If you require urgent assistance, contact your nearest Cospas-Sarsat Mission Control Centre by visiting http://406.org/en/contacts-pro/contacts-details-all. Select the contact type “Mission Control Centers” from the drop down menu to find the MCC in the country nearest to you.
The electronic forms provided on this webpage are suitable for submission of these data items under the alternative data submission procedures. The completed file(s) shall be submitted to the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat as part of their type approval application.
Email submissions should be sent to: tasubmissions@cospas-sarsat.int
As permitted per section 5 of document C/S T.007, beacon manufacturers are required to provide specific information in the formats defined in document C/S T.007 as part of their type approval application.
The type-approval application form and other forms (e.g., Change-Notice form, Quality Assurance Plan, etc.), included in the Annexes of document C/S T.007, shall be completed, signed and submitted, or, alternatively, this information may be provided using the electronic format and procedures as available on the Cospas-Sarsat website.
To download the forms associated with a particular Issue and Revision of document C/S T.007 please click on the appropriate link below:
As permitted per document C/S T.021, the electronic forms associated with Annex E and Annex G are provided. The most recent version of the file is also available as an embedded file in the pdf of the System document on the website (and may be available prior to this page being updated).To download the forms associated with a particular Issue and Revision of document C/S T.021 please click on the appropriate link below:
On 25 February 2018 Commander Pantaleo Dell’Olio is leaving the command of the Cospas-Sarsat Satellite Station in Bari, Italy for a new role at the Coast Guard Headquarters MRCC in Rome.
The Italian Satellite Station, part of the Cospas-Sarsat Ground Segment, transmits information received from satellites to its service area’s Search and Rescue points, which include Italy, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Israel, Kenya, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Slovenia, Somalia, North Sudan, South Sudan, Serbia, and Montenegro.
The International Cospas-Sarsat Programme, designed and managed by the USA, Canada, France and Russia, is a very sophisticated search and rescue Programme with satellite technologies able to locate planes, boats, and also individuals in danger in every part of the globe.
Wherever a boat, plane or land vehicle equipped with a 406 MHz rescue beacon transmitter is in danger, the device, which can also be activated automatically, sends a signal to one of the satellites in the Cospas-Sarsat constellation.
The alert data are intercepted and retransmitted to appropriate ground stations that locate and identify the beacon users to be rescued.
Thanks to the combined action of various satellites (in geostationary and low polar orbit), the System ensures total earth coverage.
During his command, Italy has been recognized for its active participation in the Demonstration and Evaluation phase of a new Cospas-Sarsat satellite system called MEOSAR, a medium-altitude earth orbit search and rescue satellite system for distress alerting and postitioning, designed to improve the ability to detect and locate people in dangerous situations more quickly and with greater precision.
The speed of location and rescue increases the percentage of lives saved in case of accidents and the immediate location of the accident reduces the risks to which the rescue teams are exposed and the costs of the operation.
There are 42 countries and two organizations that have joined the Programme worldwide, including Italy.
The Italian Satellite Station is managed by the Department of Civil Protection and by the Coast Guard Headquarters and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The station, while under the direction of Commander Dell’Olio, dealt with about 18,000 events and rescued approximately 2,150 persons.
The Commander participated in 63 international meetings, and organized two international meetings held in Italy – the first in Bari in 2009 and the second in Rome in 2015.
Cospas-Sarsat congratulates Commander Dell’Olio for his years of service to the Programme and wishes him fair winds and following seas as he transitions to his new position.
Dear Delegates,
Since many of our meetings are held in Montréal, please find here some useful links and tips on enjoying your stay here.
When meetings are held away from Montréal, we will also post info for the host city at this page.
Local information:
How to dress for winter in Quebec: http://www.hec.ca/en/international_student/regular/winter_quebec.html
Shopping: https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/north-america/canada/quebec/montreal/shopping/
Groceries: http://complexedesjardins.com/en/shops#iga-les-marches-louise-menard
Things to do in Montréal and Quebec:
Please find below medium-resolution versions of the latest System graphics for use in PowerPoint presentations, etc.
For other sizes, please contact the Secretariat.
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02 June 2017
The United Kingdom require the mandatory fitting of 406 MHz on all SOLAS vessels, fishing vessels of 15 metres or more in length and vessels under the Large Commercial Yacht code. The voluntary fitting of 406 MHz EPIRBs on non-SOLAS and pleasure vessels is actively encouraged.
The United Kingdom’s legislation Statutory Instrument 2000 No 1850 – Merchant Shipping (EPIRB Registration) Regulations 2000, requires the compulsory registration of all 406 MHz EPIRBs carried on UK vessels.
The UK Distress & Security Beacon Registry is located at CGOC Falmouth and is responsible for the registration of UK encoded EPIRBs. Upon successful registration, the beacon owner is issued with a copy of the database entry and two “proof of registration labels”. ELTs
Regulations introduced within Europe and also by the UK CAA require 406 MHz ELTs to be registered on the UK Distress & Security Beacon Registry. The CAA regulations also specify that the UK country code of 232 to be used and details the acceptable coding protocol options.
On 4 October 2012, the UK CAA, National Air Traffic Services, issued a new Air Information Circular, AIC P 134/2012 replacing AIC 57/2003 (Pink 55), (available from: http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html) which provides guidance to the aeronautical community on the coding and registration of UK-coded ELTs.
The UK has filed a Notification of Difference with ICAO to ICAO Annex 10, Volume III, Part 2, Chapter 5, Paragraph 2.3, Sub-paragraph 2.3.3, which specifies the setting of bit 26 in the digital message transmitted by an ELT.
The Licensing authority (OFCOM) has agreed that PLBs are licence exempt in the UK for use in maritime, aviation and overland environments as long as the vessel or aircraft that they are carried onboard has a radio licence. All UK encoded PLBs are to be registered on the UK Distress & Security Beacon Registry.
| Country / Territory | Country recognizes PLB Activations | ||
| For terrestrial applications | In maritime environment | On aircraft | |
| TBD | Y | Y | Y |
| Comments | Nil. | Nil. | Nil. |
Similar information is avalable in the new table on the Cospas-Sarsat website (www.cospas-sarsat.int) with the status indication in colours (Y = green, allows / N = red, not allowed / Restrictions = amber (see comments) and with the note that the national beacon regulations can be found on the Cospas-Sarsat website in document C/S S.007).
For information relating to the registration of Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) beacons and Simplified-Voyage Data Recorder (S-VDR) beacons please contact the UK Distress & Security Beacon Registry, Tel: +44 (0) 20 3817 2006.
A registration database for RLS beacons and the assignment of serial numbers for these beacons is:
| Provided by the National Administration | Provided by the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat |
| Y | Y |
| Country Code (1) | USER PROTOCOLS | LOCATION PROTOCOLS | |||||||||
| Maritime User | Serial User | Radio Call Sign | User Location | Standard Location | National Location Serial Number | RLS (Return Link Service) Location Protocol | |||||
| MMSI | Radio Call Sign | EPIRB with Serial Number | Radio Call Sign | MMSI | EPIRB with Serial Number | Radio Call Sign | MMSI | Serial Number | Assigned by Competent Administration | Assigned by Competent Administration | |
| 232 233 234 235 |
Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Note 1: MIDs 232, 233, 234, and 235 are allowed, in order to match the encoded MMSI as necessary.
| text centered |
Country Code USER PROTOCOLS LOCATION PROTOCOLS
Serial User Aviation User User Location Standard Location National Location
Serial Number RLS (Return Link Service)
Location Protocol
ELT with Serial Number Aircraft Operator Designator and Serial Number Aircraft 24-bit Address Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marking ELT with Serial Number Assigned by Competent Adminis-tration Aircraft 24-bit Address Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marking ELT with Serial Number Aircraft Operator Designator and Serial Number Aircraft 24-bit Address Assigned by Competent Adminis-tration
Assigned by Competent Adminis-tration
232 Y Y Y Y N N N N Y Y Y Y Y
2.3 PLB Coding Methods
Country Code USER PROTOCOLS LOCATION PROTOCOLS
Serial User User Location Standard Location National Location
Serial Number RLS (Return Link Service)
Location Protocol
PLB with Serial Number PLB with Serial Number Assigned by Competent Administration Assigned by Competent Administration
232 Y Y Y Y
3. LIST OF BEACON MODELS TYPE APPROVED BY UNITED KINGDOM
Not available.
4. BEACON TESTING REGULATION
Not available.
5. POINT OF CONTACT FOR BEACON MATTERS (CODING, REGISTRATION AND TYPE APPROVAL)
The point of contact for all administrations are available at https://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/contacts-pro/contacts-details-all.
6. BEACON REGISTRATION FORMS
Online beacon registration forms are available at: www.gov.uk/406beacon (EPIRBs, PLBs and ELTs (maritime / aviation / overland use).
Please note this does not currently provide direct customer access to the UK database.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
The International Cospas‑Sarsat Programme is a treaty‑based, non‑profit, intergovernmental humanitarian organization governed by a Council. Participants are composed of delegates from 43 national governments and two additional administrations. The Programme is dedicated to providing accurate, timely, and reliable distress alert and location information to support search and rescue (SAR) operations worldwide.
Cospas‑Sarsat is based on a satellite‑aided system that detects and locates 406-MHz radio beacons activated by aircraft, vessels or individuals in distress, and forwards this information to appropriate rescue authorities, in over 200 countries and territories, at no cost to beacon owners or receiving government agencies.
The Programme also co-operates with other international organizations (including ICAO, IMO and ITU) to ensure the system addresses and meets internationally recognized standards.
The Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat is the administrative body of the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme, providing administrative coordination, technical expertise, and policy support to the Council, subsidiary bodies, and Participants.
For further information on the Programme, please visit its website at www.cospas-sarsat.int.
JOB OVERVIEW AND CONDITIONS
As Technical Officer, you will assist the Head of Secretariat and the Principal Technical Officer on technical matters addressed by the Secretariat, with a primary focus on Cospas‑Sarsat distress beacon development, technical specifications, and certification process.
The incumbent will share responsibility for the expeditious review of beacon certification applications and the formulation of technical recommendations to the Cospas‑Sarsat Council to ensure compliance with applicable standards and specifications. The position involves regular interaction with beacon manufacturers, accredited test laboratories, the Cospas‑Sarsat Council and Participants.
This is an in‑person position based at the Cospas‑Sarsat Programme Headquarters in Montréal (Québec), Canada. The role requires periodic international travels, several times per year, sometimes for periods of up to two weeks.
This position is intended to be long-term. The initial appointment is for a period of three years, with possibility of renewal based on performance and organisational requirements.
ELIGIBILITY
This position is only open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Furthermore, to be eligible, applicants shall reside or be willing to relocate to Quebec.
The successful candidate must be free of criminal convictions that would restrict international travel or the performance of the essential duties of the position. A criminal background verification may be required following a conditional offer of employment.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES
The Technical Officer will:
EDUCATION
LANGUAGES:
KEY EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:
The Technical Officer shall have at least five years of working experience in the design, testing, certification, or compliance assessment of electronic, radio‑frequency, or telecommunications equipment.
The following are considered as additional assets:
The Technical Officer shall demonstrate the ability to:
CONDITIONS AND BENEFITS
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: CAD $100,000-$150,000 per year (commensurate with experience and qualifications).
Benefits include:
Please provide résumé/curriculum vitae together with a cover letter explaining your interest to:
International Cospas-Sarsat Programme
1250 René-Lévesque Blvd West, Suite 4215
Montréal (Québec) H3B 4W8 Canada
On April 2, 2017, a small General Aviation aircraft crashed in an isolated part of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State.
The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) sent its 406 MHz distress signal via the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellite and the new Medium-altitude Earth Orbiting Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) satellite constellation to NOAA ground stations around the United States.
The distress alert was sent to the SARSAT United States Mission Control Center operated by NOAA.
Within seconds from when the ELT was activated the MEOSAR constellation had provided an accurate location which was positively confirmed 20 minutes later.
The combination of the accurate MEOSAR location from the 406 MHz signal as well as the 121.5 MHz homing capability of the ELT allowed rescue teams to pin point the location and perform a rescue on the side of the snow-covered Jupiter Mountain.
The pilot and passenger survived the crash though minor injuries were reported.
Photo credit: Long Bach Nguyen, Chief Pilot, Washington Air Search and Rescue.
PowerPoint file available from the Secretariat.
See also the posters presenting the MEOSAR system available on the NOAA website (including a comparison with the LEOSAR system)
| DateSubmitted | UserIp | Username | UserId | Lang | Website Improvement Suggestion | Name | Topic or page | Priority | Suggestion |
| 2017-01-05 20:07 | 185.93.229.12 | MPaknys | 611 | en-GB | This is just a test entry. Use the http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/meetings-pro/secretariat-only/website-improvement-suggestion link to add your ideas. | Miriam | Top | Test 4 |