Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/528099
39 Summer 2015 Proceedings www.uscg.mil/proceedings From Morse Code to the Cloud The frst recorded ship-to-shore Morse code radio transmis- sion occurred in 1899, from a Coast Guard Lightship off San Francisco, California, to the Cliff House in San Francisco. 1 The maritime community continued to use Morse code- based systems throughout WWII, until satellite communica- tions became available in the late 1960s. The Coast Guard was among the frst to use satellite com- munications and Coast Guard leaders were instrumental in creating the International Maritime Satellite Organiza- tion (INMARSAT) as an intergovernmental entity. 2 Later, stakeholders privatized INMARSAT, and it evolved into the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO), which oversees distress and safety services for the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Later, the IMSO was given similar oversight for the Long Range Identifcation and Tracking program. Industry Collaboration In the mid-1990s, the Coast Guard sponsored VTS 2000, a system to improve waterway management through emerg- ing technologies and risk-based management. This program included a close partnership with the Radio Technical Com- mission for Maritime Services (RTCM) and a very inclusive group of stakeholders, including: ► the America Pilots' Association, ► the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, ► the International Electrotechnical Commission, ► the International Hydrographic Organization, ► the International Marine Electronics Association, ► the International Maritime Organization, ► the International Telecommunication Union, ► the American Society for the Testing of Materials, ► the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ► the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ► the U.S. Navy, ► VTS-related equipment and systems manufacturers. The result: the VTS 2000 program included using radar in conjunction with electronic charting technology using the Automatic Identifcation System (AIS) and integrated envi- ronmental sensors. 3 The Automatic Identifcation System In 2004, all ships governed by the International Convention for the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) were required to utilize the AIS to automatically provide information about a ship to other ships and to coastal authorities. On January 1, 2010, the IMO added the AIS Search and Rescue Transponder (SART) to required equipment for the GMDSS, as an alternative to radar SART, and in the U.S., as an alternative to an EPIRB's 121.5 MHz homing signal. 4 AIS messaging also includes aids to navigation (ATON) infor- mation. The Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Standards Support Innovation The future of marine navigation technology. by MS. SAndrA Borden Media Chair Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services Board of Directors Mr. M. edWArd GilBert President, Gilbert & Associates, Inc. Mr. JoSeph herSey, Jr. Secretary, U.S. National Committee Technical Advisory Group Mr. roBert l. MArKle President, Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services Mr. roSS norSWorthy President, REC, Inc. Mr. rudy peSChel Independent Consultant Mr. Joe ryAn Independent Consultant Technology