Raytheon Anschütz Selected as INS Provider for Canada’s OFSV

 

Thales, a major system integrator in Canada, has chosen Raytheon Anschütz as the supplier of the Integrated Navigation System (INS) for the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV). 

 

As part of the OFSV program, three new vessels are being built for the CCG at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards. The 63-metre vessels are designed to operate in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Their mission profile is to conduct fishing and acoustic surveys and collect oceanographic data to monitor changes in the ecosystem. Seaspan is the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) Non-Combat capability provider and is responsible for building the next generation of Non-Combat vessels for the CCG and RCN. 

 

Under the contract, Raytheon Anschütz provides the customer with a Canadian version of their globally proven Synapsis Intelligent Bridge Control system. The new OFSVs are equipped with advanced Synapsis Integrated Navigation Systems. 

 

The INS features five Synapsis NX multifunctional workstations for radar, ECDIS and conning for the main bridge console. Further multifunctional workstations are supplied for installation at the bridge wings, for the aft fishing and starboard stations, and as chart station. The workstations are based on ultra-compact and powerful Small Marine Computers which serve as the standard hardware platform for all bridge applications. All workstations receive and share data through the Ethernet network, where sensor integration is simplified with the versatile NautoPlex data collectors. This enhances flexibility and reduces complexity in system design and cabling. 

 

To further enhance the interoperability of ship systems and reach a higher degree of integration, the Synapsis INS decouples central services from individual applications and concentrates them on an innovative infrastructure software framework which follows service oriented architecture and is built entirely on a stack of open source solutions and standard industrial components. The INS framework provides functional integration of AIS, charts, radar, centralized target management and alarm management, system health status display and reliability indication for important sensors. The alarm management is enhanced to display alarms generated by the Ship Control and Monitoring Systems (SCMS). The INS also integrates an onboard training simulator to provide simulated data for the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT).

 

The navigation system is fitted with the advanced NP 5400 autopilot system which offers customized algorithms for precise cruising and trawling operations as well as low speed side operations. The navigation system also includes a redundant gyro compass system featuring the maintenance-free Horizon MF sensors, and the new generation of NautoScan NX network radar transceivers. The NautoScan NX transceivers generate a raw radar video, which is distributed via Gigabit LAN without any analogue losses, enabling optimized performance for end-user applications.

 

Raytheon Anschütz, in cooperation with their long-term service partner Imtech Radio Holland Canada, will also provide training to Thales in Canada and Vancouver Shipyards and technical support during factory acceptance test, setting-to-work and sea acceptance test, as well as ongoing maintenance and support as needed during operation.