Northrop Grumman
Corporation's Sperry Marine business unit has won orders
from the China Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
to supply
integrated bridge systems (IBS) for 12 new container ships.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"The state-of-the-art bridge electronics suite is designed to
enhance navigation safety by integrating all of the ships' navigation
and steering control systems," said John DeMaso, president of Sperry
Marine.
"This results in improved situational awareness for watch
officers, providing a complete real-time picture of the ship's position
and movement, with automatic correlation of overlaid radar targets, on
an electronic chart display and information system."
The new ships, which are being built for Chilean ship owner
Compañia Sudamericana de Vapores and German ship owner, Reederei Peter
Doehle, will be fitted with a complete IBS featuring Sperry Marine's
proprietary Voyage Management System software. The IBS installation
includes inter-
switched navigation radars, information systems, an echo
sounder, speed log, gyrocompass, differential global positioning
system, automatic identification system, voyage data recorder and
communication station with Fleet 77 Inmarsat terminal.
A key element in the Sperry Marine IBS is the Navipilot 4000
fully adaptive, self-tuning autopilot system, which makes real?time
adjustments for loading dynamics and weather conditions. The auto
self-tuning capability provides fewer and smaller rudder movements for
reduced fuel consumption and less wear and tear on the steering
machinery.
All of the bridge consoles employ state-of-the-art,
high-resolution flat-screen technology. Sperry Marine will also
provide support for installation, interfacing, commissioning and crew
training.