UKHO Partners with Shom to Launch International S-100 Sea Trials Program

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has launched an international sea trials program in partnership with the French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Shom). The joint program represents the most comprehensive test of S-100 data standards to date and will form part of the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) coordinated test bed framework.  

Throughout the trials, the UKHO and Shom will collect evidence to inform safety and efficiency use cases, while providing guidance on the introduction of the S-100 data framework, which is set to underpin the future of maritime navigation. These insights will play a key role in building global readiness and alignment on how S-100 data standards can be created and harmonized across international borders.   

The program will also bring together multiple ECDIS and portable pilot unit manufacturers, including Raymarine, Furuno, Navtor, OSI Marine Systems, Seall ECDIS and SEAiq. This cross-industry collaboration will enable a detailed evaluation of the interoperability of S-100 data layers and help guide the development of next-generation S-100 display units.  

During the trials, six interoperable S-100 data layers – Electronic Navigational Charts (S-101), bathymetric surface (S-102), water levels (S-104), surface currents (S-111), navigational warnings (S-124) and catalogue of nautical products (S-128) – will be used across multiple ECDIS units in live navigation scenarios.   

These scenarios will involve a range of navigational end users, with dual-fuel ECDIS units, supporting both S-57 and S-100 data formats, being deployed aboard ferry, defense and commercial shipping vessels.  

S-100 sea trials underway  

Since August 2025, the UKHO has been working with Raymarine and DFDS to deploy an S-100 ECDIS aboard the Stena Vinga ferry for navigation from Portsmouth on the south coast of England, across the English Channel to St. Helier in Jersey. These initial trials are being supported by Portsmouth International Port and Ports of Jersey, who are providing new, high-fidelity bathymetric data to create S-100 data layers.  

The international cross-border trial will follow a route from St. Helier to Saint-Malo, France, in early 2026. The route was selected due to its tidal constraints, cross-border waters and operational challenges, providing the ideal environment to test the capabilities of S-100 standards and coordination between partners. This includes evaluating how national hydrographic offices can successfully collaborate to compile and align comprehensive port and boundary data for conversion into S-100 data sets.  

S-100 Sea Trials Route Map. © UKHO

Building global S-100 understanding  

Each trial will contribute to the IHO’s efforts to validate data standards and address operational use cases across key maritime routes and partnerships. By directly engaging end users throughout the program, the UKHO and Shom are working to ensure all S-100 guidance is grounded in real-world experience and that data and products are fit for purpose before wider release.   

To enable the industry to learn from, evaluate and build on this work, all data collected during the trials will be shared with the maritime community. This will include feedback across several areas, including IHO standards, ECDIS usability and hydrographic office data. S-100 trial data sets will also be made publicly available by the UKHO and Shom to provide users with a preview of the S-100 data framework in operation.