Northrop Grumman New Nav Training Center

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has announced that its Sperry Marine business unit has opened a new ship navigation training center in Charlottesville, Va. The new facility will provide a wide range of navigation courses, including computer-controlled classroom training and a full ship’s bridge simulator, giving students hands-on training under realistic scenarios. Courses include operation, maintenance, trouble-shooting and repair of shipboard systems for both civilian and military navigation systems. The facility is expected to serve approximately 750 students per year.

The navigation courses are designed to meet International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards and U.S. Coast Guard Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certification, including Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). They are taught by a staff of experienced certified instructors. Extensive maintenance and repair classes are also taught.

“The pending IMO carriage requirements for ECDIS, which will come into force over the next few years, have created a growing awareness throughout the world shipping industry of the need for adequate training to ensure ships’ watchkeepers are able to use these new high-tech tools properly and safely,” said J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine. “As a result, we expect to see a surge in students taking advantage of our state-of-the-art navigation training center.”

In addition to the new facility in Charlottesville, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine operates similar training centers in the United Kingdom and Germany.