Viasat’s Inmarsat links GMDSS distress calls, weather alerts in new maritime risk analysis

Viasat’s Inmarsat Maritime published an industry analysis linking three years of GMDSS distress calls with 106,975 safety broadcasts in 2025.

• Weather drove 84.6% of urgent safety messages; storms accounted for 75% of identified weather hazards.
• Distress calls clustered in areas that had received weather warnings, signaling elevated operating risk during meteorological hazards.
• GMDSS call volumes stayed near historical averages: 741 in 2025 versus 788 in 2023, 801 in 2024.
• Geopolitical disruption raised operational complexity; GPS spoofing and signal jamming intensified in Middle East trade corridors.