A. General
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) coordinate on a global basis their efforts to timely provide search and rescue (SAR) services. Briefly, the goal of ICAO and IMO is to guarantee an effective worldwide system that wherever people sail or fly, SAR services will be available if needed. The overall approach is to establish, provide and improve a global SAR system.IMO is maintaining and improving its Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). ICAO is implementing a new Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS).
B. Qatar National SAR Manual
The Qatar National Search and Rescue Manual (NSARM) was prepared by the Doha Joint Rescue Coordination Center (DJRCC) according to Emiri Decree No.147 issued on 3 November 2013 and approved in July 2018. The NSARM is a result of combined efforts put in by various ministries of the State of Qatar along with other SAR supporting authorities and agencies. It is intended to undertake SAR operations in an efficient and effective manner. The primary objective of the NSARM is to provide guidelines for saving precious human lives and evolving a mechanism to continuously improve conduct of SAR operations, within the area of responsibility of the State of Qatar.The SAR operations stated in this manual will be applied in the following three areas: aeronautical, maritime and ground (land), as per specializations of each executive/responsible Authority.The success behind any safe and effective SAR operation greatly depends on coordinated team efforts and profound judgment. It depends on the speed with which the operation is planned and carried out. The receipt of all available information by the DJRCC is necessary for the evaluation of the situation, immediate decision on the best course of action and timely activation of SAR system to formulate an effective and safe response.
The nature of the incident and the rate at which situation may worsen usually determines the urgency of response. Hence, the organization responsible for undertaking such operations should provide prompt and effective assistance to all incidents, particularly those involving grave or imminent danger.To conduct safe SAR operations, a Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) should have accurate, timely and complete information about the incident and subsequent status of survivors. Moreover, an RCC staff should be well conversant with SAR operations and thoroughly familiar with the applicable SAR plans and measures.
C. SAR Agreements
In the event of a SAR, typically the DJRCC receive a distress alert signal(s) from different sources of information and assume the responsibilities for SAR operations. Keeping in mind the available facilities, the DJRCC should prepare comprehensive plans for the conduct of safe SAR operations within the area of its responsibilities. SAR resources available with all the assisting organizations should be utilized judiciously and effectively. All under mentioned organizations/authorities will conduct and support SAR operations as per competences and assigned duties within the area of their responsibilities. Providing a focal point of contact for coordination with the DJRCC during all SAR operational phases, the following are SAR providers in the State of Qatar:
- Joint Operations Centre GHQ
- Qatar Emiri Air Force
- Qatar Emiri Navy
- Qatar Emiri Borders
- Ministry of Interior (National Command Centre NCC)
- Coast Guard
- Internal Security Force (ISF) (Lakhwiya)
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Ministry of Energy
- Gulf Helicopters
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
D. International Organizations
The State of Qatar participates in a number of international organizations’ forums such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and has agreed to adopt search and rescue (SAR) standards and practices in accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 1974.
E. SAR Exercises (SAREX)
Training provides basic knowledge and skills. Hence regular training programs are to be arranged for all SAR personnel to achieve and maintain high level of competence. Training should include the following:
- Study of the application of SAR procedures, techniques and equipment through lectures, demonstrations, films, SAR publications, manuals and journals.
- Assisting by observing the actual SAR operation.
- Simulation of previous operations in order to train individuals on joint coordination, according to the prescribed technical procedures and techniques.
About Cospas-Sarsat
Cospas-Sarsat is a satellite system designed to provide distress alert and location data to assist SAR operations, using spacecraft and ground facilities to detect and locate the signals of distress beacons operating on 406 MHz. The responsible Cospas-Sarsat Mission Control Centre (MCC) forwards the position of the distress and other related information to the appropriate SAR authorities. Its objective is to support all organizations in the world responsible for SAR operations, whether at sea, in the air or on land. The Cospas-Sarsat System provides distress alert and location data to RCCs for 406 MHz beacons within the coverage area of Cospas-Sarsat ground stations.
LEOSAR (Low-altitude Earth Orbiting SAR) System
A LEOSAR satellite is used at an altitude of 850 km and it typically travels at a velocity of 7 km per second. The orbital period of this type of satellite is about 101 minutes. The satellite has a visibility circle of roughly 5,000 km in diameter. When viewed from the Earth, the satellite crosses the sky in less than 15 minutes, depending on the maximum elevation angle of the particular satellite pass. As the Earth rotates under the fixed orbital plane of the satellite, the complete surface of the globe is scanned in less than 12 hours by each satellite. The poles are scanned at each orbit, while at lower latitudes the average waiting time for two successive satellite passes in visibility of a specific location increases. It can reach a few hours at the equator, depending on the number of satellites in the constellation. At mid-altitudes, the waiting time for the nominal constellation of four LEOSAR satellites is typically less than one hour on average. The average waiting time is further reduced when more satellites are available in the operational constellation. The main instrument of location definition for LEOSAR satellites is so called Doppler effect.
GEOSAR (Geostationary SAR) System
The alternative to LEOSAR satellites relaying signals on the 406 MHz frequency band was mobile communications satellites in geostationary (GEO) orbit operating in the L-band portion of the spectrum (1.6 GHz). The Cospas-Sarsat LEOSAR approach stemmed from the need to locate existing then 121.5 MHz ELTs transmitting an analogue signal which could not be relayed via a geostationary satellite for any practical use. Doppler positioning was the only possible 121.5 MHz signal processing that could assist SAR services. Similarly, the 406 MHz system, which was derived from the Argos environmental data collection and Doppler positioning system, was tailored for LEO satellite operation. However, by the mid-1970s, IMO began discussing the components of the Future Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (FGMDSS) and most participating Administrations expected that voice and data communications in the maritime mobile satellite service operating through a geostationary satellite constellation would become a key component of the future system. A geostationary satellite constellation could provide continuous coverage of most ocean areas with no more than three or four satellites. In IMO, distress alerting using satellite EPIRBs operating through the future maritime geostationary satellite system waslargely seen as an obvious choice.
MEOSAR
A 1997 Canadian ‘Follow-On SAR System (FOSS)’ study 4 investigated possible methods to improve satellite SAR services. The study, presented to the Open Meeting of the Cospas-Sarsat Council in 1999 (CSC-23) showed that SAR payloads on navigation satellites in medium-altitude Earth orbit (MEO) at approximately 20,000 km altitude, such as GPS, would potentially provide significant advantages compared to using LEO satellites. In addition to providing for an independent positioning capability, potentially with enhanced performance compared to the LEO Doppler location technique, a MEOSAR system based on a host navigation satellite constellation could ensure the continuity of global coverage, hence the prospect of a quasi real-time, independent, alerting and locating capability.
QAMCC: Qatar Mission Control Centre
Overview
The international satellite system Cospas-Sarsat provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue (SAR) by using spacecraft and ground facilities to detect and locate distress signals. The position of the distress and other related information is transmitted to appropriate SAR authorities.Distress beacons (Emergency Locator Transmitters – ELTs, Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons – EPIRBs, Personal Locator Beacons – PLBs) transmit signals that are detected by Cospas-Sarsat spacecraft in orbit around the earth. These signals are relayed to Cospas-Sarsat ground receiving stations termed Local User Terminals (LUTs), which process the signals to determine the beacon location. Alerts are then relayed, together with location data, via a Mission Control Centre (MCC), either to another MCC, the appropriate search and rescue point of contact (SPOC), or to a Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) to initiate SAR activities. The data that is relayed to the MCC from the LUTs may be received from any of three satellite systems that are intended for search and rescue (SAR) support:
- LEOSAR Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Search and Rescue.
- MEOSAR Medium-altitude Earth Orbit (MEO) Search and Rescue.
- GEOSAR Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) Search and Rescue.
The Qatar Mission Control Centre (QAMCC), included in the South Central Data Distribution Region (SCDDR), with the Qatar LEOLUT and GEOLUT are integrated into the global Cospas-Sarsat System
A new system that contributes to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) efforts to strengthen maritime security and suppress acts of terrorism against shipping was implemented by Cospas-Sarsat. Modifications were made to the Cospas-Sarsat System to provide discrete security alerts and the Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) now complies with IMO requirements.