Northrop Grumman to Supply Navigation, Communications Systems for SFPA

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, fiber-optic gyrocompass, adaptive autopilot, speed log, DGPS, automatic information system, doppler speed log and all radio and satellite communication systems. The IBS will provide a high level of reliability and redundancy of critical equipment, thereby minimizing the ship's operating costs. The modular structure of the IBS easily expands to meet future requirements. The IBS, running under Sperry Marine's proprietary Voyage Management System software, will provide an integrated picture of the ship's position, movement and status for the watch officer.