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The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) has established the GMDSS simulator facility in 1996, which is a Computer Based Training (CBT) system that incorporates the latest virtual touch screen technology to enable the students to act out simulated distress and routine situations that cannot be conducted onboard ships to avoid false distress alerts. For more reality and integration, the system contains a complete set of real GMDSS equipment. The simulated communication equipment accurately replicate the GMDSS’s functions that meet the requirements of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for seafarers (STCW-1978) as amendment that is set by the IMO. Currently, this facility has been renewed and increased to be two GMDSS simulators and two complete set of real GMDSS equipment. Each simulator consists of twelve dual touch screen stations that are connected to each other and to the complex through Local Area Network (LAN) for data exchange and voice communication. This increasing is to accommodate the increasing trainees’ numbers and to be comply with international agreements and requirements of quality.
The department objective is to train most of the maritime radio operators/users of the different categories such as SAR stations/units’ staffs, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) stations/units’ staffs and the GMDSS trainers, whom work ashore or onboard vessels at different sailing areas, through lectures and participating in interactive GMDSS simulator exercises. Trainees who have successfully completed these courses will operate the GMDSS equipment safely and efficiently in different situations especially distress, and SAR operations. In addition, the GMDSS certificate holders need refreshment courses to be fully up to date, and fully aware of the most recent equipment and conventions changes. To make the learners of such courses be able to communicate with standardized language used in different situations such as navigation at sea, access to or departure from sea ports, in waterways, harbors and onboard vessels with multilingual crews. The Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCPs) course provides to help in achieving this objective. Another division of the department courses intends to give attendances basic theoretical knowledge and practical skills enough to be familiar with maintenance marine radio and electronic equipment. All of these objectives achieve by comprehensive courses designed and tailored by the department staff guided by the IMO references and model courses. To cope with the department objectives, the ISO obligations satisfaction, to fulfill the IMO conventions requirements, and to reach to one-to-one training ration base. The AASTMT president has approved in 2017 to establish another GMDSS simulator and to replace the previous one with new simulators.
