U.S. RCC-SARSAT CONFERENCE 15 – 17 February 2011 National Data Distribution

U.S. RCC-SARSAT CONFERENCE15 – 17 February 2011

National Data Distribution

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Follows along the same line as the International Data Distribution

In most cases USMCC does morePrimarily going to address differences

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Mission Control Center

Rescue Coordination

Centers

LEO Satellites

GEO Satellites

Emergency Beacons

SAR Point of ContactsOther

Mission Control Centers


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Unlocated AlertsLocated AlertsNotification of Country of Registry (NOCR)Ship Security Alert System (SSAS)Other Information Messages


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If Country Code is U.S. (303, 338, 358. 366, 367, 368, 369, 379, 536, & 559)– If the beacon is registered in U.S. 406 RGDB

• Alert is distributed based on SRR in registration• SRR in registration is based on

– State or country of homeport, or

– State or country of owners mailing address

• If no SRR is assigned, alert is distributed based on type of beacon

– EPIRBs to PacArea

– ELTs to AFRCC

– PLBs to AFRCC

USMCC to U.S. RCCs

Unlocated Alerts

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– Alerts for unregistered beacons that have information decoded from the 15 Hex (per the “encoded information” section of an alert message) that can be used to access another registry are distributed based on the type of beacon:

– EPIRBs to PacArea– ELTs to AFRCC– PLBs – not sent to anyone, no link to another DB

– Alerts for unregistered beacons that cannot be linked to a database with owner information are not distributed

USMCC to U.S. RCCs

Unlocated Alerts

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– Information that is decoded from 15 Hex and can be used to access other databases:

• EPIRBS - Radio Call Sign, Ship Station Id, etc.– RCC must lookup using ITU or other source

• ELTs – 24 bit Address, aircraft operator designator, etc.

– RCC must lookup using Tail number database

• PLBs – no information to use

USMCC to U.S. RCCs

Unlocated Alerts

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Alerts for beacon with Country Code in the U.S. Search and Rescue Region (SRR) are distributed based on a table in the USMCC:– To a U.S. RCC if the country encoded is within that

RCC’s SRR and the country does not have a SPOC that USMCC communicates with directly

• Example, Cuban beacon goes to D7

– Otherwise to the SPOC of the country encoded in the beacon.

• Example, Colombian beacon goes to Colombia

USMCC to U.S. RCCs and SPOCs

Unlocated Alerts

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High Points of Unlocated Alert Distribution– Distribution based on

• Country Code• SRR in registration• USMCC communications with encoded country

– In Cospas-Sarsat – “Foreign Beacons” are determined by encoded country and not based on information in registration which at time of processing for distribution is only available to one MCC.

• Example – USMCC only has access to the US 406 RGDB

Unlocated Alerts

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Alert Distribution with Location

Follows same procedures as International except (1 of 2):– Distributes alerts to RCCs in buffer zones.– Continues to send after ambiguity is resolved– Position conflict

• Before ambiguity is resolved– Each new alert is sent based on its location and– to every RCC that was previously sent to– No next pass or missed passed messages are sent

• When ambiguity is resolve– every RCC is notified– Subsequent alerts are sent only to the SRR with

resolved location– Next pass and missed is turned back on

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Notification of Country of Registry (NOCR) History –

– Because there are areas of the world where SAR forces may not respond - nations/states wanted to know when their vessels were in distress so they could ensure SAR forces are responding.

– The NOCR “Service” started out as optional – nations/states that wanted it, requested it. Now it is sent regardless of whether there is a request. The U.S. requested it from the start.

– It used to be distributed directly from one MCC to another MCC known as the servicing MCC, but it is now distributed through the nodal network.

Notification of Country of Registry

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Alert Distribution with Location

Follows same procedures as International except (2 of 2):– Sends position updates when, prior to

ambiguity resolution, A – B sides flip and A side probability increases by more that 30%

– Does send not image determination message when one side of a Doppler first alert was not previously reported as a GOES detection

– Sends encoded update messages when the encoded location changes by more that 3 KM.

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Distribution:– MCC to MCC Based on country code of

beacon• When a MCC detects a beacon in its service area

for a country outside of its service area• Alert must have a location

– USMCC distributes the NOCR to its RCCs when:

• It detects the conditions to receive an NOCR or receives an NOCR from another MCC

• It will only send an NOCR once• It will not send an NOCR if it has already sent an

alert message with a location to a U.S. RCC


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– The NOCR is distributed to U.S. RCCs based on essentially the same parameters as a unlocated alert.

– The NOCR does not require the beacon to be registered for it to be distributed to a U.S. RCC because it has a location

– NOCRs from Unregistered beacons are distributed based on beacon type

• EPIRBs are sent to PacArea• ELTs and PLBs are sent to AFRCC

– Work was started on a scheme to send to the RCCs based on the location of the alert, but was not completed prior to a USCGHQ personnel change several years ago.

• We still need to assign foreign SRRs to the Area RCCs??


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Slide from 2005 Senior Controllers ConferenceNOCRs

Definition - Notification of Country of Registry– Distributed internationally based on the country code of the

beacon– Distributed nationally based on the SRR code in the registration

with default to PACAREA Requested by CGHQ in the 1980s so CG RCCs could

follow up on US Vessels that were potentially in distress in foreign waters

NOAA used to brief each activation of a USA coded beacon every morning

Good News – USMCC will no longer request information for these cases for the Morning Report.


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Considerable discussion followed– I asked if we should continue to distribute the

NOCR because the IHDB feedback usually indicated that there was no action taken because it was outside of the RCC’s AOR.

– Initial response from the attendees was that the USMCC should not distributed NOCRs – but

– The discussion soon changed to there being a need to follow up on U.S. country coded beacon activations


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– Two concerns were the large number U.S. country coded beacons:

• On foreign flagged vessels, and• Owned by persons that reside outside the U.S.

– The USCGHQ took an action to address the NOCR in the USCG RCC SAR procedures.


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• CH-1 TO THE U.S. COAST GUARD ADDENDUM TO THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE SUPPLEMENT (NSS) TO THE INTERNATIONAL AERONAUTICAL AND MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE MANUAL (IAMSAR), COMDTINST M16130.2D

• (7) Notification of Country of Registry (NOCR). Command Centers may occasionally receive messages through the SARSAT system providing "Notification of Country of Registry" or NOCRs. These messages provide notification of the activation of a U.S. registered EPIRB in a location outside of the U.S. SAR Region. In these instances, the beacon activation alert has been forwarded to the appropriate RCC in the nation that has SAR responsibility for the composite position of the beacon, and the United States SAR authorities are being notified as a follow up to the normal SAR response process. Whenever possible, RCCs should attempt to contact the responsible RCC to ensure that SAR response efforts are being taken to assist U.S. citizens in distress.

• (http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/DocumentsASeries/A1NOV1_07.pdf, ANNEX I / D, SAR POINTS OF CONTACT


http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/DocumentsASeries/A1NOV1_07.pdf

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SSAS Alerts – – Distributed to LantArea– After a SSAS detection, Alerts may be directed to

other CG RCCs at OpCom’s direction.

Unknown Alerts –– Failed validation checks caused by

• Malfunctioning Beacon or• LUT Processing

– When beacon HEX code fails validation checks:• The encoded data is considered unreliable, therefore

– Unlocated alerts are not distributed because distribution of unlocated alerts is based on the country code

• Distributed based on Doppler location and to USCG OpCom

SSAS and Unknown Alerts

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Other Information/Messages (1 of 2)

Next Pass is based on:– Based on 3 minutes of Mutual Visibility – The Satellite

can simultaneously see• A US LUT that is scheduled to take the pass and • The beacon

– Not computed for Mutual Visibility with foreign LUTs

Missed Pass is sent when the beacon is not detected and the mutual viability criteria of above was met.

Therefore no Next Pass for beacons that are located were a satellite will not have mutual visibility with the beacon and a US LUT/

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Other Information/Messages (2 of 2)

Missed Pass is not sent:– When an unlocated detection is received with a

detection after the anticipate detection time• 1201 - LUT AOS• 1208 - Anticipate detection of located alert• 1209 - GOES detection received (USMCC is updated every

20 minutes by GEOLUTS• 1216 - LUT LOS• 1217 - Data at USMCC received for LEO pass with no

location for the beacon (could have an unlocated alert.– After location is received, USMCC does not send out

unlocated alert messages until there have been no messages sent for 2 hours.

– Unlocated detections will also zero out missed pass counter.

– Not receiving a Missed Pass generally indicates the beacon is still on.

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Questions?
