This requires ro-ro passenger vessels to carry transponders in the ratio of one transponder to every four liferafts.

The S4 Rescue is a carry-off 9GHz X-band radar transceiver used for assisting air/sea ship or survival craft rescue operations in accordance with IMO, GMDSS requirements and has been designed accordingly with a new user-friendly, logical operating system for reliable and intuitive operation.

Once activated, the S4 Rescue automatically transmits a response signal when a 9GHz radar signal is received from a ship or aircraft. This clearly identifies the location of the vessel or survival craft carrying the S4 Rescue SART on the radar screen by means of a stream of 12 in-line dots. Once operating, the S4 Rescue will respond immediately to a radar signal and will remain in standby mode for over 96 hours.

The maintenance-free S4 Rescue is buoyant and waterproof to 10m and has a replaceable five year battery pack. When operating, there is both an audible and visual indicator to reassure users that the SART is working. There is also a built-in self test facility.

The S4 Rescue comes complete with an integral lanyard, bulkhead mounting bracket, and pole for ship and survival craft applications.

McMurdo has received another significant product approval, this time from the United States Coast Guard for the MT-1 Universal Automatic Identification System (UAIS) developed jointly with Transas.

The UAIS transponder with touch screen display is designed to transmit the ship's data to other vessels in the vicinity as well as shore based vessel tracking systems.

Having been approved as being suitable for the requirements of vessels sailing in US waters, the MT-1 can now go before the Federal Communications Commission in Washington DC to be issued with a Grant of Authorisation certificate.

The MT-1 is already fully approved for use in Europe, having recently received its EC Quality System certification and EU MED Ship Wheel Approval.

This enables the MT-1 UAIS to be fitted to vessels whose flag state are MED compliant.

UAIS is mandated to be fitted to all SOLAS vessels before 31 December 2004.

MJ Information No: 19137