David Johnson News

U.K.-based Cambridge Pixel has unveiled a new software package to aid in the instruction and learning of the proper usage of maritime radars.SPx Radar Trainer is designed to make it easier for students to familiarize themselves with radar controls by providing a modern simulation of a typical radar display, supported by chart and 3D environment views. It includes custom scenario creation for instructors and runs in a browser window for ease-of-use.Developed by Cambridge Pixel…

Pirates off Nigeria's coast kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday in a brazen and violent attack that was farther from shore than usual.One sailor was killed in the raid, an Azerbaijani citizen, while those kidnapped are from Turkey, according to the respective governments and a crew list seen by Reuters.Accounts from crew, family members and security sources described a sophisticated and well-orchestrated attack on Saturday in which armed pirates boarded the ship and breached its protective citadel…

Cambridge Pixel, a developer of radar display, tracking and recording sub-systems, has supplied its radar video trackers and display technology to Marico Marine as part of a major investment by the Port of Dover into safety systems at Europe’s busiest ferry port.Engineers at Marico Marine (Southampton, England) needed a low cost, open, softwarebased radar tracker for integration with its new vessel traffic service (VTS) system in Dover.It was important that the tracker worked…

UK headquartered exhaust systems designer and developer Halyard has been selected by US based inboard driveline technology engineering and manufacturing company Seatorque Control Systems as its exclusive distributor for the European and Scandinavian markets.Seatorque is a developer of propulsion systems including its acclaimed BOSS Bolt-On Shaft System. This unique enclosed system is an oil-filled, self-contained shaft and thrust bearing assembly that reduces friction, underbody drag…

Security consultancy Eos Risk Management has been certified by The Republic of Cyprus for the provision of security services for vessels registered with its flag administration. The Cypriot Ministry of Transport Communications and Work awarded certified status to Eos Risk Management Limited as an approved Private Ship Security Company on December 4, 2015, via the Department of Merchant Shipping (DMS), (Against Acts of Piracy and Other Unlawful Acts Law (2012) – (Law 77(i) of 2012). The Cypriot Register is the 10th largest merchant fleet in the world and an important voice within merchant marine, with many leading shipping companies maintaining Cypriot offices.

Manufacturer of opposed-piston engines Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries company, signed a joint development and licensing agreement with Achates Power, Inc. —an innovator of improved internal combustion engines that are clean, more fuel efficient and lower cost—to reduce emissions and fuel consumption of Fairbanks Morse proprietary diesel and dual-fuel opposed-piston engines. Fairbanks Morse opposed-piston engines have proven their reliability in a wide range of critical applications including nuclear standby power…

A report released by WWF points to ship accident-prone areas: the South China Sea & East Indies, east Mediterranean & Black Sea, and the busy shipping lanes around the British Isles, North Sea and Bay of Biscay. The busy shipping lanes around the British Isles, North Sea and Bay of Biscay had the fourth largest number of shipping accidents in the world, with 135 reported incidents between 1999 and 2011 including fires, collisions and leakage of toxic waste. The North Sea is one of the most intensively sailed seas in the world with over 120,000 ship movements taking place there every year. The WWF report also names the South China Sea and East Indies, east Mediterranean and Black Sea, as dangerous hotspots for accidents involving ships.

Cambridge Pixel unveils SPx Simulator to test and validate complex primary radar display applications. The sophisticated SPx Simulator software builds on Cambridge Pixel’s established SPx radar processing library to provide a flexible tool for system developers allowing multi-radar simulations or scenarios to be constructed including terrain effects, primary radar targets, secondary targets (AIS, IFF, ADS-B) and navigation data. The output of the simulator is a network stream of one or more primary videos in either SPx or Asterix formats, along with synchronised AIS tracks, primary tracks and NMEA 0183 navigation data. SPx Simulator is aimed at developers of military and commercial radar display applications including Command and Control (C2) systems…

RadarView allows electronic navigation charts (ENC), tiled maps, world vector shoreline, and raster images, to be displayed with the primary radar video. Cambridge Pixel , a developer of sensor processing and display solutions, has enhanced its RadarView Windows-based radar visualisation software tool to allow complex map and charts, for example, electronic navigation charts (ENC), tiled maps, world vector shoreline, and raster images, to be displayed with the primary radar video.

The nation’s newest and most-advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine, Mississippi (SSN-782), returned to the Electric Boat shipyard following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas, called alpha sea trials. Mississippi is the ninth ship of the Virginia Class, the most-capable class of attack submarines ever built. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). During the alpha sea trials, Mississippi submerged for the first time and conducted high-speed runs on and under the surface to demonstrate that the submarine’s propulsion plant is fully mission-capable. The sea trials were conducted by Adm. Kirkland Donald, director – Naval Nuclear Propulsion. Also participating in the sea trials were Rear Adm.

Cambridge Pixel,  a developer of sensor processing and display solutions, has introduced its SPx-ECDIS radar kit. The new toolkit will allow systems integrators building Windows-based Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) for commercial ships to add radar interfacing, scan conversion, chart display, target tracking, a Global Positioning System interface and record/replay functionality into their ECDIS solutions. ECDIS is an approved system which displays information…

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) christened the eighth submarine of the Virginia class, California (SSN 781), at the company's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va. Donna Willard, the ship's sponsor, performed the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the submarine's hull. She is the wife of Adm. Robert F. Willard, the current Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, served as the keynote speaker.

Northrop Grumman christened the eighth submarine of the Virginia class, California (SSN 781), at the company's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va. Mrs. Donna Willard, the ship's sponsor, performed the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the submarine's hull. She is the wife of Adm. Robert F. Willard, the current Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, served as the keynote speaker.

The Navy conducted multiple launches of Tomahawk cruise missiles from USS Virginia (SSN 774) in August in the as part of the program's developmental and operational testing efforts. The test launches, the first ever for a Virginia-class submarine, included the launch and extended flight of multiple missiles to demonstrate the 's launch capabilities. “Completing the Tomahawk flight tests is an important milestone in proving the class design and brings us a significant step closer to the program's full rate production decision in 2009,” said Rear Adm. (sel.) David Johnson, Virginia Class program manager. “The Virginia Class was conceived and designed as a multi-purpose warship and these flight tests are another indication of the significant capabilities a submarine brings to the fight…

General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) delivered Hawaii (SSN 776), the third Virginia Class submarine to the Navy on Dec. 22. Hawaii is GDEB’s 100th nuclear powered submarine to be delivered to the Navy. “More than 52 years after commissioning Nautilus, the world’s most revolutionary warship, GDEB is delivering another amazing submarine, Hawaii,” said Rear Adm. Hilarides, Program Executive Officer for Submarines. "It is purpose built for in-land power projection by both Special Operation Forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Hawaii will be able to fight across the full spectrum of warfare,” said Hilarides. Hawaii’s on-time delivery is…