VHF / channel 16
Also written: channel 16
Very high frequency marine radio; channel 16 is the international distress, safety and calling channel.
Warnings ask ships to contact a survey vessel, a range control or a port on VHF, often naming a working channel, and to keep watch on channel 16 (156.8 MHz), the international distress and calling frequency. VHF range is roughly line of sight — typically a few tens of nautical miles between ships.
A VHF instruction is a sign that the operation is manned and nearby: the vessel doing the survey or the station controlling a firing range expects to talk to passing traffic.
What the archive shows
1,231 messages in this archive use “VHF / channel 16”, the earliest issued 1982-09-10 and the latest 2026-09-14. 4 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 2001, with 97 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Missiles accounts for 834 of 1,231 recorded messages (68%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 24 sea areas; the most frequent are North Pacific Ocean (831), North Atlantic Ocean (155) and Persian Gulf (23).
Messages that use it are issued most often in September (132 across all years) and least often in December (83).
By warning series: NAVAREA XII 854, HYDROLANT 234, HYDROPAC 83 and NAVAREA IV 48, and 7 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 24 sea areas
In force now · 4
- NAVAREA 7 246/26 · Cable ops · South Atlantic Ocean2026-08-24 · in force
…4 NM ASTERN REQUESTED 5. ESCORT VESSELS M/V RIG ANDORMEDA, M/V AURORA - G OPERATING ON VHF CH 72 AND CH 16 6. CANCEL NAVAREA VII 187 OF 2026 7. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
NAVAREA VII 246 of 2026 (24 aug 26) 1. south atlantic ocean - ne sector - offshore orange river mouth 2.… → - UKWZ 501/26 · Exercises · North Atlantic Ocean2026-08-17 · in force
…ABOVE PERIODS. ANY VESSEL INTENDING TO ENTER SHOULD CONTACT HEBRIDES RANGE CONTROL ON VHF CH16 OR THE OPERATIONS CONTROLLER ON TELEPHONE NUMBER +441870604554/4452 OR…
Live weapons firings in progress daily between 0700 UTC and 1700 UTC, 18 to 21 aug, in area within 17 miles… → - NAVAREA I 172/26 · Nav aids · North Sea2026-08-16 · in force
…COAST. 1. MF R/T AND DSC SERVICES FROM CULLERCOATS SITE 55-04.4N 001-27.8W OFF AIR. 2. VHF DSC AND MF R/T AND DSC SERVICES FROM GREGNESS SITE 57-07.7N 002-03.2W OFF AIR. 3. CANCEL…
Mf r/t and dsc services from cullercoats site 55-04.4N 001-27.8W off air → - NAVAREA XII 93/23 · Missiles · North Pacific Ocean2023-02-28 · in force
…FIRING OPERATIONS AND ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT "PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE BARKING SANDS" ON VHF MARINE BAND CHANNEL 16 PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ABOVE BOUNDARIES. IF UNABLE TO CONTACT PMRF…
Intermittent missile firing operations conducted by the pacific missile range facility (pmrf), barking… →
How it reads in recent messages
- NAVAREA 19 113/26 · Missiles2026-09-13
…CENTER CAN BE REACHED ON TELEPHONE +47 94 07 59 44 / +47 76 14 45 87 OR MARITIME VHF CH 14/16 (CALLSIGN “ANDOEYA SPACE”). E-MAIL MSO@ANDOYASPACE.NO. 2.FOR FURTHER DETAILS…
NAVAREA XIX 113/26 norwegian sea barents sea 1. andoeya space will conduct launch operations from 14 to sept… → - NAVAREA 19 108/26 · Missiles · Greenland Sea2026-09-01
…TELEPHONE +47 94 07 59 44 / +47 73 60 70 64 E-MAIL MSO@ANDOYASPACE.NO OR MARITIME VHF CH 14/16 WWW.ANDOYASPACE.NO 2. REFERS NORWEGIAN NOTICES TO MARINERS 16 -2026 3. PREVIOUS…
Norwegian sea grennland sea 1. rocket launch operation will be conducted → - HYDROLANT 2841/23 · Derelicts · North Atlantic Ocean2023-12-08
EASTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. DNC 08. 18 METER S/V CHARAL AIS, RADAR AND VHF DISABLED IN 44-19.60N 015-50.80W AT 081335Z DEC. VESSELS IN VICINITY REQUESTED TO KEEP A…
18 meter S/V charal AIS, radar and VHF disabled in 44-19.60N 015-50.80W at 081335Z dec → - HYDROLANT 2416/23 · Incidents · English Channel2023-10-23
…IN VICINITY REQUESTED TO KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT, CAUTION ADVISED. REPORTS TO MRCC JOBOURG, VHF: 16, MF: 2182 KHZ, PHONE: 332 3352 1616, EMAIL: JOBOURG@MRCCFR.EU.
Search and rescue operations in progress in 50-04.82N 001-22.45W → - HYDROLANT 1771/23 · Nav aids · North Sea2023-08-10
NORTH SEA. SCOTLAND. DNC 20. CGOC ABERDEEN VHF DSC AND R/T SERVICES AT FIFENESS SITE 56-16.70N 002-35.30W OFF AIR.
Cgoc aberdeen VHF dsc and r/t services at fifeness site 56-16.70N 002-35.30W off air →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROLANT 1535/82 · Mines1982-09-10
…CONTACT EITHER THE QUEENS HARBOR MASTER, PORT STANLEY OR ANY HM SHIP IN THE AREA VIA IMM VHF CHANNEL 16 AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY. 3. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS STILL APPLY TO ARGENTINE…
Mine clearance work in the area of the falkland islands has now been completed and other hazards to shipping… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- DSC (Digital Selective Calling)
- The digital radio alert built into modern marine radios — one button sends a distress alert with the vessel's identity and position.
- GMDSS
- The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System: the internationally agreed set of radio services ships use for distress alerting and safety broadcasts.
- Underwater operations
- Divers or remotely operated vehicles are working below a vessel that cannot easily move out of the way.
- Gunnery and live firing
- Naval or coastal guns firing into a sea area for practice, at stated times.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.