ACR Electronics calls for global recognition of electronic flares

Marine safety equipment manufacturer ACR Electronics is calling for international standards to recognise electronic flares as an approved distress signal for commercial and leisure vessels.

The company, alongside its sister brand Ocean Signal, says electronic visual distress signalling devices (eVDSDs) are emerging as an alternative to traditional pyrotechnic flares, following a transition by the US Coast Guard.

“In today’s age, with a formidable array of reliable electronic safety tools and advanced modern alerting and locating systems available, ACR Electronics believes eVDSDs are the logical alternative to pyrotechnic flares,” says Mikele D’Arcangelo, vice president of global marketing and product management at ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal.

“Commercial operators and recreational boaters should no longer have to accept the drawbacks and risks associated with pyrotechnic flares, which raise issues for user safety and the environment, and create problems on land with disposal, transportation, and storage.”

The US Coast Guard completed the removal of pyrotechnic flares from its cutters in June 2026, replacing them with eVDSDs.

A Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services performance standard for eVDSDs is already in place, and approved electronic flares are accepted as a legal replacement for pyrotechnic flares on recreational boats in the US and Canada.

Boaters can switch to electronic alternatives

However, ACR Electronics says many boaters remain unaware they can switch to electronic alternatives, while mandatory carriage of pyrotechnic flares remains in place internationally for many commercial and recreational vessels.

D’Arcangelo says: “Now it is time to establish an international standard for eVDSDs that could be adopted by the IMO and other maritime agencies, recognising this new emerging technology globally, instead of country-by-country approvals.

“We urge regulators to approve electronic flares as an equivalent carriage option, so the mandatory carriage of pyrotechnic devices can be phased out for the benefit of commercial vessels and leisure boaters across the world.”

What are electronic flares, and how do they work?

Electronic flares emit bright strobing LED patterns visible for miles and can operate continuously for hours, compared with pyrotechnic flares, which typically burn for between 30 seconds and three minutes.

Unlike pyrotechnic flares, electronic devices can be tested, reused, and either recharged or fitted with new batteries. ACR Electronics says the technology also removes issues linked to expiry dates, disposal, storage, and transportation.

The company says RTCM-approved electronic flares produce the internationally recognised SOS flash pattern used as a distress signal, as the company continues to push for wider adoption of the technology across the global maritime sector.