Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Sperry Marine business unit unveiled its next-generation marine navigation technology in a press preview held last week at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel in London.

The new Sperry Marine family of navigation products, which will be marketed under the VisionMaster FT® label, will be publicly launched at the Shipbuilding Machinery & Marine (SMM) Technology exhibition in Hamburg in September.

“VisionMaster FT is a scalable family of solutions designed with an advanced PC-based Ethernet architecture offering easy upgradeability and built-in redundancy to meet the emerging requirements for shipboard navigation in the 21st century,” said J. Nolasco DaCunha, director of Sperry Marine Systems. “With VisionMaster FT, the shipowner can select whatever level of sophistication is needed, from a standard type-approved radar up to a complete integrated bridge system (IBS) with a built-in upgrade path to address future requirements.”

“The VisionMaster FT technology is also designed to take advantage of value-added services such as electronic chart downloads, automatic weather routing, remote diagnostics and performance monitoring, as broadband ship-to-shore satellite links become more widely available in coming years,” said DaCunha. “Marine superintendents and other authorized shore-based users will be able to access the ship’s systems through Sperry Marine’s unique BridgeLink Web-based portal to access ship operational data, view performance data and remotely monitor the ship’s navigation systems and sensors.”

DaCunha noted that Sperry Marine’s VisionMaster FT can be envisioned as a pyramid of capabilities, comprising four basic levels of navigation functionality – radar, chart radar, electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) and multi-function workstation. The configurable architecture makes it easy to upgrade from one configuration to the next.

At the pinnacle of the pyramid is TotalWatch®, which replaces traditional, stand-alone single-function navigation workstations with a true multi-function navigation console similar to those used in aircraft cockpits. With TotalWatch, multiple task-oriented functions are combined into one integrated workstation. The TotalWatch station can display any VisionMaster FT mode, as well as data from other shipboard systems such as machinery monitoring, alarms and even closed-circuit television. The ship’s master can create any combination of console displays for any scenario, such as inshore piloting, open-sea navigation, docking or anchoring.

At the pyramid’s base is the VisionMaster FT radar, which incorporates Sperry Marine’s proprietary automatic clutter suppression technology. It facilitates detecting and identifying small, weak targets in the presence of sea or rain clutter, even when sailing near large landmasses, without manually adjusting gain and clutter controls. Available in a wide range of interswitchable X- and S-band automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) configurations, the VisionMaster FT radar meets all current and projected performance standards for marine radar systems. It uses the same proven BridgeMaster E transceiver and antenna configurations permitting easy and inexpensive retrofit for existing installations.

The VisionMaster FT Chart Radar is a software upgrade kit for the stand-alone radar, adding vector-format electronic nautical charts to the radar display. The user can select the density of chart data, from a simplified presentation of shoreline and navaids to a full display mode. Navlines and voyage plans from the radar are automatically overlaid on the chart display. The user can switch from radar to chart radar with a single keystroke.

The VisionMaster FT ECDIS complies with all International Maritime Organization carriage requirements for navigating without paper charts when a backup ECDIS is installed. The system’s Universal Chart Manager accepts any authorized vector or raster chart format. The split-screen capability permits two independent charts to be shown simultaneously, and a unique, picture-in-picture window allows the user to view specific areas of the chart at different scales. The ECDIS can be integrated with the radar and automatic identification system for common target identification and overlay of data on the ECDIS screen.

Any combination of VisionMaster FT radars, chart radars, ECDIS and TotalWatch can be used to create a flexible IBS. This brings together all of the ship’s navigation sensors and systems into a modern, efficient, ergonomic bridge layout to meet operational requirements while ensuring the ship complies with all international standards.