Sperry Marine Opens Training Center In U.K.

Sperry Marine, a unit of Northrop Grumman Corporation, has established a new training center in New Malden to provide realistic, practical training for ships' navigation officers in the safe and proper operation of modern navigation systems.

This is one of the few facilities of its kind in Europe serving international commercial marine customers. The newly constructed training facility features the latest electronic teaching aids and a complete functional virtual integrated bridge system with visual simulator. A separate classroom provides six individual workstations for practical chart work and live electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) applications. A "smartboard" also shows interactive simulated scenarios for comprehensive learning.

The initial course offering at the New Malden training center will be a 40-hour, five-day ECDIS class. The course syllabus closely follows the International Maritime Organization model course 1.27 for the operational use of ECDIS.