may, from time to lime, use the VHF and MHF radio equipment belonging
to the MRCC. These are VHF installations at Stiff, at the Pointe du Raz and at the Corsen
site.
The VTS is also equipped with VHF air and UHF installations allowing
links with aircraft carrying out surveillance missions.
A renovation of the equipment is being undertaken. With regard to radio
facilities, it will include the installation of channel 70 digital selective calling VHF
equipment at Stiff and at the Pointe du Raz.
The vessel traffic service operators use VHF radio direction-finding
equipment precise to within 0.50. One is installed at the Pointe du Raz, the other at the
Ihare de Creac'h lighthouse. On each radio direction-finder it is possible to select two
different tracks.
8 ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION IF THE COMMUNICATION FACILITIES
OF THE SHORE-BASED AUTHORITY FAIL
The vessel traffic service VHF radiocommunications equipment is
installed at Ouessant. It includes four single-channel transmitter/receivers plus a
multi-channel transmitter/receiver on standby. A multi-channel transmitter/receiver
normally dedicated to the MRCC Corsen completes the installation.
In the event that the radio-relay system between Stiff and Corsen
breaks down, two emergency multi-channel VHF transmitter/receivers installed at the Corsen
site can be used.
If none of the VTS VHF equipment is operational at the Corsen Centre,
it would still be possible for the naval staff on watch at Stiff to intervene, as that
staff has its own radio equipment and would be able to maintain contact with the ships. It
should be noted that in the event that the surveillance radar breaks down, this watch
would take over temporarily from the vessel traffic service at Corsen/Ushant, pending the
arrival, by the most rapid means (helicopter), of the VTS staff on Ile d'Ouessant island.
A breakdown involving several of the VTS VHF radios would not remove all possibility of
contact between the VTS and the ships.
There is therefore no reason to provide for a specific procedure in
this event.
If it became necessary to establish an MHF link, in the event of a
breakdown at the MHF installation at the Corsen Centre, the inshore radio station, Le
Conquet Radio, would be called upon.
