Vts Centers News

On July 1 the Port of Tyne launched a 'next-generation' Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system to enhance VTS operator situational awareness and supports decision making.The system adheres to the standards set by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), covers the waters of the Port of Tyne in the UK, extending from six nautical miles out at sea to three nautical miles inland. It uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS)…

Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company Fujitsu Ltd and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) are testing technology that could give ship captains earlier warnings about potential collisions with other vessels.A two-year field trial of the system has concluded, and further tests will be conducted before authorities decide whether to deploy the system, said a press release.Fujitsu has demonstrated the usefulness of a novel ship collision risk prediction technology that leverages the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in predicting near misses between vessels.Using AI technology "Fujitsu Human Centric AI Zinrai" developed by Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd…

Transas has launched its first package of applications built on THESIS, a unified cloud-based platform for managing operations across the full breadth of the maritime ecosystem. The advanced ‘A-Suite’ package also sets a new precedent by utilizing the latest in machine learning techniques to reduce the potential for human errors on the bridge or poor decisions elsewhere in the vessel operational chain. In addition to the officers and crew working on board ships, the benefits of…

A safety study recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) details 14 conclusions and 21 recommendations aimed at further reducing the risk of collisions, allisions and groundings involving vessels operating within U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) areas. The study, “An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service System” (NTSB/SS-16/01), focused on the performance of the Coast Guard’s VTS system, currently comprised of 12 VTS centers. NTSB said the need for the study was driven by the investigation of six major commercial vessel accidents since the Coast Guard’s…

The first of five Norwegian regional VTS Centers to be upgraded under the February 2013 VTS Framework contract between the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) and Kongsberg Norcontrol IT (KNC) has been completed. The NCA, Western Coastal Administration (KYV-V) officially celebrated the opening of the modernized Kvitsøy Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Center, which was renovated as part of the 36 million NOK (4.4 mil euros) national VTS upgrade project, on June 11, 2014. With a new KNC developed C-Scope VTS system and six new radars…

Lockheed Martin will provide an extension to the Greek National Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) under a $1 million sub-contract from the Hellenic Telecommunications & Electronics industry, INTRACOM. The extension will support the country’s port security infrastructure for the 2004 Olympic Games. The Games are expected to bring 16,000 athletes and more than four million spectators to Greece. Numerous spectators are expected to move daily through the ferry ports of Rafina and Lavrio, located on the east coast of the Greek peninsula, which will be equipped with new regional Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) monitoring centers. Lockheed Martin will provide two radar systems to help monitor the waterway during the Olympic Games.

The events of September 11, 2001 will continue to have lingering effects on the world indefinitely. The most visible remnant in the maritime world is the drastically heightened sense of safety and security, as officials in countries around the globe seek to secure their borders from the threat of attack — either direct or covert — via ship. Many of the issues currently on the legislative fast track were already in the works pre-September 11. False crew documentation, enhanced vessel tracking and beefed-up harbor controls were much-discussed topic in previous years. As is the case more often than not, though, a disaster of some proportion is inevitably the impetus in moving from discussion to action.

Intracom has signed a contract worth $8 million with Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems-Radar Systems (NE&SS-Radar Systems) for the supply to the Hellenic Merchant Marine Ministry of the first phase of a National Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS). NE&SS-Radar Systems is the major subcontractor of the project led by INTRACOM. The VTMIS will be based in Piraeus and will cover areas of the Ionian and Aegean Sea. INTRACOM, as the project's prime contractor, has the responsibility of providing the telecommunication and computing hardware, as well as installing the necessary VTMIS technology equipment supplied by Lockheed Martin.

Vienna, Austria-based NautiCast Schiffsnavigationssysteme specializes in the development and distribution of refined AIS navigation aids, catering for both the commercial and leisure shipping industries as well as ports and VTS centers. The core product of the X-Pack range is the X-Pack DS AIS-Transponder, a product literally designed to anticipate not only today's, but also tomorrow's requirements of an AIS in the maritime industry. The X-Pack DS was developed with NautiCast and is assembled to ISO 9001 Standard by Siemens AG Austria. The X- Pack DS AIS-Transponder automatically and continuously broadcasts and receives static, dynamic and voyage related ship data and exchanges it with other AIS equipped vessels and shore stations within VHF range.