The QinetiQ Platform Support Services Group is to fit ORPHEUS, a new navigational safety tool, to a Royal Navy frigate. ORPHEUS will be installed on HMS Northumberland in August for year-long trials after demonstrations onboard a sistership, HMS Marlborough, proved a veritable success. QinetiQ will then install the system to two more Type 23 frigates, HMS Somerset and Montrose, later in the year. ORPHEUS, an acronym for Onboard Risk Performance Hazard Evaluation System, is a dedicated and flexible operator guidance system that provides clear and concise information on how a ship will perform in a variety of heavy weather scenarios. Taking thee years to develop, it displays measured motions, predictions of motions at alternative speeds, and heading combinations alongside operating limits.
