Maritime Communications

1.The Concept of Maritime Communication Maritime Communications are varied as shown below: i. Emergency and Safety Communications The Emergency Communication is the communication rendered when an aircraft or vessel becomes embroided in a dangerous situation, while the Safety Communication is the communication rendered when there is a need to prevent navigation accidents. ii. Navigation Assistance Communication This is a type of radio communication for navigation utilizing the radio wave and estimating the aircraft, vessel position or its direction and distance against a radio wave source point. iii. Telecommunication Work Communication This is a radio communication used to provide telecommunications with a vessel. iv. Work Communication This is a self-sustaining radio communication rendered between a coast station on land and a ship station, or between ship stations themselves. v. Harbor Communication This is a radio communication rendered within or around a harbor in order to control the navigation of any nearby ships, move those ships, and secure their safety as well as human safety in an emergency. Concept Diagram of Maritime Communications

2.Maritime Communication System i. Radio Telegraph and Radio Communication of Medium, Intermediate, and High Frequencies This is the oldest Maritime Communication system. (Radio Telegraph begun between Choshi Coast Station and ships in 1908.) Distance Range: This depends on the antenna power or whether it is in the day time or late evening, while a possible distance can be about 300 km for the Medium Frequency and about 500 km for the Intermediate Frequency. As for the High Frequency, it's possible to have a distance from several hundred to several thousand kilometers, and by selecting the optimized frequency utilizing ionospheric reflection depending on the season or the time of day, it can realize worldwide communication. Modes of transmission: 2 cycle single message transmission mode or 1 cycle single message transmission mode. ii. 27 MHz Band Wireless Telephone 1WDSB was institutionalized in July, 1955 as the cordless telephone system for small fishing vessels, and SSB was established in November, 1960. After 1965, its popularization spread rapidly with the miniaturization of the equipment and the financial aid of the subsidy, etc. WDSB is, in particular, small-sized and easy to operate, so it spread at the fastest rate as the cordless telephone system for small fishing vessels. Distance Range: 1WDSB about 50km, SSB about 90km 1 cycle single message transmission mode iii. 40MHz Band Cordless Telephone This was institutionalized in June, 1983 for the coastal fishery and leisure ships with the demand for the wireless communication, leveraging both the wired and wireless communication equipment on the coastal station to connect to the public line, enabling the direct communication between the vessel and the land-based resources such as search and rescue or medical institutions. Distance Range: about 50km; 1 cycle single message transmission mode or 2 cycle alternate operating mode iv. International VHF This was institutionalized in September, 1964 and is called "International VHF Cordless Telephone" using "the frequency band between 156MHz and 174MHz" listed in the table of the S18 in RR appendix, and is utilized for some purposes including harbor service

communication, electrical communication service, navigation service, and distress safety communication. Distance Range: about 50km Depending on the channel, 1 cycle single message transmission mode or 2 cycle alternate operating mode v. Marine VHF This cordless system was institutionalized in December, 1991 to spread the wireless system to pleasure boats and other types of vessels navigating only in coastal waters, using a part of the frequency of the International VHF, whose wireless equipment is divided into the deferment and portable types. Marine VHF also enables ship-to-ship communication, communication with leisurepurpose coastal stations, the receipt of navigation alerts and weather information, communication with the Maritime Safety Agency in emergency, and communication with large vessels. vi. 400MHz Band Cordless Telephone This was institutionalized in June, 1986 to spread the wireless system to pleasure boats including motor boats and yachts, and is principally used by the Small Size Safety Association, Inc. (That is why it's sometimes called "Shouankyou.") This system is especially effective for vessels which have too complicated a body structure to be loaded with the wireless equipment at the 27MHz and 40MHz bands, or vessels whose engine noise is extreme for the 27MHz band. Distance Range: about 30km; 1 cycle single message transmission mode vii. Marine Community Horn This was institutionalized in 1988 (official name: Fishery Area Information System) to be used by such small-sized vessels operating in the coastal waters that have too complicated a body structure to be loaded with the wireless equipment or have no power generator a board. Marine Community Horn uses the frequency at 400MHz and adopts the MCA mode, securing the call confidentiality and enabling group calls or general calls in emergencies. Distance Range: about 30km Qualification of Radio Operator: Not required (Portable Station)

viii. Inmarsat Mobile Satellite Communication The Inmarsat (International Maritime Satellite Organization ) was inaugurated as an international agency in 1979 to ameliorate maritime radio communication, succeeding the marisat system in place in the US since 1982, and has been in operation as a worldwide maritime satellite communication system. Each of the 4 satellites is distributed over the equator above the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean (east and west), so its service area is targeted as the entire sea area (within the latitude of 70 degrees) except for the polar regions. One coastal ground station is made to be the Network Coordination Station (NCS) according to the sea area and type out of lots of coastal stations, and completes tasks including the assignment of the frequency for the communication in the appropriate sea area. In Japan, KDDI is providing this service as a party in the operation agreement. ix. N-START Mobile Satellite Communication This service was initiated in March, 1996 to succeed the service of the coastal cordless telephone ("Ship telephone" which ends its service on March31, 1999) and expand its service area, and complement the service area of the ground system portable telephone. There are two categories of the fixed type and the portable type of terminals: Single Mode (which connects only to the satellite) and Dual Mode (which is given the priority to connect to the ground system, otherwise connects to the satellite.) The calling covers the Japanese mainland and the sorrounding the mailnland marine area extending approximately 200 nautical miles. x. Shipboard Communication Equipment This is small-sized portable wireless equipment that deals only with the following kinds of communications (40-3, Chapter 2, Enforcement Regulation): 1. communication essential for the ship navigation tasks including ship operation and cargo handling, which is conducted within the vessel body 2. communication for rescue activity or rescue training, which is conducted between the vessel and the craft in distress. 3. communication for ship-operating assistance, which is conducted between a towboat and the towed ship. 4. communication for the berthing and mooring of a vessel, which is conducted between the vessel and the pier, etc. xi. Radio/Buoy This is a system that targets a buoy with in-built wireless equipment to receive radio waves emitted from there and measure their direction between the ship and other points.

There are the 4 main radio/buoy systems as follows: 1. The system that repeats the emission and the pause of the radio wave at all times (general radio/buoy) 2. The system which has an in-built timer and repeats the emission and the pause of the radio wave for a specified duration of time initiated from a specified time (radio/buoy with a timer) 3. The system which emits the radio wave only when it receives a selection call (selcall buoy) 4. The system which emits the radio wave only when it receives the radar radio wave (radar buoy) 3.Navigation Assist Radio System There are 18 medium frequency radio beacon stations and 4 Loran C stations, etc. as the navigation assist radio system that unitarily receives the radio wave emitted from the source point on the ground. The Differential GPS has been operated since April, 1999 as a higher-accuracy positioning system. i. Loran C This is a kind of the ground radio determination system and one of the hyperbola navigation systems that determine the point from the intersection point of the hyperbolas measured by the difference of the pulse wave arriving time. Loran C is a system evolved from the A mode (1,750kHz - 1,950kHz: already abolished) put into use in US in the 1940s and uses the radio wave of the long frequency band. The effective distance is between 1,500km (daytime) and 4,000km (night). The measurement accuracy is between several hundred meters and several thousand meters. The Loran C in Japanese waters is currently operated under the Maritime Safety Agency and by Korea after it was transferred from the US Coast Guard in July, 1993. ii. Satellite Navigation Equipment (GPS) This is a system which measures position by receiving the radio wave from the military navigation positioning satellite NAVSTAR developed and managed by the Pentagon. 4 GPSs are placed on each circle orbit with the tilt angle of 55'6" at the altitude of about 20,000km. The total number of these GPSs is 24. GPS has been operated since December 8, 1993 when the Pentagon submitted the declaration about the official operation for public welfare.

This is designed so that more than 4 satellites can be within the visible range all the time and the distance of each satellite can be measured by selecting 4 satellites randomly and receiving the time signal from any point on the earth. As the positions of those 4 satellites can be measured, the time deviation for the user's 3D position and time can be estimated with those parameters. iii. Medium Frequency Radio Beacon This is a radio beacon targeted at the medium and short distances utilizing the radio wave at the medium frequency band. It sends the beacon sign and long sound of its own station at a regular time interval and the vessel measures the direction by receiving the corresponding radio wave by the radio direction finder. Finding multiple directions enables the vessel to determine its own position. Some radio stations transmit sound weather information targeted for the vessel. iv. RAMARK Beacon This is a radio beacon to send the sequential pulse received by the vessel radar (operation initiated in May, 1969). The position of the emission station is shown as a dashed bright line from the center towards the station on the vessel radar at 9GHz. Positioning Distance: about 40km v. Vessel Radar This is a radio navigation radar in the vessel. The vessel radar is a pulse mode radar that uses the radio wave of the 3GHz, 5GHz, and 9GHz bands to show the relative position of the other ships or the land coasts by the PPI Display Mode. Frequency-specific function

3GHz band: long-distance use without regard to the weather, but with a low resolution 9GHz band: short-distance use with a high resolution 5GHz band: intermediate performance between 3GHz and 9GHz, while difficult to maintain

4.Maritime Distress Safety System GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) is a system in which the alter emitted from the vessel in distress, without regard to the sea area, can be received with centainly by land rescue agencies or nearby ships using digital communication technology or the satellite communication technology, instead of the past Morse communication, enabling the search rescue activity which combines the land-based rescue agencies and the vessel as a rescue unit. Depending on the navigation area, the vessel scale, and other factors, the following equipment is to be loaded.

Section Communication Equipment by the Medium Frequency, the High Frequency, and the Very-High Frequency Automatic Distress Reporting Equipment Safety Information Receiver

Specific Radio Equipment Cordless Telephone, Digital Selection Call Equipment, Narrow Band Direct Printing Equipment Satellite EPIRB, Search Rescue Radar Transponder

NAVTEX Receiver, Insarmat High-Performance Group Call Receiver Bidirectional cordless telephone, Bidirectional cordless telephone for the vessel and the aircraft, Other Equipment Digital selection call-specific receiver for the medium, high, and very-high frequencies. Inmarsat Vessel Earth Station, N-STAR Satellite General Communication Equipment Vessel Telephone, etc.

Frequency of the radio wave used for the maritime communication

Reference: file:///D:/maritime/MIC%20The%20Radio%20Use%20Website%20%20%20Maritime% 20Communications.htm

Marine Communication: Mobile, Voice, Fax, Data and Internet at Sea

Stratos is the leading provider of maritime communications services in the world. By maintaining a strong relationship with fleets and ship managers, we ensure that our solutions meet the highest standards of maritime reliability and convenience. Today voice, data and IP communications are essential to all businesses. Stratos meets the fleet managers challenges head-on with unified technological solutions such as marine satellite, that seamlessly and cost-effectively integrate all your operations on the internet, at sea and on land and at sea effectively bringing the office onboard the vessel. We have an unrivaled understanding of how naval communications technology can be used to benefit the global maritime industry through remote IT management, marine satellite internet, access to navigational and weather updates, not to mention position reporting and log books to comply with various national regulations. Stratos has also developed cost management and traffic monitoring tools to give you complete control over your sea communications. Stratos also understands that healthy crew welfare is vital in operating a successful maritime business. Our pre-paid calling options and e-mail / SMS solutions provider your crew with a link to their loved ones at home. We offer a wide array of maritime communication services to meet the needs of the largest commercial fleet, fishing vessels, and leisure craft. AmosConnect 8 AmosConnect 8 from Stratos is the completely renewed version of the popular AmosConnect service. It has evolved into a flexible, no hassle communications platform for vessels at sea. AmosConnect Crew Keeping in touch with loved ones has never been easier, thanks to AmosConnect Crew from Stratos. Combining two industry-leading servicesAmosConnect and Stratos ChatCardAmosConnect Crew also offers huge benefits to ship managers. FleetBroadband Bring the office to the ocean with high-speed IP data access, e-mail, Internet and crew calling. Stratos is the worlds leading FleetBroadband provider.

Fleet Having evolved from the highly successful Inmarsat A, B and M systems, Fleet from Stratos provides high-bandwidth IP to maritime users from lightweight, compact, stabilized antennas. GSM Oceanwide With GSM Oceanwide, use your GSM cell phone onboard vessels in deep waters, even when outside of GSM coverage areas. Inmarsat C Inmarsat C from Stratos is a reliable two-way packet data service using compact, lowcost terminals. Access a broad range of Inmarsat C services from Stratos. OceanVSAT OceanVSAT from Stratos, based on Intelsats Network Broadband Global Maritime Service, provides global, 24/7 always-on broadband connectivity (up to 512 kbps) to vessels and fleets. StratosOceanView Stratos OceanView is a powerful application for fleet managers to manage their fleet in an easy-to-use web-based portal on a global basis.

Reference: file:///D:/maritime/Marine%20Communication%20%20Mobile,%20Voice,%20Fax,%20 Data%20and%20Internet%20at%20Sea%20%20%20Stratos%20Global,%20an%20Inma rsat%20Company.htm

Maritime Mobile Service Identity

A Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) is a series of nine digits which are sent in digital form over a radio frequency channel in order to uniquely identify ship stations, ship earth stations, coast stations, coast earth stations, and group calls. These identities are formed in such a way that the identity or part thereof can be used by telephone and telex subscribers connected to the general telecommunications network to call ships automatically. Types There are now six kinds of maritime mobile service identities: 1.) Ship station identities, 2.) Group ship station identities, 3.) Coast station identities, 4.) Group coast station identities. 5.) SAR aircraft 6.) Navigational aids and craft associated with a parent ship The first digit of an MMSI The initial digits of an MMSI categorize the identity. The meaning of the first digit is: 0 Ship group, coast station, or group of coast stations 1 Recently re-assigned for use by SAR aircraft (ITU-R recommendation M.585-4) 2-7 MMSI's used by individual ships, beginning with an MID (see below) 2 Europe 3 North and Central America and Caribbean 4 Asia 5 Oceana 6 Africa 7 South America 4.) 8 Assigned for regional Use 5.) 9 Recently re-assigned to Nav aids and also craft associated with a parent ship (ITU-R recommendation M.585-4)
1.) 2.) 3.)

Maritime identification digits (MID) An MID consists of 3 digits, always starting with a digit from 2 to 7 (assigned regionally). A second MID can be assigned once the MID first or subsequently allocated is more than 80% exhausted and the rate of assignments is such that 90% exhaustion is foreseen. Alisting of MIDs assigned to each country is written in Table 1 ITU Radio Regulations Appendix 43.

Ship station identities The 9-digit code constituting a ship station identity is formed as follows: MIDXXXXXX where MID represent the Maritime Identification Digits and X is any figure from 0 to 9. If the ship is fitted with an Inmarsat B, C or M ship earth station, or it is expected to be so equipped in the foreseeable future, then the identity should have three trailing zeros: MIDXXX000 If the ship is fitted with an Inmarsat C ship earth station, or it is expected to be so equipped in the foreseeable future, then the identity could have one trailing zero: MIDXXXXX0 If the ship is fitted with an Inmarsat A ship earth station, or has satellite equipment other than Inmarsat, then the identity needs no trailing zero. Group ship station call identities Group ship station call identities for calling simultaneously more than one ship are formed as follows: 0MIDXXXXX where the first figure is zero and X is any figure from 0 to 9. The particular MID represents only the country assigning the group ship station call identity and so does not prevent group calls to fleets containing more than one ship nationality. bb [edit]Coast station identities Coast station identities are formed as follows: 00MIDXXXX where the first two figures are zeros and X is any figure from 0 to 9. The MID reflects the country in which the coast station or coast earth station is located.

Group coast station call identities Group coast station call identities for calling simultaneously more than one coast station are formed as a subset of coast station identities, as follows:

00MIDXXXX where the first two figures are zeros and X is any figure from 0 to 9. In the United States In the U.S., federal MMSIs are assigned by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and are normally, but not always, formed as 3669XXXXX. Non federal MMSIs are assigned by the Federal Communications Commission normally as part of the ship station license application, and are formed as 366XXX000 for ships on international voyages and ships needing an Inmarsat mobile earth station, or 366XXXXX0 for all other ships. The United States Coast Guard group ship station call identity is 036699999, and group coast station call identity is 003669999. In the U.S., MMSIs are primarily used for digital selective calling and for assigning Inmarsat identities. Exhaustion of MMSIs Because all ships on international voyages, as well as all ships fitted with an Inmarsat B or M ship earth station, are assigned MMSIs of the format MIDXXX000, a serious problem has arisen internationally in assigning sufficient numbers of MIDs to all administrations that need them. For example, a country having 10,000 Inmarsat-equipped ships would require 10 MIDs just to accommodate those 10,000 ships. If 50,000 boaters decided to fit small Inmarsat M terminals, 50 additional MIDs would be required to accommodate them. The problem exists with Inmarsat-equipped ships because ITU-T recommendations require that Inmarsat ship earth stations be assigned the identity (MESIN) TMIDXXXYY, where T indicates the type of Inmarsat station, YY indicates the Inmarsat station extension (e.g."00" might indicate a telephone in the bridge, "01" might indicate a fax machine in the radio room, etc.), and MIDXXX indicates the ship station number, which relates to the assigned ship station identity MIDXXX000. The MMSI was meant to be an all-inclusive ship electronic identity, used in one form or another by every GMDSS or telecommunications instrument on the ship. Questions have been raised, however, whether the MMSI can in practice totally fulfill that role. ITU may eventually end the practice of relating Inmarsat MESIN identities with the ship MMSI identity. Reference: file:///D:/maritime/Maritime%20Mobile%20Service%20Identity%20%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia.htm

Maritime Consulting Services

Maritime communications is evolving fast, and ship owners and managers have many questions about its value: 1.) How much bandwidth and what kind of communications systems do you really need to meet your requirements? 2.) What applications do you need to support to run an efficient operation? 3.) Can electronic delivery of information and vessel management services pay for themselves in efficiency gains? Globecomm is ready to advise ship owners and managers on the right mix of technology and services to meet their real needs, at a cost they can justify today. From basic Inmarsat and Iridium voice and email to broadband networking, we help assess your requirements and budget needs, and match them to the best available technology solution. We engineer everything with room for growth, because communications demand tends to go in only one direction: up. Project Consulting Experience You Can Trust As trusted advisors to maritime and enterprise clients, Globecomm offers expert guidance on complex projects requiring keen insight, innovative thinking and commitment to performance. By drawing from our extensive experience and knowledge of industry best practices, we create solutions that capitalize on investments in existing systems and allow you to transition seamlessly to a modern technology environment. Professional Services Worldwide In addition to offering analysis, recommendations and designs, Globecomm can also install, operate and maintain networks according to your organization's strategic plan. Well-designed engineering solutions and robust products are substantial assets to any organization; they are also a maintenance responsibility, requiring comprehensive, customized and ongoing support. Our highly qualified technicians and resources are embedded in organizations across the globe to provide a full range of scalable maintenance plans, installation services and support to maintain your critical infrastructure components. Reference: file:///D:/maritime/Network%20Consulting%20Services%20%20%20Maritime%20Cons ulting%20Services.htm

Maritime Products
Field-Proven Technology Globecomm's provides best-of-breed products to the maritime industry to support itsmanaged network services, including Stabilized Satellite Antennas Globecomm offers a wide range of shipboard stabilized satellite antennas for VSAT broadband service from major manufacturers. Enclosed in weatherproof radomes and designed to automatically acquire and track satellites, they provide precise, reliable uplinks and downlinks regardless of weather conditions. Globecomm provides marine satellite antennas, stablilized platforms and all associated electronics required to interconnect with ship systems, with installation and testing. Inmarsat Terminals Globecomm offers the full range of Inmarsat marine terminals from the leading manufacturers for services including: 1.) Fleet, Mini M, and Inmarsat B 2.) Fleet Broadband

Thrane & Thrane - Sailor 150 Thrane & Thrane - Sailor 250 Thrane & Thrane - Sailor 500 JRC - JUE 250 Wideye - Skipper 150 Fleetphone - Oceana 400 Fleetphone - Oceana 800

Iridium Terminals Only Iridium's global service allows maritime users to send and receive voice, messaging and data regardless of location. Ship to-shore. Shoreto- ship. Ship-to-ship. With a host of user-friendly equipment options and all-around affordability, Iridium is the single solution for your maritime communications needs. Reference: file:///D:/maritime/Broadband%20Satellite%20Antenna%20%20%20Marine%20Satellite %20%20%20Inmarsat%20Antennae.htm

Sonar
Sonar (originally an acronym for SOund Navigation And Ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, communicate with or detect objects on or under the surface of the water, such as other vessels. Two types of technology share the name "sonar": passive sonar is essentially listening for the sound made by vessels; active sonar is emitting pulses of sounds and listening for echoes. Sonar may be used as a means of acoustic location and of measurement of the echo characteristics of "targets" in the water. Acoustic location in air was used before the introduction of radar. Sonar may also be used in air for robot navigation, and SODAR (an upward looking in-air sonar) is used for atmospheric investigations. The term sonar is also used for the equipment used to generate and receive the sound. The acoustic frequencies used in sonar systems vary from very low (infrasonic) to extremely high (ultrasonic). The study of underwater sound is known as underwater acoustics orhydroacoustics. History Although some animals (dolphins and bats) have used sound for communication and object detection for millions of years, use by humans in the water is initially recorded by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1490: a tube inserted into the water was said to be used to detect vessels by placing an ear to the tube.[1] In the 19th century an underwater bell was used as an ancillary to lighthouses to provide warning of hazards. The use of sound to 'echo locate' underwater in the same way as bats use sound for aerial navigation seems to have been prompted by the Titanic disaster of 1912. The world's first patent for an underwater echo ranging device was filed at the British Patent Office by English meteorologist Lewis Richardson a month after the sinking of the Titanic,[2] and a German physicist Alexander Behm obtained a patent for an echo sounder in 1913. The Canadian engineer Reginald Fessenden, while working for the Submarine Signal Company in Boston, built an experimental system beginning in 1912, a system later tested in Boston Harbor, and finally in 1914 from the U.S. Revenue (now Coast Guard) Cutter Miami on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland Canada.[2][3] In that test, Fessenden demonstrated depth sounding, underwater communications (Morse Code) and echo ranging (detecting an iceberg at two miles (3 km) range).[4][5] The so-

called Fessenden oscillator, at ca. 500 Hz frequency, was unable to determine the bearing of the berg due to the 3 metre wavelength and the small dimension of the transducer's radiating face (less than 1 metre in diameter). The ten Montreal-built British H class submarines launched in 1915 were equipped with aFessenden oscillator.[6] During World War I the need to detect submarines prompted more research into the use of sound. The British made early use of underwater hydrophones, while the French physicist Paul Langevin, working with a Russian immigrant electrical engineer, Constantin Chilowski, worked on the development of active sound devices for detecting submarines in 1915 using quartz. Although piezoelectricand magnetostrictive transducers later superseded the electrostatic transducers they used, this work influenced future designs. Lightweight sound-sensitive plastic film and fibre optics have been used for hydrophones (acousto-electric transducers for in-water use), while Terfenol-D and PMN (lead magnesium niobate) have been developed for projectors. ASDIC In 1916, under the British Board of Invention and Research, Canadian physicist Robert William Boyle took on the active sound detection project with A B Wood, producing a prototype for testing in mid 1917. This work, for the Anti-Submarine Division of the British Naval Staff, was undertaken in utmost secrecy, and used quartz piezoelectric crystals to produce the world's first practical underwater active sound detection apparatus. To maintain secrecy no mention of sound experimentation or quartz was made - the word used to describe the early work ('supersonics') was changed to 'ASD'ics, and the quartz material to 'ASD'ivite: hence the British acronym ASDIC. In 1939, in response to a question from the Oxford English Dictionary, the Admiralty made up the story that it stood for 'Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee', and this is still widely believed, though no committee bearing this name has been found in the Admiralty archives.[7] By 1918, both France and Britain had built prototype active systems. The British tested their ASDIC on HMS Antrim in 1920, and started production in 1922. The 6th Destroyer Flotilla had ASDIC-equipped vessels in 1923. An anti-submarine school, HMS Osprey, and a training flotilla of four vessels were established on Portland in 1924. The US Sonar QB set arrived in 1931. By the outbreak of World War II, the Royal Navy had five sets for different surface ship classes, and others for submarines, incorporated into a complete anti-submarine attack system. The effectiveness of early ASDIC was hamstrung by the use of the depth

charge as an anti-submarine weapon. This required an attacking vessel to pass over a submerged contact before dropping charges over the stern, resulting in a loss of ASDIC contact in the moments leading up to attack. The hunter was effectively firing blind, during which time a submarine commander could take evasive action. This situation was remedied by using several ships cooperating and by the adoption of "ahead throwing weapons", such as Hedgehog and later Squid, which projected warheads at a target ahead of the attacker and thus still in ASDIC contact. Developments during the war resulted in British ASDIC sets which used several different shapes of beam, continuously covering blind spots. Later, acoustic torpedoes were used. At the start of World War II, British ASDIC technology was transferred for free to the United States. Research on ASDIC and underwater sound was expanded in the UK and in the US. Many new types of military sound detection were developed. These included sonobuoys, first developed by the British in 1944 under the codename High Tea, dipping/dunking sonar and mine detection sonar. This work formed the basis for post war developments related to countering the nuclear submarine. Work on sonar had also been carried out in the Axis countries, notably in Germany, which included countermeasures. At the end of World War II this German work was assimilated by Britain and the US. Sonars have continued to be developed by many countries, including Russia, for both military and civil uses. In recent years the major military development has been the increasing interest in low frequency active systems. SONAR During the 1930s American engineers developed their own underwater sound detection technology and important discoveries were made, such as thermoclines, that would help future development.[8] After technical information was exchanged between the two countries during the Second World War, Americans began to use the term SONAR for their systems, coined as the equivalent ofRADAR. Performance factors The detection, classification and localisation performance of a sonar depends on the environment and the receiving equipment, as well as the transmitting equipment in an active sonar or the target radiated noise in a passive sonar.

Sound propagation Sonar operation is affected by variations in sound speed, particularly in the vertical plane. Sound travels more slowly in fresh water than in sea water, though the difference is small. The speed is determined by the water's bulk modulus and mass density. The bulk modulus is affected by temperature, dissolved impurities (usually salinity), and pressure. The density effect is small. The speed of sound (in feet per second) is approximately: 4388 + (11.25 temperature (in F)) + (0.0182 depth (in feet)) + salinity (in parts-perthousand ). This empirically derived approximation equation is reasonably accurate for normal temperatures, concentrations of salinity and the range of most ocean depths. Ocean temperature varies with depth, but at between 30 and 100 meters there is often a marked change, called the thermocline, dividing the warmer surface water from the cold, still waters that make up the rest of the ocean. This can frustrate sonar, because a sound originating on one side of the thermocline tends to be bent, or refracted, through the thermocline. The thermocline may be present in shallower coastal waters. However, wave action will often mix the water column and eliminate the thermocline. Water pressure also affects sound propagation: higher pressure increases the sound speed, which causes the sound waves to refract away from the area of higher sound speed. The mathematical model of refraction is called Snell's law. If the sound source is deep and the conditions are right, propagation may occur in the 'deep sound channel'. This provides extremely low propagation loss to a receiver in the channel. This is because of sound trapping in the channel with no losses at the boundaries. Similar propagation can occur in the 'surface duct' under suitable conditions. However in this case there are reflection losses at the surface. In shallow water propagation is generally by repeated reflection at the surface and bottom, where considerable losses can occur. Sound propagation is affected by absorption in the water itself as well as at the surface and bottom. This absorption depends upon frequency, with several different mechanisms in sea water. Long-range sonar uses low frequencies to minimise absorption effects. The sea contains many sources of noise that interfere with the desired target echo or signature. The main noise sources are waves andshipping. The motion of the receiver through the water can also cause speed-dependent low frequency noise.

Scattering When active sonar is used, scattering occurs from small objects in the sea as well as from the bottom and surface. This can be a major source of interference. This acoustic scattering is analogous to the scattering of the light from a car's headlights in fog: a highintensity pencil beam will penetrate the fog to some extent, but broader-beam headlights emit much light in unwanted directions, much of which is scattered back to the observer, overwhelming that reflected from the target ("white-out"). For analogous reasons active sonar needs to transmit in a narrow beam to minimise scattering. Target characteristics The sound reflection characteristics of the target of an active sonar, such as a submarine, are known as its target strength. A complication is that echoes are also obtained from other objects in the sea such as whales, wakes, schools of fish and rocks. Passive sonar detects the target's radiated noise characteristics. The radiated spectrum comprises a continuous spectrum of noise with peaks at certain frequencies which can be used for classification. Countermeasures Active (powered) countermeasures may be launched by a submarine under attack to raise the noise level, provide a large false target, and obscure the signature of the submarine itself. Passive (i.e., non-powered) countermeasures include:

Mounting noise-generating devices on isolating devices. Sound-absorbent coatings on the hulls of submarines, for example anechoic tiles.

Principle of an active sonar Active sonar uses a sound transmitter and a receiver. When the two are in the same place it is monostatic operation. When the transmitter and receiver are separated it is bistatic operation. When more transmitters (or more receivers) are used, again spatially separated, it is multistatic operation. Most sonars are used monostatically with the same array often

being used for transmission and reception. Active sonobuoy fields may be operated multistatically. Active sonar creates a pulse of sound, often called a "ping", and then listens for reflections (echo) of the pulse. This pulse of sound is generally created electronically using a sonar projector consisting of a signal generator, power amplifier and electroacoustic transducer/array. A beamformer is usually employed to concentrate the acoustic power into a beam, which may be swept to cover the required search angles. Generally, the electro-acoustic transducers are of the Tonpilz type and their design may be optimised to achieve maximum efficiency over the widest bandwidth, in order to optimise performance of the overall system. Occasionally, the acoustic pulse may be created by other means, e.g. (1) chemically using explosives, or (2) airguns or (3) plasma sound sources. To measure the distance to an object, the time from transmission of a pulse to reception is measured and converted into a range by knowing the speed of sound. To measure the bearing, several hydrophones are used, and the set measures the relative arrival time to each, or with an array of hydrophones, by measuring the relative amplitude in beams formed through a process called beamforming. Use of an array reduces the spatial response so that to provide wide cover multibeam systems are used. The target signal (if present) together with noise is then passed through various forms of signal processing, which for simple sonars may be just energy measurement. It is then presented to some form of decision device that calls the output either the required signal or noise. This decision device may be an operator with headphones or a display, or in more sophisticated sonars this function may be carried out by software. Further processes may be carried out to classify the target and localise it, as well as measuring its velocity. The pulse may be at constant frequency or a chirp of changing frequency (to allow pulse compression on reception). Simple sonars generally use the former with a filter wide enough to cover possible Doppler changes due to target movement, while more complex ones generally include the latter technique. Since digital processing became available pulse compression has usually been implemented using digital correlation techniques. Military sonars often have multiple beams to provide all-round cover while simple ones only cover a narrow arc, although the beam may be rotated, relatively slowly, by mechanical scanning. Particularly when single frequency transmissions are used, the Doppler effect can be used to measure the radial speed of a target. The difference in frequency between the transmitted and received signal is measured and converted into a velocity. Since Doppler

shifts can be introduced by either receiver or target motion, allowance has to be made for the radial speed of the searching platform. One useful small sonar is similar in appearance to a waterproof flashlight. The head is pointed into the water, a button is pressed, and the device displays the distance to the target. Another variant is a "fishfinder" that shows a small display with shoals of fish. Some civilian sonars (which are not designed for stealth) approach active military sonars in capability, with quite exotic three-dimensional displays of the area near the boat. When active sonar is used to measure the distance from the transducer to the bottom, it is known as echo sounding. Similar methods may be used looking upward for wave measurement. Active sonar is also used to measure distance through water between two sonar transducers or a combination of a hydrophone (underwater acoustic microphone) and projector (underwater acoustic speaker). A transducer is a device that can transmit and receive acoustic signals ("pings"). When a hydrophone/transducer receives a specific interrogation signal it responds by transmitting a specific reply signal. To measure distance, one transducer/projector transmits an interrogation signal and measures the time between this transmission and the receipt of the other transducer/hydrophone reply. The time difference, scaled by the speed of sound through water and divided by two, is the distance between the two platforms. This technique, when used with multiple transducers/hydrophones/projectors, can calculate the relative positions of static and moving objects in water. In combat situations, an active pulse can be detected by an opponent and will reveal a submarine's position. A very directional, but low-efficiency, type of sonar (used by fisheries, military, and for port security) makes use of a complex nonlinear feature of water known as non-linear sonar, the virtual transducer being known as a parametric array. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonar

Maritime Safety Services Consultancy

Maritime Safety / Security Consultancy | Satellite communications | International regulatory specialist LESOs the critical link in GMDSS Their critical role in providing maritime safety This article explains the importance of the Land Earth Stations (LESs) in the critical path between a vessel in distress and the maritime rescue co-ordination centres (MRCCs). Many ships that ply the seas and oceans of the world today have at least one Inmarsat satellite communications terminal fitted as standard. However, every ship that is subject to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and which travel outside of coastal Navtex coverage, must have Inmarsat C equipment fitted. Increasing regulation of the fisheries industry now means also that increasing numbers of fishing vessels are being fitted with Inmarsat equipment, to allow for mandatory vessel position monitoring. Ocean-going yachts and many other types of vessel, realising the vital part that Inmarsat can play in ensuring their safety, also fit Inmarsat equipment on a voluntary basis. Mariners trust Inmarsat with their lives and often do not stop to think of just how their call for help will be handled in an emergency they just accept the fact that their distress call will get through and that they will get a response. There are currently three Inmarsat two-way communications equipments that are approved for use within the GMDSS Inmarsat B, Inmarsat C and Inmarsat Fleet F77. Distress messages can be sent or received on all three, with distress alerts capable of being sent at the touch of a button. All three of these GMDSS services operate through the Inmarsat constellation of geo-synchronous satellites and through the Inmarsat land earth stations (LESs).

From the Inmarsat perspective it could be said therefore that there are four principal, key components in the maritime safety chain from a ship in distress. These are:

the GMDSS mobile earth station (MES) the Inmarsat satellite the Inmarsat land earth station and the maritime rescue coordination centre (MRCC)

The Inmarsat system provides three of these vital ingredients; the MES, the satellite and the LES. Combined, they provide a robust and reliable means of communication between the ship in distress and the MRCC and is always be available on demand. The IMO requires that the Inmarsat system must be available for ship-shore distress priority alert calls for a minimum of 99.9% of the time. The key partnership between Inmarsat and the highly qualified land earth station managers and operations co-ordinators ensures system availability to this very high standard. This close working relationship is in evidence throughout every day of every year, around the clock and around the world.

GMDSS provision via Inmarsat maritime safety services is depicted in the diagram shown. Although some rescue coordination centres have Inmarsat maritime terminals fitted amongst their communications equipment, the primary means of distress alerting shipshore will always be via an Inmarsat land earth station.

Each land earth station operates and maintains transmission, reception, satellite dish and switching equipment to track and communicate through the Inmarsat satellites. Highly skilled LES operations personnel are key elements in the dedicated provision of safety services to the international maritime community. Although the Inmarsat distress alerting system is largely automated, manual intervention is always available instantly in the event of a misconnection between the MES, the LES to the MRCC. Distress alerts give audible and visual indication when they are received at an LES. Under normal circumstances the alert is delivered automatically to the associated MRCC and no action is required at the LES. However, if this delivery fails for any reason, LES personnel that are on duty around the clock are alerted to the failure. They immediately assume manual control of the distress and ensure that the alert is delivered to the associated MRCC by the quickest means that remain available which may be voice, fax or telex. They then monitor and maintain open the communications link between the ship and the RCC. Unsung heroes of many rescues, these LES operations personnel deserve special mention. Without them, who knows how many lives could have been lost? Many LESs have multiple antennae and can see more than one satellite ocean region. It has been said that seafarers trust Inmarsat with their lives. It must be remembered that it is the Inmarsat system, including the vital Inmarsat land earth stations, that provides the service. Reference: file:///D:/maritime/LESOs%20%E2%80%93%20the%20critical%20link%20in%20GMD SS%20%20%20Maritime%20Safety%20Services%20Consultancy.htm

Inmarsat: Satellites are importan, maritime communications

In a presentation at Farnborough, Inmarsat Commercial Director Chris Mclaughlin underlined how satellites would benefit aeronautical and maritime communications. During the International Market Opportunities in Space mini-space conference, Director Mclaughlin brought up Inmarsats recent sponsorship of the Volvo Ocean Race. Inmarsat put its satellite communications systems to the task of monitoring the contestants progress. Journalists embedded with the crews were able to send HD video streams of the action back to their studios through satellite broadband link. Mclaughlin then detailed Inmarsats upcoming Global Xpress aeronautical service, which would offer clients a Ka-band satellite broadband facility with a 50Mb/s downlink and a 5Mb/s uplink capability. He also noted that Inmarsat was taking a gradualist approach with Global Express (set for a 2013/2014 launch date) to avoid previous mistakes like Boeings Connexion. According to Chris Mclaughlin, Blackberry data services will be offered on British Airways aircraft through Inmarsats Swift service. Swift broadband voice services was possible but mainly confined to business jets because smaller aircraft were easier to outfit with such equipment.

Asked about the limit of of Inmarsats coverage, Chris McLaughlin explained that geostationary communications satellites could not reach the polar regions. For Inmarsat, the latitudinal limit was at 78 degrees North. McLaughlin also discussed the potential market in polar maritime routes that may open up as the icepack melts, as well as the possible need for aviation routes across the poles. Inmarsat might consider a new type of satellite/orbit combination to cover the polar regions if the commercial need to do so arose.

Asked about the Volvo Ocean Race again -this time about any effect of rain fade on Inmarsats L-Band communications during the race- Chris Mclaughlin said that Inmarsats communications were not disrupted and pointed out L-band was resistant to rain fade. Mclaughlin expected that rain fade would only have limited effects on Inmarsat Global Xpress, as he had high confidence in the capability of the systems new Ka-band and its L-band backup. (After his presentation, Mclaughlin told an interviewer that rain fade was an issue for Inmarsats rivals, who used patchwork Ku-band services and VSATs that often require ship antennas to be repointed with regards to where the ship was.) Mclaughlin also had a few words about Avanti, the UKs other mainline satellite communications firm and a potential competitor. Lovely people, he chuckled, They live across the road, and we fly their satellite. According to Mclaughling, Avanti is an interesting data business and we know that data works. He then impishly added that Inmarsat considers Avanti CEO David Williams and his team to be inspired enthusiasts. Finally, Mclaughlin predicted that there would be more regulations on the use of personal data, navigation and tracking. He believed that public opinion was leaning towards proprivacy. There are no votes in going against the mainstream, he said of politicians who keep track of public opinion. Reference: http://technologyinventory.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/inmarsat-satellites-importantaeronautical-maritime-communications/

CellatSea Compact
On the high seas, MCPs CellatSea offers owners, guests, officers and crew the ability to make and receive calls, SMS messages and GPRS data at very affordable prices, wherever they are on the worlds oceans. They can do so using their own personal mobile handsets anywhere in world when under VSAT coverage. Our eCell@Sea system combines the CellatSea Compact architecture with the leading MCP Maritime Communications Partner's GSM service.

The CellatSea Compact solution creates an onboard wireless network at the end of the satellite link and mobile phones onboard are brought back into the international mobile communications network. Voice & SMS will enable real-time, two-way communication for everyone on board. This has a significant impact on quality of life onboard, particularly for merchant seafarers who are spending more and more time at sea as a result of new security procedures and enabling owners and guest on yachts to never be out of touch so as not to miss that important business deal. The CellatSea Compact base station is used to turn the vessel into a GSM cell. However, it will not work without an airtime service provider that will provide the service on the CellatSea equipment. There are only a few service providers with a wide range of bi lateral roaming agreements in place. It is very important to select a service provider that has a bi lateral roaming agreement with the GSM service providers required. The third element required is a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) that extends the GSM coverage throughout below decks so that GSM cell phones can be used freely below decks. Reference: http://e3s.com/index.php/technology/communications/on-board-gsmequipment/altobridge