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Who's Qualified to Conduct Your GMDSS Radio Survey

Not just anyone can perform a GMDSS radio survey. Firms conducting these surveys must be formally authorized to act on behalf of flag states or their Recognized Organizations (ROs) — a requirement set out in IMO Resolution A.739(18), which calls for surveying organizations to demonstrate extensive, documented experience assessing the design, construction, and radio installations of merchant ships.

In practice, this authorization flows through the classification societies. Flag administrations delegate survey work to ROs like Lloyd's Register, ABS, and RINA, and those societies in turn approve individual service suppliers. To earn that approval, a firm must meet the procedural standards set by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) under UR Z17:

• Supervisors need at least two years of technical school education and inspector experience, ideally holding a General Operator's Certificate (GOC) or GMDSS Radio Electronic Certificate (REC) recognized by the ITU.
• Inspectors need at least one year of technical training and one year as an assistant inspector, ideally with a national radio operator's certificate, plus internal training in radiotelephony, GMDSS, and survey procedures.
• The firm itself must maintain a documented quality system (such as ISO 9000 compliance), personnel records, and calibrated test equipment — frequency meters, EPIRB testers, and the like — along with formal reporting procedures. Approval is granted after audits and on-site demonstrations, and must be renewed every five years.

What this means for you as a ship owner: you're required to use a firm approved by your vessel's classification society or flag administration — for example, RINA-classed vessels must use a RINA-approved radio firm for annual inspections. This chain of approval is what keeps your surveys aligned with IMO Resolution A.1156(32) on Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) and with your flag state's specific rules.

Aquatic Navigation holds these approvals across multiple classification societies, so your survey is conducted by a firm that's already cleared the bar your flag state requires. For questions specific to your vessel's flag or class, we're happy to walk you through it — or you can confirm directly with your flag state authority or RO.