Summary of Working Paper No. 17-1995
I.1.2: Operational Aspects.
By Alexander S. Baskin and Evgeny V. Yakshevitch, Albert Shigabutdinov Central
Marine Research and Design Institute, and Arkady Buzuyev, Arctic and Antarctic
Research Institute.
During the first stages of work under this project a wide range of research
was executed, the main purpose of which was the analysis, ordering and valuation
of the information about operational aspects of navigation in the Russian
Arctic.
These questions range from legal regulation of navigation up to aids of
navigation and communications, methods of crew training and many others. The main
attention was given to questions of maintenance of the safety of navigation.
Research results from 1993 and 1994 have made it possible on the basis of
objective valuation of a modern condition to formulate ways to perfect all elements
of operational aspects.
A number of specific practical problems of maintenance of navigation on NSR
were solved in the course of three years thanks to the research executed.
Among them most important are:
1. "Rules of transit navigation on the NSR", (1995, Admiralty number 415)
including English translation have been drawn up for publication.
2. Editing of open navigating charts on the NSR in 217 copies as of 08.07.1995 is
provided.
3. The navigating charts for the NSR will be issued also in English and on
WGS-84, that will allow optimal solutions to problems of electronic navigation.
4. The project of creation of a network of a differential subsystem GPS on the
NSR was fulfilled.
5. Programs for mate training for navigation on the NSR at Training Centre (St.
Petersburg) have been prepared.
6. The data base of ice damages to hulls of ice going ships and icebreakers was
carried out.
Besides aspects on a number of other directions have been studied, and will be
included in the final project report.
The feasibility of operation of satcom aids in the INMARSAT and OCEAN systems
depends upon satellite coverage areas. With the INMARSAT - A SES employed as a
satcom station, the coverage boundary is deemed to be the line through which
the elevation is not lower than 5 at any point. However, both operational
experience and special experiments show that reliable communications are provided at
lower elevation angles, down to and including 0 elevation.
Tests conducted by Russian experts on the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Siberia"
and on the research ship "Professor Vize" via the INTELSAT V - MCSA IOR and
MARECS B-2 AOR satellite transponders, respectively, have proved that the limit
of the INMARSAT service area is the focus where INMARSAT geostationary
satellites serve four ocean regions: the Atlantic West (AOR-W), the Atlantic East
(AOR-E), the Indian (IOR) and the Pacific (POR). The NSR is covered by the AOR-E, IOR
and POR satellites. Shown in Fig. 1 are the boundaries of INMARSAT coverage in
the Russian Arctic at elevation angles of 0 and 5.
The Arctic coverage capability of the INMARSAT IOR and POR satellites is
reduced because of the gaps extending from 95o E to 135oE. Satcom services in this
area can be provided by the OCEAN system. The OCEAN functional capabilities are
limited as compared with INMARSAT, because the system is not intended for
operating many CES and does not provide automatic telephone connection. The OCEAN
calling and interrogation frequencies differ from those employed in INMARSAT.
That is why only few INMARSAT SES models are suitable for operation in the OCEAN
system. At present these are the Russian Volna-C, Iceberg, the Norwegian
Saturn-3C and the Japanese JUE-45.
A total of 18 icebreakers involved in Arctic navigation are fitted with the
INMARSAT - a SES's capable of operation in both the INMARSAT and the OCEAN
systems (9 of the Murmansk Shipping Company, 7 of the Far Eastern Shipping Company
and 2 of the Northern Shipping Company).
It is expected that the Russian mobile satcom system MARAPHON will be used in
the Arctic as soon as new generation satellites are launched to provide voice,
fax, telegraph communications and data transmissions for mobiles or remote
users. The system will provide:
The MARAPHON system's capabilities for organization of communications and
service offerings are based on the application of the operational procedures and
standards adopted in the INMARSAT system. The system will include sub-systems
capable of providing operation of Standards A,C,M,B,Aero, and a distress alerting
and rescue-sub-system. The system will comprise four satellites in
geostationary orbits and two satellites in high elliptical orbits (the elliptical orbits of
the Russian global navigation satellite system GLONASS).
The INMARSAT standards A,C,M,B Aero SESs will be used as user stations. It is
expected that there will be about 2000 users employing 0.9 m antennas.
The launch of the first geostationary satellite is scheduled for the fourth
quarter of 1995. The system will be put into operation in 1996 and is expected to
be fully operative in 1997-1998.
low speed (600 bit/s) data transmission with switching, retransmission and
storage;
interrogation and polling of user stations in individual, group and area modes;
high-quality digital duplex telephone channel, facsimile and data transmission
(2400 bit/s);
digital data transmission at a rate of 16 Kbit/s