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Electronic Systems News

13 Feb 2024

OPINION: Seeing the Ship as a System Changes Everything

image credit ABB Marine and Ports

Shipping must engage with the decarbonization realities that lie ahead by changing the way it crafts maritime legislation to reflect its place in the interconnected, interdependent world economy, says Eero Lehtovaara, ABB Marine & Ports.ABB Marine & Ports Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, Eero Lehtovaara has carved out an unusual - and possibly unique - role in the maritime industry over recent years, as a ‘stakeholder’ simultaneously mindful of the perspectives of owners, seafarers…

02 Oct 2023

Orlowski Named VP Engineering at Austal USA

Austal USA introduced Chris Orlowski as the company’s vice president of engineering. Photo courtesy Austal USA

Austal USA introduced Chris Orlowski as the company’s vice president of engineering, leading a team of more than 350 engineers, naval architects, designers, and other engineering support staff. Orlowski has more than 30 years of program and systems engineering leadership experience within the defense industry. He came to Austal USA from Northrup Grumman’s CIO Office – Mission Systems - where he was the director of engineering and manufacturing systems and infrastructure. He led a team of 250 employees focused on designing…

07 Jun 2023

Fair Weather Collision Attributed to Distracted Bridge Watch Officers

Bunun Queen (left) and Thunder (right) are pictured before the collision. (Source: Wisdom Marine International (left) and Jackson Offshore (right))

The bridge watch officers on a bulk carrier and an offshore supply vessel were not maintaining a proper lookout before the vessels collided last year near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded.On July 23, 2022, the bulk carrier Bunun Queen was transiting eastbound in the Gulf of Mexico and the offshore supply vessel Thunder was transiting northbound when the vessels collided. The Thunder sustained substantial damage to its port side, which resulted in the flooding of one of its propulsion rooms and three other spaces.

11 Feb 2022

SP80: 80-knot Sailboat Demands High-Performance Sensing

3D rendering of the SP80 sailing on water. (photo courtesy of SP80)

Fischer Connectors’ solutions support the transmission of sensor data for the wind-powered SP80 boat setting out to reach the phenomenal speed of 80 knots, which if achieved will break the long-standing world sailing speed record of 65.45 knots.During the development of its boat that is now close to its final design phase, the SP80 team has chosen Fischer Connectors for the data-transmission solutions interconnecting the various sensors that will equip the boat and its pilot to break the world sailing speed record.

19 Jan 2022

Paper to Electrons: CBP Makes a Big Move

© petert2 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) announced December 28 that it was moving to an all-electronic filing method for Form I-418 “Passenger List – Crew List.” I-418 is required from the “master or agent of every commercial vessel arriving in the United States” (emphasis added). Now that’s a change at scale. The Form I-418 process also has a Coast Guard component, tracking everyone entering and leaving U.S. maritime ports.CPB’s change is an “interim final rule”, and the agency is seeking public comments – due February 28 – on whether the change is a good idea.

28 Jan 2021

Electric Propulsion: The Dawn of a New Generation of Marine Power?

A foil ferry designed to use battery electric propulsion (Image: Glosten)

Technological advancement is opening new doors for hybrid and fully electric vessels.In mid-2020, the U.S. Navy accepted the delivery of the USS Zumwalt, the Navy’s first full-electric power and propulsion surface combatant. The ship’s new electric propulsion plant provides favorable efficiency coupled with a reduced total cost of ownership. The design is flexible and efficient to deliver power where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Its adoption is symbolic of a maritime future and what could be in store for other marine craft…

23 Dec 2020

Elbit Systems to Buy Sparton for $380 Million

Kovalenko I - AdobeStock

Israel-based international defense electronics company Elbit Systems has signed an agreement to buy maritime defense contractor Sparton for $380 million. Elbit said Wednesday that its U.S. subsidiary Elbit Systems of America had signed a definitive agreement with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. for the acquisition of Sparton. Sparton Parent, Inc.—formerly known as Striker Parent 2018—an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. bought Sparton in March 2019.The Elbit transaction is conditioned on various closing conditions, including receipt of U.S.

12 Oct 2020

100m Trinidad and Tobago Ferry Launched

Image: Incat Tasmania

Incat Tasmania’s 100m ship destined for Trinidad and Tobago was floated out from Incat’s drydock on Hobart’s Derwent River on October 9, and will remain alongside the shipyard wharf for machinery commissioning during October. Powered by four MAN 7280-kW,l 16V 28/33 STC marine diesel engines driving Wartsila WXJ 1200 SRI waterjets via ZF 53500NR2H gearboxes, Buccoo Reef is designed to achieve a top speed of more than 40 knots.Australian shipbuilder Incat commenced construction of Buccoo Reef early 2019…

31 Aug 2020

Mackay Completes Electronics Commissioning Aboard CCGS John Cabot

Mackay Marine’s Vancouver Project Manager Ben Staggs (Photo: Mackay Marine)

Mackay Marine said it has completed final electronics commissioning during sea trials aboard the future CCGS John Cabot. Constructed at Seaspan’s Vancouver shipyard, the new ship is the third Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV) built for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCGS) under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.Mackay said it was selected to be part of the team to support Thales Canada in its role as Tier-1 Partner to Seaspan Shipyards and as Electronic Systems Integrator for the construction of these vessels.

10 Aug 2020

BAE Systems Wins Modernization Contract for USS Carney, USS Winston S. Churchill

USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) (U.S. Navy video by Louis Thompson Staats IV)

BAE Systems received a $83.5 million contract from the U.S. Navy to modernize the guided-missile destroyers USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Winston S Churchill (DDG 81). The modernization work will be performed sequentially by the company’s shipyard in Jacksonville, Fla. The contract include options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $211.6 million.The USS Carney will be first in the shipyard, arriving in September 2020. The 23-year-old ship just returned from a six year operational period in Rota…

13 May 2020

Cambridge Pixel Announces Dual Redundant Radar Tracking

Photo: Cambridge Pixel

Cambridge Pixel has added dual redundancy to its SPx Tracking Server to support high reliability radar tracking. The enhancement will protect against system failure by providing two processing paths for the radar data and allowing automatic switching from one to the other.Support for dual redundant radar tracking is designed for developers of high reliability or remote systems such as in maritime and coastal surveillance applications where multiple radars are located along a coastline…

11 Dec 2019

CCG Adds OFSV to its Fleet

Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has completed Delivery of Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Capt. Jacques Cartier, the Canadian Coast Guard’s newest state-of-the-art Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV), the second OFSV delivered by Seaspan."The milestone in the shipbuilding process took place exactly five months and two days after the delivery of her sister ship, the CCGS Sir John Franklin. These two ships are the first large vessels delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the Government of Canada’s plan to renew the federal fleet with ships built in Canada for Canadians," said a press note.In addition to major partners like Thales Canada who are responsible for the vessel’s Electronic Systems and Vard Marine…

02 Dec 2019

Volvo Penta Powers Hybrid Scandinavian Ferries

Photo: Volvo Penta

Volvo Penta to power three hybrid and hybrid-ready ferries currently being built at GS Marine Production AS. GS Marine is currently building a new ferry for Faroe Island operator, Standfaraskip Landsins. This ferry will have a speed of 20 knots and be powered by two of Volvo Penta’s engines. The D13-700 IMO III engines have a power output of 515kW at 2,250 rpm and will be coupled with a Brunvoll hybrid control system – allowing the vessel to run on the engines or electric alone, and even both in unison.

20 Nov 2019

VDRs for Inland Vessels: Does It Make Sense?

It just might. And, you’ve got options.The Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) carriage requirements apply to all passenger ships regardless of gross tons or year of build, and to all cargo ships 3000 gross tons or larger built after 2002. A simplified VDR (S-VDR) is allowed on older ships built before 2002. The performance standard was updated in 2014. That said; a full type-approved VDR is not a requirement for inland vessels under 3,000 GT. Nevertheless, a good case to be made for installing a (less costly) data recording device on such vessels, ideally with remote access and reporting as part of an Internet of Things (IoT) solution to monitor the vessel and its installed equipment.

07 Oct 2019

VDRs for Inland Vessels? Does It Make Sense?

It just might. And, you’ve got options.The Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) carriage requirements apply to all passenger ships regardless of gross tons or year of build, and to all cargo ships 3000 gross tons or larger built after 2002. A simplified VDR (S-VDR) is allowed on older ships built before 2002. The performance standard was updated in 2014. That said; a full type-approved VDR is not a requirement for inland vessels under 3,000 GT. Nevertheless, a good case to be made for installing a (less costly) data recording device on such vessels, ideally with remote access and reporting as part of an Internet of Things (IoT) solution to monitor the vessel and its installed equipment.

10 Jul 2019

Maersk Firm to Buy Wind Turbine Supplier

file Image: an offshore wind farm (CREDIT Seimens)

A.P. Moller Holding, which controls Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk will acquire Danish wind turbine supplier KK Group, it said on Wednesday, in a first step into the renewable energy industry.The acquisition marks a new direction for the family-owned company, which has built its business on the shipping and oil industry.The parties declined to disclose the price of the deal. A.P. Moller Holding will buy KK Group, whose main activities are through KK Wind Solutions, from…

10 Apr 2019

Malaysia Ratifies FAL Convention

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty enhancing communication between ships and ports to help shipments move more quickly, more easily and more efficiently has been ratified by Malaysia.According to the UN body, this brings the number of contracting States to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) to 123.Captain Haji Samad, Alternate Permanent Representative of Malaysia to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London (10 April) to deposit the instrument of accession.IMO’s Facilitation Committee is meeting for its 43rd session (8-12 April) this week, coinciding…

12 Sep 2018

New Strategies to Guard Against Future Security Threats

©Hamburg Messe und Congress, Rolf Otzipka

The international conference on maritime security and defense (MS&D), held for the seventh time in Hamburg during the SMM maritime trade fair, focused on current and future challenges to maritime security and defense. Twenty naval, industrial and science experts discussed topics such as how to protect international ocean trading routes, when and how to deploy naval forces on crisis missions, as well as cyber security issues.The welcome address opened the event with somber words as Rear Admiral Thorsten Kähler…

24 Aug 2018

Mackay Marine Outfits Crowley’s New LNG ConRo Ships

(Photo: Mackay Communications)

The new ship El Coquí entered service for domestic operator Crowley in late July 2018 as one of the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled combined container and roll-on roll-off (ConRo) vessels.El Coquí, along with sister ship Taíno currently under construction at shipbuilder VT Halter’s Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard, feature a wide range of state-of-the-art onboard technologies, including advanced integrated bridge systems (IBS), complete with consoles, and ancillary…

28 Jun 2018

Maritime Single Window for Antigua and Barbuda

An exciting new phase in a project to develop a maritime single window for Antigua and Barbuda has begun, with the installation of the first, basic system platform, said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO). Testing and implementation will now begin and if successful, the system, developed by Norway, could potentially benefit other countries of the Caribbean region and to other regions of the world. A technical team from Norway has explained the basic platform, now available to all stakeholders in Antigua and Barbuda, during a week-long series of related activities (25-29 June). The operational implementation phase, essential for the success of the project, now begins.

18 Jul 2017

UK Partners to Launch Autonomous Vessels Testing Service

(Photo: BAE Systems)

The U.K.'s first maritime autonomous systems testing service is set to launch later this year. BAE Systems said it has been awarded £457,000 (approximately $594,700) in grant funding from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to design and deliver the U.K.’s first dedicated autonomous systems testing service. Based around Portsmouth, Southampton and the South East of the Isle of Wight, BAE Systems will work with ASV Global (ASV), Blue Bear Systems Research (Blue Bear)…

07 Aug 2017

Cyber Threats Prompt Return of Radio for Ship Navigation

© donvictori0 / Adobe Stock

The risk of cyber attacks targeting ships' satellite navigation is pushing nations to delve back through history and develop back-up systems with roots in World War Two radio technology. Ships use GPS (Global Positioning System) and other similar devices that rely on sending and receiving satellite signals, which many experts say are vulnerable to jamming by hackers. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea and the stakes are high in increasingly crowded shipping lanes.

02 Apr 2018

RB-M: the Coast Guard's Durable Workhorse

Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Reynolds stood on a wooden Coast Guard pier looking to the water’s edge at an orange and silver boat used for saving lives and assisting mariners in distress, and bears the numbers 45601, as a small smile appeared on his face. “I’d rather have that boat than any other in the fleet,” he said, admiring its functionality and capability. Reynolds, a Boatswain’s Mate at Station Little Creek, is speaking about 45601, the first 45-foot Response Boat – Medium (RB-M) that was delivered to Coast Guard crews. Since 2008, over 170 RB-Ms have been delivered to over 100 boat stations throughout the Coast Guard. Station Little Creek holds the title of being the first unit to conduct missions on RB-M…