Performance Standards

Performance standards are the MSC resolutions that fix the minimum functional and accuracy requirements navigational and safety equipment must meet for type approval and SOLAS acceptance. They sit behind the carriage requirements of SOLAS V/18 and V/19, which state that equipment installed shall meet performance standards not inferior to those adopted by IMO. Examples include MSC.252(83) for Integrated Navigation Systems, MSC.302(87) for Bridge Alert Management, and MSC.232(82) for ECDIS. Manufacturers test against the relevant resolution and class or flag issues the type-approval certificate. Equipment fitted before a standard’s date is grandfathered under V/19’s applicability clauses.