Sonardyne Ranger 2 Chosen for Russian Salvage Vessels

Sonardyne International Ltd.’s Ranger 2 acoustic positioning technology has been selected by marine navigation systems group, Transas, for use on two new build ice-class multipurpose salvage vessels (MPSVs, the project is developed by Marine Engineering Bureau) commissioned by the Russian Ministry of Transport. The vessels are currently under construction at Nordic Yards in Germany and will each be fitted with dual Ranger 2 Pro systems, the highest specification available, to support complex underwater positioning and critical DP station keeping tasks.

In conventional Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) operating mode, Ranger 2 calculates the position of a subsea target, such an ROV or towfish, by measuring the range and bearing from a vessel-mounted transceiver to an acoustic transponder fitted to the target. By interfacing it to a dynamic positioning system, Ranger 2 can be used to simultaneously help maintain the vessel’s own position.

In Pro configuration, Ranger 2 adds support for Long and Ultra-Short BaseLine (LUSBL) acoustic positioning. The technique utilizes a network of transponders deployed on the seabed to offer precision and repeatability and is widely used for applications where maintaining a reliable vessel position is a critical operational requirement. In this respect, Transas has additionally specified that each vessel be equipped with dual redundant Ranger equipment. All vessel-mounted hardware is duplicated and interconnected so that failure in one any element, will not affect the system’s ability to provide a continuous position output to the DP system.

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