment
Protection Committee, as appropriate, on behalf of the Organization,

RECALLING FURTHER that, by resolution A.861(20), the Assembly, at its twentieth session,
adopted the Performance standards for shipborne voyage data recorders (VDRs), which
were amended by resolution MSC.214(81),

RECALLING the revised Performance standards for shipborne voyage data recorders
(VDRs), adopted by resolution MSC.333(90), which are applicable to VDRs installed on or
after 1 July 2014,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Performance standards for float-free emergency

position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) operating on 406 MHz, adopted by resolution
MSC.471(101), which are applicable to float-free EPIRBs operating in the frequency
band 406.0-406.1 MHz which form part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
(GMDSS), installed on or after 1 July 2022,

RECOGNIZING the need to amend resolution MSC.333(90) with respect to float-free

recording medium to effect consequential amendments related to the adoption of resolution
MSC.471(101),

HAVING CONSIDERED, at its 104th session, the recommendation made by the

Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue, at its eighth session,

1 ADOPTS the Amendments to the Performance standards for shipborne voyage

data recorders (VDRs), set out in the annex to the present resolution;

2 RECOMMENDS Governments to ensure that VDRs:

.1 if installed on or after 1 July 2022, conform to performance standards not

inferior to those specified in the annex to resolution MSC.333(90), as
amended by the present resolution;

.2 if installed on or after 1 July 2014 and before 1 July 2022, conform to

performance standards not inferior to those specified in the annex to
resolution MSC.333(90);

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.3 if installed on or after 1 June 2008, but before 1 July 2014, conform to

performance standards not inferior to those specified in the annex to
resolution A.861(20), as amended by resolution MSC.214(81); and

.4 if installed before 1 June 2008, conform to performance standards not inferior

to those specified in the annex to resolution A.861(20).

MSC 104-18-Add.2.docx