02 June 2017
UNITED KINGDOM
1. REGULATIONS
1.1 EPIRBs
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.
1.2 PLBs
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.
1.2.1 National Beacon Regulations for Serial-Coded PLBs
| 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).
1.3 Other beacons
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.
1.4 Return Link Service (RLS) Protocol Beacons
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 |
2. BEACONS CODING METHODS
2.1 EPIRB Coding Methods
| 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.
2.2 ELT Coding Methods
| 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.