IMO Performance Standards for AIS

IMO Performance Standards for AIS

IMO PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR AIS

These performance standards specify the requirements for the universal AIS:

1.The AIS should improve the safety of navigation by assisting in the efficientnavigation of ships, protection of the environment, and operation of VesselTraffic Services (VTS), by satisfying the following functional requirements: \ in a ship-to-ship mode for collision avoidance;as a means for littoral States to obtain information about a ship and itscargo; and as a VTS tool,

i. e. ship-to-shore (traffic management).

2.The AIS should be capable of providing to ships and to competent authorities,information from the ship, automatically and with the required accuracy andfrequency, to facilitate accurate tracking. Transmission of the data should bewith the minimum involvement of ship's personnel and with a high level of availability.

3.The system should be capable of operating in a number of modes: 

an "autonomous and continuous" mode for operation in all areas. Thismode should be capable of being switched to/from one of the followingalternate modes by a competent authority;

an "assigned" mode for operation in an area subject to a competentauthority responsible for traffic monitoring such that the data transmissioninterval and/or time slots may be set remotely by that authority; and

a "polling" or controlled mode where the data transfer occurs in response tointerrogation from a ship or competent authority.

4.The AIS should comprise:

i.a communication processor, capable of operating over a range of maritime frequencies, with an appropriate channel selecting andswitching method, in support of both short and long rangeapplications;

ii.a means of processing data from an electronic position-fixing systemwhich provides a resolution of one ten thousandth of a minute of arcand uses the WGS-84 datum;

iii.a means to automatically input data from other sensors meeting theprovisions as specified in paragraph;

iv.a means to input and retrieve data manually;

v.a means of error checking the transmitted and received data; and

vi.built in test equipment (BITE).

5.The AIS should be capable of:

i.providing information automatically and continuously to a competentauthority and other ships, without involvement of ship's personnel;

ii.receiving and processing information from other sources, includingthat from a competent authority and from other ships;

iii.responding to high priority and safety related calls with a minimum of delay;

iv.providing positional and manoeuvring information at a data rateadequate to facilitate accurate tracking by a competent authority andother ships.

v.monitoring and tracking targets

vi.handling at least 2000 reports per minute

vii.being operational within two minutes of switching on

6.For the purpose of ship and message identification, the appropriate MaritimeMobile Service Identity (MMSI) number should be used.

7.The information provided by the AIS should include.

1 Static:- IMO number (where available)- Call sign & name- Length and beam- Type of ship- Location of position-fixing antenna on the ship (aft of bow and port orstarboard of centerline).

2 Dynamic:- Ship's position with accuracy indication and integrity status- Time in UTC *- Course over ground- Speed over ground- Heading- Navigational status (e.g. NUC, at anchor, etc. - manual input)- Rate of turn (where available)- Optional - Angle of heel (where available)- Optional - Pitch and roll (where available).

3 Voyage related:- Ship's draught 

- Hazardous cargo (type)- Destination and ETA (at masters discretion)- Optional - Route plan (waypoints).4 Short safety-related messages8.

AIS and its associated sensors shall be supplied with main emergency source of Power.