The Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system was established in 2006 and formally incorporated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2008, for the global identification and tracking of ships. By using vessel information and position data from ships registered to IMO member states that are subject to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the system allows the essential sharing of maritime security information between contracting governments.
The vessels registered to those contracting governments must, therefore, ensure that they report their vessel location to the flag administration at least four times a day, and have the necessary hardware installed to contribute that information.
Who must comply with LRIT?
All ships registered to the contracting governments of the SOLAS convention engaged on international voyages and fulfilling one of the following criteria:
- Passenger ships, including high-speed vessels
- Cargo ships, including high-speed vessels of 300 gross tonnage and above
- Offshore oil rigs
How can I take an LRIT conformance test?
Pole Star’s LRIT Conformance system manages all aspects of the test, including terminal commissioning, satellite communications network management, post-test de-commissioning, and provides detailed test results and conformance test certificates (if required).
To conduct an LRIT Test (for Inmarsat C):
- Place an order for your LRIT test credit by sending a purchase request to sales@polestarglobal.com or salesasia@polestarglobal.com depending on your location. This email will need to include: vessel name, flag, IMO number and an email address you wish us to issue an invoice to.
- Log into your Pole Star LRIT account here and click on ‘Register Transceiver’, completing all fields as required. (Home > Registrations > Register Transceivers).
- Pole Star will send an invoice for the LRIT conformance test to the email stated on your purchase request – please process payment accordingly. (Note: For customers with credit terms, the test credit will be added to your account directly after the order has been raised).
- The LRIT Test is now ready to begin:
- Login to your Purplefinder LRIT account (www.purplefinder.com).
- Click the Home tab > Manage Test > Start Test.
- Locate the relevant vessel from the list > Check “Select Transceiver” > Press “NEXT”.
- Complete Self Certify > Ensure all details registered are correct before proceeding > Press ‘Start Test’ to initiate the LRIT Conformance Test.
To learn more about the Iridium testing process visit our Help page and navigate to FAQ 15.
When do I get a certificate?
Once you have confirmed that Pole Star is authorised to certify for your vessel’s flag state (see FAQ 1 on the Help page), fill in the online certificate order form and choose your delivery preference. After processing your payment, send a copy of the remittance in response to the email including your Pro Forma Invoice and cc: lritcert@polestarglobal.com. Upon confirmation of payment, Pole Star’s finance department will issue a final invoice, the certificate will be dispatched, and a scanned PDF copy will be sent via email on the day the CTR is produced.
"When testing, ensure the correct on-board equipment is powered on and operational, as some vessels have multiple transceivers and sometimes the incorrect piece of equipment has been powered on"
How long does an LRIT Test Report stay valid?
An LRIT conformance test certificate has no expiry date as long as the equipment remains the same. You will be required to conduct a new LRIT test if your equipment has changed since the last test, or if the vessel has changed flags. Reasons for conducting a new LRIT test are not limited to the above. Contact support@polestarglobal.com if you have any questions.
"Do not test your Inmarsat-C transceiver if your airtime or IMN was only activated within the past 48hrs"
Why Pole Star?
With more than 40,000 completed LRIT tests on behalf of global ship operators to date, Pole Star is the world leader in LRIT testing.
We hold unrivalled expertise within the LRIT system, working with all major satellite equipment manufacturers, communications service providers, land earth station operators, Inmarsat and other satellite communication network providers, to ensure that the LRIT system works end-to-end.
We are a Thrane & Thrane certified partner and Inmarsat certified silver partner, attending and contributing to the relevant IMO COMSAR, NAV, MSC, Engineering and Working Group meetings.
Pole Star is an LRIT Data Centre administrator on behalf of over 60 flag administrations, monitoring more than 34,000 ships and an authorised testing ASP for over 100 Flags.
"If you encounter a test failure, please contact Customer Support for help, advice, and assistance before starting another test."
I have more questions, who can I contact?
Pole Star’s global support team offers dedicated technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. With our multilingual team of product experts based across London, Hong Kong and Panama, we provide service support, technical support, training, troubleshooting and diagnostics around the clock, by phone and email.
Phone: For urgent issues, call Pole Star Customer Support on +44 20 7313 7403
Email: For non-urgent queries and issues, email us at: support@polestarglobal.com
We aim to respond to all emails within 24 hours.
For any queries relating to LRIT, please contact:
LRIT Testing– lrittesting@polestarglobal.com
LRIT Certification– lritcert@polestarglobal.com
LRIT Data Centre Tracking– lrit-dc@polestarglobal.com
