‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the seafarers still missing from the oil tanker Sanchi, following a reported collision off the coast of China. I send my deepest sympathies to all their families and loved ones.

I would like to commend all those who have been involved in the international search and rescue operations so far and in the efforts to battle the fire and contain pollution from the ship.

This is an ongoing situation which we are monitoring. IMO stands ready to offer any technical assistance that may be needed. In the longer term, it is expected that there will be a full investigation into this incident and that the results and findings will be brought to IMO so that we can do whatever may be necessary to reduce the chances of such an incident happening again.’

The 19th IALA Conference will be held from 27 May to 2 June 2018 at the Songdo Convention Center, Incheon, Republic of Korea.

An Early Bird rate has now been announced. This will be valid to the end of this month, 31 January 2018.

SANIS/1 followed ICAO’s second Global Air Navigation Industry Symposium (GANIS/2) held in week commencing 10 December, where State and industry experts reviewed proposals for how to integrate the future air navigation system to accommodate global aviation’s forecast doubling of flights and passengers in 15 years’ time.

Dr Liu highlighted to her audience that the safety, capacity and efficiency of the world’s aviation network is presently threatened by the speed at which it is expanding. She elaborated that sectoral growth cannot be permitted to negatively impact the key strategic performance targets, and existing levels of aviation safety, efficiency, and environmental protection should continue to trend upward even as operations expand.

Readers are invited to take a look at the website of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation (RNTF, a Corresponding memeber of the IAIN). There can be found regular news and a valuable blog contributed to at regular intervals.

At IAIN we are pleased to make available a glossary of terms used in connection with drone operations: The Language of Drones: Enabling dialogue between Surveyors and Pilots.

This valuable document’s chapters provide a quick guide to names and an explanation of terms supported by two appendices one of which indicates the components of a typical multi-rotor unit. Others details the Air Navigation Order regarding the legal basis of such operations.

Publication here has been possible with the kind permission of Nottingham University.

The Association has had a busy year. We have contributed to several strands of activity. These have included in the marine environment: the development of guidelines for both S-mode in ships’ bridge equipment and the harmonisation of the presentation of navigational information on bridge displays. Meanwhile, in the air world we are supporting an initiative to encourage the adoption of True North as a heading reference by the aviation community. Lastly, but not least, back at sea, we were involved in the preparation of a first regulatory framework for autonomous ships.

The continuous challenge facing navigators, one no less serious than the vulnerability of Space-Based Positioning and Timing, is that of maintaining cyber security – the defence of our vehicle systems (be they in cars, planes, ships, drones or space vehicles) against those wishing to interfere with them for malicious purposes.

The 2018 IAIN World Congress is to be held over 27 November – 1 December 2018 in Makuhari, Japan. The programme will have as its main theme “Science, Technology and Practice for Resilient Navigation” and discuss the development of safety, security and efficiency of navigation in cars, planes, ships, drones or space vehicles developing autonomous integrity of navigational information towards fully autonomous navigation. I look forward to seeing many of you in Makuhari, Japan.

I wish all our Members and readers

A happy, successful and safe New Year 2018

Yasuo Arai,
(Japan Institute of Navigation)
IAIN President

The full message can be found here.