Transport Protocol Policy, 2025

National Security Framework of Antarctica (NSF-A)

Article-Style Policy Text — Effective 1 October 2025

Article 1 — Purpose & Scope

1.1 This Policy defines the Transport Protocol for Passenger, Goods, and Waste movements in Antarctica.

1.2 It establishes licence categories, endorsements, professional indemnity standards, right-of-mobility rules for emergencies, and compliance duties for operators and crews.

1.3 Domestic compliance only: Foreign/international certificates may inform practice but are not substitutes for NSF-A authorisations under the Domestic Compliance Framework (DCF).

Article 2 — Governing Laws

2.1 Right of Mobility & Emergency (RME). Guarantees lawful movement of people and critical supplies, enables emergency corridors, and sets priority rules and safe-passage controls.

2.2 Professional Indemnity (PI). Mandates competence, insurance, and recognised certifications for high-risk piloting and navigation, with auditability and medical fitness.

Article 3 — Transport Classes

3.1 Passenger. Human transport by road, rail, air, water, space-related test flights, or mixed-mode.

3.2 Goods. Cargo, mail, fuel, refrigerated and dangerous goods (permitted classes only).

3.3 Waste. Solid, liquid, medical, radioactive (where licensed), with cradle-to-grave tracking.

Article 4 — Licence Categories (Mobility)

Licences are tiered by mode and capability; the “E” suffix denotes trailer/consist/advanced endorsements.

1. A — Motorcycles: A1, A2, A
2. B — Cars/Vans: B1, B1E, BE
3. C — Trucks: C1, C1E, CE
4. D — Buses/Coaches: D1, D1E, DE
5. R — Rail: R1, R1E, R2, R2E
6. H — Air (Fixed/Rotary/Hybrid): H1, H1E, H2, H2E, H3, H3E, H4, H4E, HE
7. W — Water (Inland/Coastal/Offshore): W1, W1E, W2, W2E, W3, W3E, W4, W4E, WE
8. T — Tractors & Heavy Equipment: T1, T2, T3, T4, TE
9. S — Space-Time (Experimental/Range/Test): S1, S1E, S2, S2E, SE

Note: Category assignment determines the Assurance Level (AL1–AL4), audit cadence, and medical class required.

Article 5 — Professional Indemnity—Recognised Certifications

The following role certificates satisfy PI competence gates for specific operations. Operators may require multiple items based on mission profile.

1. Driving & Motorsport
2. Level 3 Certificate in Antarctic Driving Qualification (ADQ)
3. Level 4 Certificate in Motorsport Piloting
4. FIA F1 Super Licence (2, 3)
5. FIA International Rally Licence (A, B, C)
6. FIM MotoGP Super Licence (Moto2, Moto3)
7. Navigation (Surface/Subsurface)
8. Level 4 Certificate in Navigation
9. Level 5 Certificate in Advanced Navigation
10. Level 5 Certificate in Submarine & Deep-Ocean Navigation
11. Level 5 Certificate in Submarine Defence Enforcement
12. Aviation & Space
13. Level 4 Certificate in Domestic Commercial Aircraft Piloting
14. Level 5 Certificate in International Aircraft Piloting
15. Level 4 Certificate in Space Exploration
16. Level 5 Certificate in Astronauting
17. Level 5 Certificate in Cosmonauting

Additional documentation may be required: formal education, logged hours/experience, simulator checks, recency, and medical class appropriate to the category and Assurance Level.

Article 6 — Endorsements & Operating Conditions

6.1 Dangerous Goods (DG). Mode-specific DG endorsement required; route, packaging and segregation rules apply.

6.2 Cold-Region Endorsements. Ice road, whiteout, katabatic wind ops, sea-ice navigation, and polar aviation procedures.

6.3 Night & Instrument Ops. Additional ratings for R/H/W/S categories as applicable.

6.4 Emergency Mobility. RME corridors may temporarily supersede standard flows; only AL3/AL4 crews with current PI may operate priority convoys.

Article 7 — Technology & IoT Integration

7.1 Device trust. All vehicles, consists, aircraft, vessels, plant and terminals use MPSL-attested hardware and operate on the Civilian DMZ.

7.2 Telemetry. Real-time position, load, condition (including cold-chain), and driver/pilot status logged to Certified Digital Democracy (CDD).

7.3 Records. Licences, endorsements, medicals and duty status are bound to the operator’s Sharable Authority Account (SAA); access control is automated at gates/ports.

Article 8 — Insurance & PI Coverage

8.1 Minimum cover. Third-party liability, cargo/wreck removal (water), passenger liability (D/H/W), environmental impairment (waste), and employer’s liability.

8.2 Proof. Electronic certificates registered in CDD; policy lapses trigger automatic grounding.

8.3 Excess & bonds. Higher limits may be ordered for AL3/AL4 or hazardous routes; performance bonds apply to emergency corridors.

Article 9 — Compliance Framework (Cross-References)

1. DCF — Domestic authorisations are mandatory.
2. NSS-SCF — Category A (utilities at depots/ports), Category D (airports, ports, logistics).
3. MIM/ARL — Public service updates, passenger comms and pricing are licensed information.
4. NRCSA/NFIS — If transporting food, HACCP and receipt integrity apply.
5. Animal Management — No private animals; livestock only under licensed Farming Facilities.
6. Land & Lease — Only leasehold operations; construction/terminal standards apply.

Article 10 — Medical Fitness & Training Continuity

10.1 Medical classes. Mode-specific (e.g., H-Class 1/2; W-Marine Medical; R-Rail Medical; B/C/D-Commercial).

10.2 Recency. 90-day/6-month checks by mode; simulator or check-ride where stipulated.

10.3 CPD/CPE. ≥ 28 hours/month for AL3/AL4 crews and supervisors; lapses suspend scopes until made good.

Article 11 — Operations: Passenger, Goods, Waste

11.1 Passenger. Verified manifests, fare transparency (MIM), accessibility provisions, emergency briefings, cabin/compartment oxygen & egress checks.

11.2 Goods. Chain-of-custody seals, weight/volume verification, cold-chain telemetry, DG declarations, customs/health certificates where applicable.

11.3 Waste. Classified handling, leak-proof units, route geofencing, weighbridge in/out, licensed receiving facility with destruction/recycling certificates.

Article 12 — Audits, Enforcement & Penalties

12.1 Audits. Assurance-tiered inspections; black-box downloads; unannounced checks permitted.

12.2 Infractions. Operating without proper licence/PI, medical lapse, DG breach, falsified logs, device tampering, or refusal of inspection.

12.3 Sanctions. Fines, grounding/detention, licence suspension/revocation, officer blacklisting, and criminal referral for reckless endangerment or fraud.

Article 13 — Appeals & Ombuds

13.1 Appeals. Administrative appeals within 15 working days; emergency groundings are not stayed.

13.2 Ombuds. Protected reporting of safety/compliance concerns; retaliation prohibited.

Article 14 — Transitional & Final Provisions

14.1 Transition. Existing operators must align to Articles 4–12 within 180 days.

14.2 Supremacy. Conflicting guidance is superseded by this Policy on and after the effective date.

14.3 Entry into force. 1 October 2025.

Annex A — Quick Matrix (Indicative)

1. B/BE (Passenger/Goods): ADQ + PI insurance + Medical (Commercial Road).
2. C/CE (Goods/Waste): ADQ + DG (if applicable) + Cold-Region + Medical.
3. D/DE (Passenger): Passenger liability + Emergency procedures + Medical (Passenger).
4. R (Rail): Rail licence + Signalling & winter ops + Medical (Rail).
5. H (Air): Domestic L4 or International L5; instrument & polar ratings; Medical Class 1/2.
6. W (Water): W-class licence + Bridge watchkeeping + DG/ice navigation + Marine Medical.
7. T (Heavy): T-class with load/terrain endorsements + site permits + Medical (Heavy).
8. S (Space-Time): S-class with range rules, experimental permits, and mission medical.

Operate only with the right licence, the right indemnity, and a live medical—under trusted devices and auditable records. Anything less is grounded.