EMSA becomes LRIT – IDE Operator

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has announced that it will begin to operate the LRIT International Data Exchange (LRIT-IDE) from the 18th October 2011. The LRIT-IDE represents the central node to manage the flow of LRIT information between various LRIT Data Centres around the world.

The LRIT-IDE acts like the switchboard of a telephone network: it relays LRIT position reports between all Data Centres, and is at the centre of a secure network which spans five continents. It handles issues such as availability and access rights

This system has been developed, hosted and operated on a temporary basis since 2009 by the United States Coast Guard agency. EMSA was appointed as the IDE Operator by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee during its 87th session, and the transfer process has now been successfully completed.

“We are extremely pleased that the transfer of the responsibility for the IDE from the US Coast Guard to EMSA has been achieved successfully,” says Willem de Ruiter, executive director of EMSA.

“The cooperation with the International Maritime Organization and the US Coast Guard, the former operator and developer of this system, has been very good: a positive example of international collaboration aimed at enhancing maritime safety worldwide.”

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