Nat doc 001 Guidance and Information Material Concerning
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| PART 9 9. SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) IN THE NAT REGION 9.1 Use of Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) 9.1.1 The COPSAS/SARSAT 5 System employs near-polar orbital satellites to detect and locate signals from ELTs. A number of countries, including Canada, France, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States, have established Local User Terminals (LUT) and associated Mission Control Centres (MCC) in the NAT Region or close by. An appropriate (usually the nearest) LUT will receive a signal from an ELT and will transmit it onto the nearest MCC. The MCC will identify the aircraft’s position and then coordinate with other MCCs to inform relevant Rescue Coordination Centres (RCCs) best able to deal with the incident. RCCs should react promptly in sending their SAR forces to deal with an emergency. 9.1.2 The COSPAS/SARSAT System will detect transmissions, throughout the NAT Region, on three particular frequencies, namely 121.5, 243 and, more recently, 406 MHz. Location accuracy is normally better than 5 km when tracking signals from ELTs operating on 406 MHz and 20 km when operating on the other frequencies. The maximum waiting time between ELT activation and satellite detection should not exceed 90 minutes in the NAT Region and will normally be much quicker than this. 9.1.3 The COSPAS/SARSAT System will detect transmissions, throughout the NAT Region, on three particular frequencies, namely 121.5, 243 and, more recently, 406 MHz. Location accuracy is normally better than 5 km when tracking signals from ELTs operating on 406 MHz and 20 km when operating on the other frequencies. The maximum waiting time between ELT activation and satellite detection should not exceed 90 minutes in the NAT Region and will normally be much quicker than this. 9.1.4 In the future, more robust ELTs operating on 406 MHz as a primary frequency and with a low power output frequency of 121.5 MHz, for homing purposes only, will be required to be carried. ICAO have already stated (in January 1999) a policy for the mandatory carriage of such ELTs to be as follows a) on-board new aircraft, fitment of 406 MHz ELTs should take place by 1 January 2002; whereas b) for existing aircraft the requirement is to retrofit with the new ELTs before 1 January 2005. 9.1.5 ICAO has also proposed that processing by the COSPAS/SARSAT System of the 121.5 and 243 MHz signals should subsequently be discontinued from 1 January 2008. 5 space system for search of vessels in distress/search and rescue satellite aided tracking |