AMTS operates the national data center and acts as the LRIT Application Service Provider for Panama, the world’s largest merchant maritime registry. As an Iridium Value-Added Reseller, AMTS is now able to sell and provision Iridium-based LRIT connectivity to ships flying the flag of Panama, a market estimated to include more than 8,000 vessels. Under new regulations the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted, ships subject to the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) must be equipped with an approved LRIT device that reports its location and identification to a database operated by the administration under which the vessel is flagged. This database may be accessed by authorized users, such as national coast guards, at regular intervals. Three Value-Added Manufacturers – Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), EMA, and Faria WatchDog, Inc. – have successfully tested their LRIT products for operation on the Iridium satellite network, and offer a robust and reliable solution for LRIT compliance for ships flying the Panamanian flag.
The IMO LRIT carriage requirements apply to all vessels of 300 gross tonnage and above on international voyages, including passenger ships, cargo ships, high-speed craft and mobile offshore drilling units. The LRIT carriage requirements came into effect January 1, 2009 for ships operating in all IMO Sea Areas except Sea Area A4. The deadline for ships operating in Sea Area A4 is July 1, 2009. All new ships subject to the LRIT regulations must comply by these dates, and current ships requiring retrofit equipment must comply by the date of their first radio survey after these deadlines. Ships certified for service in Sea Area A4 must comply by the earlier date when they are operating in other Sea Areas.