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ECDIS e-navigation


What are the benefits? T


he benefits of e-navigation are wide in scope. Ultimately, e-navi- gation should deliver enhanced


live information to masters, navigators and watchkeepers, which should help to facilitate safer navigation and improved decision- making and also foster use of advanced pilot- age skills. At the same time, the communica- tions element of e-navigation will complete the automated interface between ship and shore operations, which will have immediate and obvious benefits for some key aspects of maritime infrastructure such as VTS, AIS and search-and-rescue operations. In effect, all


elements of the marine operations cycle should benefit from the simultaneous availability of automated navigation and communication information, with all parties having access to the same data. In addition, the administrative burden imposed upon masters and ship operators by ever-increasing maritime state regulation (for example, relating to routeing systems, security and environmental protection) could be eased by the automated transmission of e-navigation-controlled data. IALA’s e-Nav Committee was established


in 2006 and is a major member of the correspondence group that advises the IMO’s NAV subcommittee. Its work plays a role in defining the IMO e-navigation strategy implementation plan. The chairman of this influential committee is Bill Cairns, whose


There should be a market for customer-driven applications within the e-navigation environment


other job is principal navigation engineer with the United States Coast Guard (USCG). “The USCG is a strong supporter of the [e-navigation] concept and is the lead developer of US e-nav strategy, reporting to the Committee for Marine Transportation Systems,” Cairns explained. “We also work bilaterally with the Canadian authorities to ensure interoperability in shared waters.” The most recent meeting of the e-Nav Committee took place in early October. It was attended by more than 100 par- ticipants from 24 countries, and included representatives of nine sister organi- sations, including the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the Nautical Institute,


International Pilots and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). Cairns con- firmed that enthusiasm and support for the project remains high at IALA. “The work is being carried out by six


working groups, led by the Operations Group, which is also the link to the IMO Correspondence Group,” Cairns outlined. The other groups handling technical work are Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), AIS, Communications, Architecture and Portrayal. In essence, the focus of these groups is on producing recommendations for harmonisation and interoperability. For example, the Communications Working Group concentrates on the frequency


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