Frequencies for distress and safety, search

and rescue and emergencies in the UK

UK Frequency Allocation Table

Publication Date: 19 November 2021

Introduction
Frequencies for Distress and Safety, Search and Rescue and
Emergencies

Given the global nature of travel with the potential risk of accidents the international community has
agreed that the use of certain frequencies be harmonised globally for distress and safety, search and
rescues and emergency use. Collectively, these are referred to as ‘Search and Rescue’ or ‘SAR’. The
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) publishes the global rules detailing which frequencies are
to be used for SAR.
Distress communication includes all messages relating to immediate assistance required by persons,
aircraft, or marine craft in distress, including medical assistance. It may also include SAR
communications and on-scene communications by the rescue services. Distress calls take absolute
priority over all other transmissions; anyone receiving a distress call must immediately cease any
transmissions that may interfere with the call and listen on the frequency used for the call.
Some distress frequencies may be used to call other stations to establish contact, whereupon the
stations move to another frequency. Such channels are known as distress, safety and calling
frequencies. The object of SAR communications is to facilitate SAR operations. Such communications
must allow for:
• rapid transmission of distress messages from aircraft, ships and small craft, including for
medical assistance;

• rapid communication of distress information to the authorities responsible for organising and
effecting rescue;

• coordination of the operation of the various SAR units;

• liaison between controlling/coordinating authorities and SAR units; and

• UK organisation of Search and Rescue

The organisation for search and rescue (SAR) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (UK) is an amalgam of separate Government Departments, the Emergency Services and a
number of search and rescue charities and voluntary organisations. The UK organisation for civil
maritime and civil aeronautical search and rescue is derived from the UK Government's adherence a
number of international Conventions.
Responsibility for the overall provision of national civil aeronautical and maritime SAR and its policies
rests with the Department for Transport (DfT) through its Aviation Airspace Division (AAD) and
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Further information on the organisation of Search and Rescue
in the UK can be found on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website.
Ofcom is responsible for the management of UK spectrum and the authorisation of frequencies for non-
Crown users.
Table of Search and Rescue (SAR) frequency allocations

Frequencies Use

490 kHz Transmission by coast stations or meteorological and navigational

warnings and urgent information to ships by means of narrow-band
direct-printing (NBDP) telegraphy (national NAVTEX service).

518 kHz Transmission by coast stations of meteorological and navigational

warnings and urgent information to ships by means of narrow-band
direct-printing telegraphy (International NAVTEX service).

2174.5 kHz International Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
distress frequency for narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy.

2182 kHz International distress carrier frequency for radiotelephony. Distress

calls and traffic, signals of emergency position-indicating radio-
beacons (EPIRBs), urgency signal and urgency messages and the
safety signal. GMDSS distress and safety traffic by radiotelephony.
Search and Rescue (SAR) operations concerning manned space
vehicles.

2187.5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using digital selective calling (DSC).

2226 kHz Transmission of maritime safety information (MSI), 3 Day weather

forecast.

2596 kHz Carrier frequency for radiotelephony. Used in the UK for SAR
purposes by HM Coastguard (HMCG) and the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution (RNLI).

3023 kHz Aeronautical carrier frequency for radio-telephony. Can also be used
in co-ordinated SAR operations. SAR operations concerning manned
space vehicles.

3500 - 3800 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

4125 kHz Carrier frequency used to supplement 2 182 kHz for distress and
safety. GMDSS distress and safety traffic by radiotelephony. May be
used by aircraft to communicate with stations of the Maritime
Mobile service for distress and safety purposes, including SAR.
Frequencies Use

4177.5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

4207.5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

4209.5 kHz National NAVTEX service transmissions by coast stations by means of

NBDP.

4210 kHz Transmission by coast stations of Maritime Safety Information (MSI)

by means of NBDP.

5680 kHz Aeronautical carrier frequency for radiotelephony. Used in co-

ordinated SAR operations. SAR operations concerning manned space
vehicles.

6215 kHz Carrier frequency used to supplement 2 182 kHz for distress and
safety. GMDSS distress and safety traffic by radiotelephony.

6268 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

6312 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

6314 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

6425 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP

7000 - 7200 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

8291 kHz Carrier frequency for GMDSS distress and safety traffic by
radiotelephony.

8364 kHz Used by survival craft in SAR operations with stations of the
Maritime and Aeronautical Mobile services.

8376.5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

8414.5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

Frequencies Use

8416.5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

10003 kHz SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

10100 - 10150 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

12290 kHz Carrier frequency for GMDSS distress and safety traffic by
radiotelephony.

12520 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

12577 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

12579 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

14000 - 14350 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

14993 kHz SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

16420 kHz Carrier frequency for GMDSS distress and safety traffic by
radiotelephony.

16695 kHz GMDSS distress and safety traffic by NBDP.

16804.5 kHz GMDSS distress and safety calls using DSC.

16806.5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

18068 - 18168 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

19680.5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

19993 kHz SAR operations concerning manned space vehicles.

Frequencies Use

21000 - 21450 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

22376 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

24890 - 24990 kHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

26100.5 kHz Transmission by coast stations of MSI by means of NBDP.

86.30625 - 86.31875 MHz UK - Land Search & Rescue.

121.45 – 121.55 MHz Aeronautical emergency frequency for the purposes of distress and
urgency for radiotelephony by stations of the Aeronautical Mobile
service. May also be used for these purposes by survival craft
stations. EPIRBs may also use this frequency. SAR operations
concerning manned space vehicles.

123.1 MHz Auxiliary to 121∙5 MHz, for use by stations of the Aeronautical
Mobile service and by other mobile and land stations engaged in co-
ordinated SAR operations.

132.65 MHz SAR helicopter co-ordination and counter-pollution operations.

144 - 146 MHz Amateur Radio band for use in the event of natural disasters, may be
used by non-Amateur stations to meet the needs of international
communications in the disaster area.

147.34375 - 147.49375
MCA for Land SAR management
MHz
155.34375 - 155.35625
Land Search & Rescue – Scotland only.
MHz

155.9625 - 155.9875 MHz MCA for SAR management

155.7750 - 155.9625 MHz MCA for Land SAR management

156.0 MHz HMCG SAR on the UK coast.

Frequencies Use

156.1250 c/w 160.7250 MCA for Maritime Safety Information. 156.125 MHz also for SAR A2G
MHz

156.175 c/w 160.7750 MCA for Maritime Safety Information

MHz

156.225 c/w 160.8250 MCA for Maritime Safety Information

MHz

156.3 MHz Communications between ship stations and aircraft stations engaged
in co-ordinated SAR operations. May be used by aircraft stations to
communicate with ship stations for other safety purposes.

156.375 MHz Communication between ship stations, aircraft stations and

participating land stations engaged in co-ordinated SAR and anti-
pollution operations. HMCG Yacht safety channel (1st reserve).

156.5 MHz Communication between ship stations, aircraft stations and

participating land stations engaged in co-ordinated SAR and anti-
pollution operations.

156.525 MHz In the Maritime Mobile VHF service, the frequency 156.525 MHz is to
be used exclusively for digital selective calling for distress, safety and
calling (see Resolution 323 (Mob-87).

156.65 MHz GMDSS ship-to-ship communications relating to the safety of

navigation.

156.675 MHz Communications between ship stations, aircraft stations and

participating land stations engaged in co-ordinated SAR and anti-
pollution operations. HMCG 2nd reserve channel for SAR.

156.8 MHz International distress and safety frequency for radiotelephony. Used
for the distress signal the distress call, distress traffic, the urgency
signal urgency traffic and the safety signal. GMDSS distress and
safety traffic by radiotelephony. May be used by aircraft stations for
safety purposes only. SAR operations concerning manned space
vehicles.

158.65 MHz Land SAR - Scotland.

Frequencies Use

160.6 MHz HMCG SAR on the UK coast.

161.975 MHz AIS 1 – used for AIS search and rescue transmitters (AIS-SART) for
use in search and rescue operations.

162.025 MHz AIS 2 – used for AIS search and rescue transmitters (AIS-SART) for
use in search and rescue operations.

242·95 - 243·05 MHz Survival craft stations and equipment used for survival purposes. SAR
operations concerning manned space vehicles.

282·8 MHz Survival craft stations and equipment used for survival purposes. SAR
operations concerning manned space vehicles.

406 – 406·1 MHz Satellite EPIRBs in the Earth-to-space direction.

1525 - 1559 MHz In addition to routine non-safety use, is used for distress and safety
purposes in the Maritime Mobile-Satellite service.

1544 - 1545 MHz Distress and safety operations including feeder links of satellites
need to relay the emissions of satellite EPIRBs to Earth stations and
narrow-band (space-to-Earth) links from space stations to mobile
stations.

1621.35 - 1645∙5 MHz In addition to routine non-safety use, is used for distress and safety
purposes in the Maritime Mobile-Satellite service.

In addition to its availability for routine non-safety purposes,

the frequency band 1621.35-1 626.5 MHz is used for distress
and safety purposes in the Earth-to-space and space-to-Earth
directions in the maritime mobile-satellite service. GMDSS
distress, urgency and safety communications have priority in
this band over non-safety communications within the same
satellite system.

1645 - 1646∙5 MHz Distress and safety operations including transmissions from satellite
EPIRBs and relay distress alerts received by satellites in low polar
earth orbits to geostationary satellites.

9200 – 9500 MHz

Search and rescue Radar transponders to facilitate SAR.
Auxiliary frequencies used by UK search and rescue organisations
The following frequencies are used by UK Search and Rescue organisations to support their operations.
These are not ITU designated SAR frequencies but support SAR operations in the UK.

Frequencies Use

153.075 MHz RNLI crew alerting channel. This channel is used by the RNLI for
paging crews. across the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

157.550 MHz Channel 31 used for lifeboat to shore crew communications. The
primary use is for short-distance communications between lifeboat
and shore crew during launch and recovery operations. It may also
be used with the lifeboat farther out to sea.

408.9625 to 409.2625 Flight crew to winchman operating channel. Frequencies used by the
MHz and 418.9875 to Polycon system installed in current HM Coastguard SAR helicopters
419.2875 MHz for communications between flight crew, winch operator and
winchman. This communication is essential to the safe operation of
the aircraft.