Monthly Regulatory Meetings for June 2026
What RCC Staff and Maritime Administrators Need to Watch This Month
The next 60 days are dominated by IMO's Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications, and Search and Rescue (NCSR 13), which meets in London from 22 to 26 June and picks up critical work on GMDSS modernization, NAVDAT, MSI dissemination, and associated IAMSAR follow-on issues that will shape RCC procedures into the late 2020s.
Cospas-Sarsat and ICAO workstreams converge into this window, including preparations for the Cospas-Sarsat Joint Committee's fortieth meeting in June and ongoing implementation of the 2026 IAMSAR Manual amendments across flag administrations and RCC documentation.
What to watch
IMO NCSR 13, 22-26 June 2026, IMO Headquarters, London
NCSR 12 tasked NCSR 13 to finalize the NAVDAT manual and advance GMDSS work on MSI dissemination through recognized mobile satellite services and digital VHF, all of which will drive future RCC alerting, MSI reception chains, and national SAR plan updates.
Sources: IMO meeting schedule, NCSR 13 session 22-26 June 2026; ICHCA; Austrian Parliament, EU files 63673 / 66861; ABS NCSR 12 brief; RS Class NCSR 12 summary.
Cospas-Sarsat 40th Joint Committee (JC-40), June 2026, Montreal
Exact dates are not yet confirmed in open sources. JC-40 will continue work on MEOSAR Full Operational Capability, second-generation beacon (SGB) deployment, and a new two-way communication beacon concept based on the Return Link Service, all of which will change SIT 185 message content and RCC operational handling of 406 MHz alerts over the rest of the decade.
Sources: ICAO APSAR/WG/11 WP/04, "Status of the Cospas-Sarsat Programme," 5-8 May 2026; ICAO/IMO JWG-SAR/32/11 Rev.1, report of the thirty-second Joint Working Group; JC-40 chair LinkedIn profile noting Montreal chairmanship from April 2026.
ICAO APSAR/WG/11 outcomes and RCC follow-up
The eleventh APSAR Working Group met 5-8 May 2026 in Bangkok. WP/04 asks States and RCCs to improve MCC-SPOC agreements, ensure connectivity to the ICAO/EUROCONTROL LADR for ELT(DT) tracking, prepare for MEOSAR FOC and SGB IOC in 2026, and align national guidance with the revised SIT 185 format. Near-term procedural changes are required across APAC SAR regions.
Sources: ICAO APAC meetings page, APSAR/WG/11, Bangkok 5-8 May 2026; APSAR/WG/11 WP/04, "Status of the Cospas-Sarsat Programme."
2026 IAMSAR Manual amendments: carriage and SOP alignment
Amendments approved at MSC 109 apply from 1 January 2026, with classification societies and flag administrations now enforcing carriage of updated volumes and alignment of national SAR plans. RCC managers should verify that onboard copies and RCC SOPs reflect MSC.1/Circ.1686 language before port state control and audit regimes fully normalize the new text in the coming months.
Sources: IMO circular MSC.1/Circ.1686, "Amendments to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual," 27 January 2025; IRClass Technical Circular 014; IIMS and Lloyd's Register notices on updated IAMSAR carriage from January 2026.
On the horizon
MEOSAR Full Operational Capability and SGB Initial Operational Capability, expected later in 2026
APSAR/WG/11 WP/04 indicates both MEOSAR FOC and SGB IOC for regular beacons are anticipated in 2026, with remaining ground segment commissioning and QARS implementation continuing after June. RCCs should plan for further performance and message format changes in the second half of the year.
Sources: APSAR/WG/11 WP/04, paras 2.15-2.16 on MEOSAR FOC and SGB IOC timelines.
Cospas-Sarsat Global Search and Rescue Day, 10 September 2026
The Cospas-Sarsat Council has endorsed 10 September as an annual SAR Day, which States are using for beacon awareness and training outreach. RCC leaders have a planning target for coordinated public messaging and internal exercises.
Sources: ICAO working paper, "Celebration of Cospas-Sarsat Global Search and Rescue Day"; APSAR/WG/11 WP/04, section on training and public relations.
U.S. domestic SAR regulatory window: clear through July 2026
Recent Federal Register notices tied to Coast Guard dockets in May 2026 focus on container inspection and towing vessel paperwork, not SAR or GMDSS. No near-term U.S. regulatory deadlines directly affect RCC operations beyond implementation of the international changes noted above.
Sources: Federal Register, 91 FR 27360, 14 May 2026, Docket USCG-2025-0342; Federal Register, 91 FR 19248 and 91 FR 19254, 14 April 2026, Shipping Coordinating Committee notices for NCSR 13 and MSC 111 public meetings.
