Maritime Security Charts

ADMIRALTY Maritime Security Charts (MSCs) contain safety-critical information to assist bridge crews in the planning of safe passages through high risk areas. All information has been gathered by the UKHO through work with NATO and other government organisations, ensuring each chart has the most accurate, up-to-date and verified information available.

Each Maritime Security Chart includes:

Information about dangers to the security of navigation including piracy, terrorism, embargoes, mine warfare, exclusion zones, blockades and illegal fishing. This information, when used alongside official navigational charts, can help to ensure the safety of ships, crew and cargo.

General security advice, self-protective measures, security procedures and regional contacts, as well as routeing and reporting requirements implemented by military or security forces.

Weekly updates and new editions to help maintain high levels of accuracy and safety. Guides also include ADMIRALTY Quick Response (QR) codes for quick access to a list of all Notices to Mariners (NMs) that affect the specific chart or publication.

You can view the Security Related Information to Mariners (SRIM) and coverage for each chart by clicking on the Q chart number or area description below.

Chart	Area	Scale	Edition No. / Date
Q6099	Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden to Red Sea Transit Corridor	9,000,000 1,200,000	8th (17/09/20)
Q6110	Mediterranean Sea Approaches to Suez Strait of Gibraltar	4,700,000 2,100,000 465,000	2nd (26/01/17)
Q6111	Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea Strait of Hormuz	2,800,000 1,450,000	5th (17/09/20)
Q6112	Karachi to Hong Kong	7,000,000	3rd (19/04/18)
Q6113	Singapore to Papua New Guinea Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea Transit Corridors	7,500,000 2,600,000	3rd (19/04/18)
Q6114	West Africa Including Gulf of Guinea Gulf of Guinea	8,500,000 5,200,000	3rd (28/02/19)

Updates

Maritime Security Charts should be kept up-to-date with the latest security-critical navigational information. The Security Related Information to Mariners service combined with Notices to Mariners provides all of the data you need to maintain your charts.

Visit our SRIM page >

Visit our NMs page >

Information to aid passage planning and Situational Awareness (SA)

The folio of Maritime Security Charts (MSCs) is based on familiar navigational charts and the maritime security information they contain is included to aid passage planning and Situational Awareness (SA). MSCs are maintained by regular engagement with shipping companies, maritime organisations and the military. The content is aligned with existing SOLAS publications.

Emergency contact details and maritime security points of contact

The regional Emergency Contact authority details are included and highlighted on the MSCs, these are normally the primary providers of maritime security information to ships that are transiting High-Risk Areas (HRAs) or areas of perceived risk. These centres also receive reports from shipping transiting Voluntary Reporting Areas (VRA) or those involved in Maritime Security related incidents. These centres provide the information flow between the Military and the international shipping community. In addition, a Maritime Security Points of Contact list is included with recommendations of those authorities and personnel who should be contacted once the emergency call is completed.

Examples are:

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre located in Dubai, is often the primary point of contact for merchant shipping involved in maritime security issues in the Indian Ocean region, particularly the HRA. The UKMTO operates the VRA as illustrated on UKHO MSC Q6099.

NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) is responsible for Operation Sea Guardian which is a maritime security operation in the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and approaches (outside the territorial waters of regional nations). NATO encourages commercial shipping entering and transiting this geographical area to take part in the Mediterranean Voluntary Reporting Scheme (MVRS) as depicted on UKHO MSC Q6110.

Reporting procedures for VRAs

There are several voluntary reporting schemes in operation worldwide and each MSC provides details of the voluntary reporting requirements within the geographical region and includes the reporting formats. The accompanying instructions give details of when they should be completed and where they should be sent. This covers both the regional reporting centres and any additional reporting requirement from military authorities undertaking protection and assurance to transiting vessels.

Example of VRA reporting procedures

Transit corridors

Maritime Transit Corridors (MTC) have been established in several different geographical areas to enable military assets and regional maritime authorities focus their presence and surveillance efforts.

The Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) is a military established corridor that includes the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor as shown on MSC Q6099.

The Transit Corridors in the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea were established by a trilateral cooperative arrangement between Indonesia, Malaysia and The Philippines. These corridors are designated safety areas and are patrolled by the 3 countries to allow commercial maritime traffic safe passage.

Familiarity and reassurance

The folio of Maritime Security Charts (MSCs) are regularly scrutinised to ensure that they remain as in date as possible. The MSC format is consistent across the products which is now familiar to the maritime community. The information contained within the MSCs is validated before use to ensure continuity of content which in turn provides reassurance to the mariner.

Pricing

Each ADMIRALTY Maritime Security Chart has a recommended retail price of £31.40. Please note that all prices do not include VAT and other local taxes.

To find out more information or to organise purchase, please contact your ADMIRALTY Chart Agent. If you don’t have a preferred chart agent, you can search a list of worldwide, experienced and trusted chart agents on our find an ADMIRALTY Chart Agent page.

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Available through Print on Demand (POD)

POD allows our ADMIRALTY Chart Agents to print ADMIRALTY Maritime Security Charts on site and fulfil your ship's urgent orders in the quickest time possible.

You can find out which ADMIRALTY Chart Agents offer POD on our How to buy page.

The ADMIRALTY Digital Catalogue (ADC) can also provide you with a comprehensive reference of all ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions. To find out more about the ADC, please click here.