Satellite Communication Systems News

Wärtsilä Voyage has signed a contract to deliver radio and integrated navigation systems for 10 icebreaking liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to be constructed for the Arctic LNG-2 project.The order was placed in January 2021 and is now in process of execution, in partnership with South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd shipyard. The new contract is an extension of the announcement made last summer, where Wärtsilä Voyage equipped five LNG carriers with integrated bridge systems under the same project.

Finland-based marine engine and technology provider Wärtsilä said it has been contracted to deliver a complete bridge systems installation for five icebreaking liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled tankers to be constructed for the Arctic LNG-2 project. The navigational systems are delivered by Wärtsilä Voyage, the new business responsible for digital solutions and decision support tools to enhance safety and reliability of shipping operations.The order with Wärtsilä Voyage was placed in the first quarter of 2020 and now is in process of execution…

The global leader of mobile satellite communication antenna systems Intellian is introducing the new 1.5m Ku to Ka convertible VSAT terminal, enabling high-speed broadband at sea and network gateways.The world’s first and only 1.5m Ku to Ka convertible VSAT, v150NX, is a future-proof system supporting 2.5GHz Wide Ka-band networks as well as GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit), MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) constellations.Its design delivers the best RF performance of any 1.5m system on the market today for ship owners, operators and network providers. It is easily converted to Ka-band by changing the RF Assembly and Feed…

Maritime security specialist Naval Dome has come up with an innovative approach to managing the cyber security status of all protected systems onboard ships, allowing shipboard and shoreside staff to monitor and evaluate fleet-wide system data, even when they are offline. Until now, only crew members have been able to access a ship’s offline data sets.The Naval Dome Dashboard collects and collates all the data captured by the company’s multi award-winning Endpoint cyber protection…

Mackay Communications Inc., a worldwide marine electronics and airtime service provider, has announced it has signed a partner agreement with Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT.L) to distribute its award-winning Fleet Xpress service to the global maritime market including deep sea vessels, commercial fishing, oil and gas, defense, and cruise-passenger lines. Mackay will offer a complete end-to-end Fleet Xpress package including the full range of Fleet Xpress airtime service options and choice of approved antennas.

Ibna Zaman of Royston highlights the growing operational advantages provided by the effective analysis of intelligent data in the marine sector – if certain challenges can be successfully overcome. With the impending introduction of the EU MRV Regulations forcing shipping operators to think more seriously about monitoring, reporting and verifying fuel and emissions performance, new data driven improvements have the potential to transform the shipping sector. As its name implies…

The role of Inmarsat as sole provider of satellite technology performing to Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) standards is set for advancement, after an IMO Sub Committee decided to greenlight consideration of both FleetBroadband and Fleet One for formal approval. To date, Inmarsat is the only company which has received approval from the International Maritime Organization to provide the GMDSS data and messaging communications on which mariners rely in the last resort, currently via Inmarsat C and Fleet 77 services.

Maritime and logistics service provider Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has expanded its launch fleet with two more fast crewboats, bringing its total fleet size to 18 vessels. The two newbuild 42-meter vessels have been added in response to a growing demand in the oil and gas sector for faster crew/supply boats to increase operational efficiencies and will assist in the safe and fast transfer of offshore personnel, cargo and liquid payloads, ISS said. Custom-built to ISS’ specifications by the Grand Weld shipyard in Dubai…

Inmarsat the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has signed an agreement with Globecomm, appointing the specialised managed satellite services provider as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Global Xpress (GX), serving the Maritime market globally. The agreement completes Globecomm’s Global Xpress offering, having previously been appointed as a GX VAR for the Enterprise and Global Government markets. Global Xpress will be the first global Ka-band broadband satellite network providing very high bandwidth services to a range of land, maritime and aero terminals, delivered through a resilient, secure waveform which is optimised for mobility.

On February 4, 2014, the IMSO Director General launched an Consultancy Program inviting appropriate experts to assist in the evaluation of mobile satellite communications systems for the GMDSS. The IMO Maritime Safety Committee, at its 94th session in November 2014, agreed that IMSO should undertake the technical and operational evaluation of the Iridium mobile satellite system to assess compliance with the relevant criteria for recognition as GMDSS satellite provider, noting that IMSO would convene a Group of Experts from the abovementioned Consultancy Program. IMSO has formalized an agreement with Iridium Satellite LLC to perform such technical and operational evaluation and the IMSO Director General has reported progress to the IMO Sub-Committee on Navigation…

ORBIT Communication Systems Ltd., a  provider of mission-critical communication solutions for land, sea and air platforms, has received an order to supply its new OceanTRx4 maritime satellite communication systems to an Asian Navy. The  undisclosed Asian customer has been operating ORBIT’s previous-generation OrSat maritime VSAT systems for the past five years, says a press note from the company. The 1.15m VSAT antenna system aims to support multi-band frequency configurations including X, Ku and Ka bands, as well as a range of BUC power levels. Featuring inherent field upgradeability, improved RF performance and dynamic response under virtually any sea conditions, the OceanTRx4 supports a broad range of mission-critical applications.

Using the VDR as the Ship’s Data Clearing House provides budget-minded operators with the means, the bandwidth and the economy to monitor critical systems. Go on: dip your toes in the big data water. Big Data. It’s all the rage across the full spectrum of the maritime world. Thousands of data points on 70,000 vessels literally scream out to be harvested and sent back to the home office, all with the intent of making your vessel more efficient, your operation more profitable, the environment cleaner and perhaps, your bunker and maintenance bills lower. The only left to ask is: what’s it going to cost me? Actually, not as much as you might think.

Maritime operational effectiveness is to be enhanced globally through the provision of training and certification for seafarers assigned to use advanced satellite communication systems on-board commercial vessels. The initiative, which has been tailored for maritime professionals serving on thousands of commercial vessels at sea, is being led by Seagull Maritime, a Norwegian provider of seafarer training, and GVF, the London-based international association of the satellite communications industry. “Ship owners and managers depend daily upon broadband satellite communications for mission-critical applications”, said Roger Ringstad, Master Mariner and Managing Director of Seagull Maritime.

At SMM 2014, Danelec Marine is unveiling VDRConnect, a Web-based remote access service available with the Danelec DM100 Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). VDRConnect is a module that provides selective transmission of data from the Danelec DM100 via satellite to the home office. The module directly connects to the ship’s IT and satellite communication systems with no need for a separate PC. With VDRConnect, the onshore ship manager can log into an IP-based Web portal using a convenient…

80W X-Band Amplifier Supports Military and Government Operations. Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Wavestream(R) introduced a new 80W X-band Matchbox solid state power amplifier to address the needs of military and government applications. The 80W X-band offers both efficiency and performance that make it particularly well suited for mobile SATCOM, flyaway and VSAT satellite communication systems. "Staying connected and delivering content reliably is critical to military and government operations," stated Gary Echo, Vice President of Business Development at Wavestream. "The 80W X-band product is the latest addition to our growing family of X…

Simrad has launched two sophisticated new satellite communication systems based on the Inmarsat Fleet satellite platform. The MS33 and MS55 are designed to offer voice and data services for leisure and professional vessels with internet, email, fax and telephone functionality providing a total communications solution. The MS33 features an Integrated Data Service that can connect at speeds up to 9.6kbps for voice, fax and batched transmissions. It utilizes advanced data compression technology that makes data transmission up to seven times faster than other comparable systems on the Fleet 33 service. Communications costs can be kept down as the MS33 is also capable of using the Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS)…

Despite tremendous strides being made on the marine electronics and technology fronts, ships continue to collide at what many deem an unacceptable rate. The recent rash of high-profile casualties, particularly the ones involving fully loaded cruise ships, has caught the eyes of national and international legislators and is sure to result in action. Despite the best efforts of electronic makers and quality ship owners who outfit their vessels with the latest products and systems to ensure safety of passengers, crew, cargo and ship, vessels are running into one another at an alarming rate. One of the more visible examples of this (although…

Raytheon Marine Company High Seas Products (RMC) has entered into a cooperative agreement with STN Atlas Marine Electronics for worldwide distribution of Inmarsat-B Satellite Communication Systems. The agreement, which calls for Raytheon to offer its own branded supplemental Inmarsat-B satellite communication system, is expected to raise annual sales for the company. The company's already extensive selection of navigation and communications systems includes the Raytheon Mini-M 3064A Maritime Satellite Telephone, medium frequency/high frequency, Inmarsat-C and very high frequency products. The company will offer the Inmarsat-B as a component of its communication package and as a stand-alone unit.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Sperry Marine business unit has received an order from German shipowner Martime Gesellschaft für maritime Diensleistungen mbH to supply new-generation satellite communication systems for seven ships. The vessels -- four container ships, three gas tankers and one chemical tanker -- will be retrofitted with Sperry Marine's new digital NAVICOM F 77 marine satellite communication terminals, replacing the existing analogue Inmarsat-A systems. two-way voice and data communications between ship and shore using the new Inmarsat Fleet 77 satellite service. The system can support the mobile packet data service (MPDS) protocol with constant online access or a 64 kbps ISDN connection for uploading or downloading large data files.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Sperry Marine business unit has been selected to provide the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency's (SFPA) newest patrol vessel with a full suite of navigation and communication systems, networking the ship's systems and sensors into a single interface. The new 151-ft. patrol vessel, being built at Ferguson Shipbuilders on the Clyde, will replace the patrol ship WESTRA and will be the first in the SFPA fleet to have diesel electric propulsion. Sperry Marine will supply a complete integrated bridge system (IBS) with electronic chart display and information system. The equipment suite includes BridgeMaster E flat-screen radars…

The profitable process of moving products through North America’s vast inland waterways systems is increasingly dependent on vessel owners and operators finding and incorporating new technological means and methods to increase efficiencies. That was a core message at a recent meeting sponsored by the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) and held in early March at the Litton-Avondale Shipyard. According to American Waterways Operators’ Ken Wells and others who spoke at the conference, market expansion projections are flat both in terms of materials moved and the overall customer base of shippers. Thus, the onus is squarely on owners and operators to ensure that their fleets are adequately outfitted to save precious time, money and fuel.

Northrop Grumman Corporation received orders to supply bridge navigation and communication electronics for a new offshore patrol vessel under construction for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA). The equipment, to be supplied by Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit, will include a complete networked system that ties together all of the ship’s navigation sensors and steering controls into an integrated bridge system (IBS) running on electronic nautical charts. The new 84-m, 2,181 gross ton patrol vessel is being built at the Remontowa Shipyard in Poland for delivery in 2007. The ship’s diesel electric variable pitch propulsion system will provide a top speed of 18 knots and an endurance of 30 days on patrol.