What is COSPAS-SARSAT?
COSPAS-SARSAT is an international satellite-based search and rescue system, established by Canada, France, the U.S.A., and Russia. These four countries jointly helped develop a 406 MHz satellite emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (EPIRB), an element of the GMDSS designed to operate with COSPAS-SARSAT system. These automatic-activating EPIRBs are designed to transmit to a rescue coordination centre a vessel identification and an accurate location of the vessel from anywhere in the world. What is NAVTEX NAVTEX is an international, automated system for instantly distributing maritime navigational warnings, weather forecasts and warnings, search and rescue notices and similar information to ships. A small, low-cost and self-contained “smart” printing radio receiver installed in the pilot house of a ship or boat checks each incoming message to see if it has been received during an earlier transmission, or if it is of a category of no interest to the ship’s master. If it is a new and