The International Electrotechnical Commmission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization, comprising all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees).

Technical Committee No. 80

Technical Committee 80 - the Maritime Navigation and Radiocommunications Equipment and Systems - develops standards for maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems making use of electrotechnical, electronic, electroacoustic, electro-optical and data processing techniques, based upon the recommendations for such equipment from the International Maritime Organization and International Telecommunications Union.   IEC TC80 standards are used in type approval/certification of equipment by national authorities such as the US Coast Guard and US Federal Communications Commission.  The national standards organizations of 18 participating countries (Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, UK, USA) comprise the voting membership of IEC TC80.

• WG 1: Shipborne radar/ARPA
• WG2: Navigation equipment for non-SOLAS craft
• WG4: Radio navigational aids
• WG 4A: Global Satellite Navigation Systems (GNSS)
• WG 5: General requirements for shipborne radio equipment forming part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and marine navigational 
• WG 6: Digital interfaces for navigational equipment within a ship
• WG 7: Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS)
• WG 8: Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
• WG 8A: Shipborne (SOLAS & non-SOLAS) automatic identification system (AIS)
• WG 10: Integrated navigation systems for ships
• WG 11: Shipborne voyage data recorder
• WG 12: Communications equipment for non-SOLAS craft
• WG 13: Displays for the presentation of navigational related information
• WG 14: Non-shipborne automatic identification systems (AIS)

A current listing of TC80 documents and the voting register, including new work programs and draft standards being voted, vote closing date, and how the US voted, is now publicly available in Acrobat PDF form.   Items marked in red indicate a pending vote. US TC80 TAG members can view IEC TC80 documents being voted. A user name and password is required to view these documents.  This directory is updated continuously.

US National Committee

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the U.S. National Committee for IEC.  The US Coast Guard acts as both the Technical Advisor and Technical Advisory Group Administrator for the USNC to IEC TC80.   ANSI requires that all participants in IEC TC80 working groups be registered as members of the USNC TC80 Technical Advisory Group and pay a TAG fee of $275 per person per year (ANSI will invoice participants directly).  Participants for invoicing purposes include voting members, U.S. experts on related TC Working Groups, U.S. delegates to related TC meetings, and corresponding members.  Membership is open to all U.S. national interested parties who indicate that they are directly and materially affected by the activity of the U.S. technical advisory group.  If you reside in the USA and wish to be included in the US TC80 TAG Roster, send an email to CGComms with your request, including your name, address, phone and fax number.   US nationals not listed on the TAG roster may not attend TC80 working group meetings.