Author: adk

Andrew Evan “Andy” Loretta, 50, of Miami, Florida, passed away on June 10, 2025

Post author By adk
Post date 2025-09-01

The VDES Alliance remembers Andy as a strong VDES supporter, that we will miss in our work.

Peter Bergljung, our co-chair of the VDES Alliance remembers:

“I first met Andy in 2020, when I began collaborating with his company, ORBCOMM, on the initiation of the AIS/VDES satellite project called YMIR-1. Since then, Andy and I spoke and met—both digitally and in person—many times, certainly hundreds of times, regarding YMIR-1 and the VDES Alliance.

Back in 2020, Andy shared with me his extensive experience with AIS satellites, which ORBCOMM had operated in orbit for many years. VDES, the next generation of AIS, was something we began exploring together. Andy’s knowledge of AIS satellites was invaluable to me, and when we launched the VDES Alliance in 2022, ORBCOMM was one of the first members to join. Andy actively participated in VDES Alliance meetings, contributing his deep business expertise in AIS data services and helping us envision how this knowledge could be applied to VDES.

I will remember Andy for his profound knowledge of AIS and VDES, as well as for the many insightful and enjoyable meetings we shared. His passing is a tragic loss, and he will be deeply missed.”

The VDES Alliance extends our deepest condolences to Andy’s family, friends, and colleagues.

News about VDES

New G-1002 Guideline published by the VDES Alliance

Post author By adk
Post date 2025-07-02

The VDES Alliance is proud to announce publishing of the new G-1002 Guideline on coordinated use of satellite VDES frequencies, Logical Channels and spreading code among satellite VDES operators.

Access the document here.

Tags Guideline

Events

VDES Alliance Participation at IMO NCSR12 in London

Post author By adk
Post date 2025-05-09

The VDES Alliance is participating in the 12th session of the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on May 12–15, 2025. We thank CIRM for organizing our participation at NCSR12.

A delegation from the VDES Alliance board, including the chairman Stefan Pielmeier, the co-chairman Peter Bergljung, Koichi Nishimura and Derek Love, will be present to support the ongoing work on the development and standardization of the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES), as well as to contribute to discussions on future maritime digitalization efforts. The board members will be in attendance to engage with stakeholders and represent the Alliance’s collective expertise and efforts.

For more information about VDES Alliance and its activities, find us at our coffee table at the event or reach out to administration@vdes-alliance.org.

News about VDES

VDES Test standard progress

Post author By adk
Post date 2024-11-21

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is developing a testing standard for VDES shipborne mobile stations denoted IEC 63514, currently in TC80 Committee Draft (CD) stage.

The latest draft allows for wide alignment of detailed requirements for participating VDES manufacturers, and makes system validation and compatibility testing possible to a very large extent.

A Committee Draft for Voting (CDV) with full technical requirements and test methods in place, allowing type approval to start is expected to be available in 2026 and a published International Standard (IS) during 2027.

This is expected to align with the publication of an IMO performance standard and installation guideline for VDES.

Tags IEC, IMO, Test standard, VDES

News about VDES

AOS Announce Successful VDES Two-Way Communications for Maritime Communications Satellite Ymir-1

Post author By adk
Post date 2024-11-21

Today the AOS collaborative announces successful two-way VDES communications through the Satellite Ymir-1. The satellite built and operated by AAC Clyde Space has transmitted and received VDES messages from across the globe. This communications milestone marks a pivotal movement towards “Connecting Everything Maritime” and strengthening the communication and navigation infrastructure within the maritime domain – providing for a safe, secure and green global communication network. Ymir-1 is part of the collaborative AOS project between AAC Clyde Space, Saab, and ORBCOMM.

Unlike its predecessor, satellite AIS (Automatic Identification System), satellite based VDES offers bidirectional communication. This means that vessels can not only receive information but also send data and messages to other ships and shore stations using VDES enabled satellites. VDES creates the ability to create a global maritime communication and navigation network enabling ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication everywhere on the globe, even in remote or offshore areas.

VDES offers significantly greater bandwidth compared to AIS, making it capable of handling larger volumes of data. This coupled with the enhanced real-time data exchange and cybersecurity represents a massive leap forward for situational awareness for ship operators and the support of safer navigation.

The flight proven AAC Clyde Space EPIC LINK CubeSat, Ymir-1, hosts Saab TransponderTech’s advanced R6 VDES PAYLOAD transponder for two-way communication between satellite and ground. ORBCOMM will integrate data into its distribution centre for the maritime navigation and communications service deployment.

Find more at: https://www.aos-vdes.com/aos-announce-successful-vdes-two-way-communications-for-maritime-communications-satellite-ymir-1/