Decca BridgeMaster E Accepted for AIS Display

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Sperry Marine business unit announced that its Decca BridgeMaster E marine radars have been type accepted by QinetiQ for display of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data in accordance with the technical provisions of the International Maritime Organization Circular SN/Circ. 217. "The BridgeMaster E is one of the first marine radars to be type accepted for display of AIS data," said John Robinson, who heads Sperry Marine's radar business group. "The ability to display AIS data on the radar screen significantly enhances situational awareness for the navigator by providing real-time information on target ships’ position movements and identity," said Robinson. "We have taken great care to ensure the AIS data is presented in such a way that it does not clutter the radar screen or overload the watch officer with too much data." The BridgeMaster E radar processes data from the AIS and automatically displays the AIS targets, which are shown graphically within the radar circle in accordance with IMO-prescribed symbology. The navigator can view additional information about a selected AIS target in a separate target tote window. Any displayed AIS targets infringing the defined CPA/TCPA limits or entering a guard zone will raise an alarm to alert the watchkeeper. The AIS function on the BridgeMaster E radar can be switched off at any time, reverting to the standard radar presentation. The AIS data will continue to be shown on the stand-alone AIS display. A key feature of the BridgeMaster E radar is that it interfaces with the ship's AIS transponder via a simple IEC61162-2 serial cable link without the need for any additional pre-processor unit. The AIS interface can be supplied as a factory-fitted option or as a field upgrade kit for any BridgeMaster E series ATA or ARPA radar.