GMDSS Communication Competency in the Age of Digital Transformation: A Needs Analysis of Maritime English Proficiency Among Indonesian Deck Officer Candidates

The ongoing modernization of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) toward digital and satellite-based communication platforms has substantially intensified the Maritime English proficiency demands placed upon deck officer candidates worldwide. Despite this transformation, empirical needs analysis research specifically addressing the linguistic and communicative competency requirements of Indonesian seafarers in GMDSS digital contexts remains critically absent from the scholarly literature. This study investigates the Maritime English communication competency needs of Indonesian deck officer candidates at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Pelayaran (STIP) Jakarta in relation to the evolving discourse demands of modernized GMDSS operation. Employing a qualitative needs analysis design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews with deck cadets, Maritime English lecturers, and senior maritime communication practitioners, supplemented by document analysis of GMDSS training materials and the IMO's modernized GMDSS regulatory framework. Analysis proceeded through thematic analysis, cross-group comparison, and narrative synthesis. Findings reveal substantial and systematic gaps between cadets' current Maritime English communicative competence and the proficiency levels required for confident and safe GMDSS digital communication, particularly in distress message formulation, digital selective calling interpretation, and MF/HF digital communication protocols. The study argues for a needs-responsive redesign of GMDSS-integrated Maritime English curricula grounded in genre-based and communicative language teaching principles, with direct implications for STCW-aligned training policy and maritime education practice.