GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System)
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Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat comapny, has launched an interactive Maritime Safety Data Hub that combines three years of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System call data with nearly 107,000 safety broadcasts to identify systemic risks in global shipping.
Developed in partnership with supply chain data consultancy SeaFocus, the platform analyzes how environmental hazards, operational pressures, and geopolitical instability shape safety at sea. An investigation of 106,975 maritime safety broadcasts transmitted in 2025 revealed that weather accounted for 84.6% of all urgent messages, with severe storms representing 75% of identified meteorological threats. By linking safety broadcasts to Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) records, the study identified multiple instances where distress calls originated from areas previously issued weather warnings, demonstrating how broadcast intelligence allows vessels to anticipate hazards and avoid needing to issue distress calls.
John Dodd, Director of Maritime Safety at Inmarsat Maritime, commented: “By bringing weather information together with distress data, the Inmarsat Maritime Safety Data Hub introduces a powerful new layer of maritime intelligence. The unique insights made available through this research will help the industry better understand the factors shaping maritime safety – and move from simply reacting to incidents to exploring the conditions, patterns, and emerging risks that surround them.”
He added: “The value of maritime safety information lies in giving ships and shipping operators the time to make informed decisions. Whether the threat is extreme weather or geopolitical instability, early awareness enables crews to take action that protects lives, vessels, and cargo.”
Overall GMDSS distress calls remained stable over the three-year period, with Inmarsat receiving 741 calls in 2025 compared to 801 in 2024 and 788 in 2023. However, operational conditions became increasingly complex in 2025 due to ongoing disruption in the Red Sea, sanctions impacting global tanker operations, tensions surrounding the Persian Gulf and Black Sea, and escalating electronic interference such as GPS spoofing and signal jamming in Middle Eastern trade corridors.
Tankers recorded the highest number of GMDSS calls at 203—nearly double the 105 calls made by bulk carriers in second place—facing compounded risks from navigation disruptions, regulatory sanctions, and shadow fleet operations. Container ships logged 54 distress calls, with operators frequently forced to divert around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid physical attacks in the Red Sea, adding up to two weeks to voyage durations while elevating fuel usage, crew workloads, and hazard exposure.
The interactive platform puts this intelligence directly into the hands of industry stakeholders, allowing users to investigate safety factors, filter data by vessel type, region, and incident category, and download relevant insights.
