Royal Australian Navy awards major bridge simulator contract to Kongsberg Digital.

Kongsberg Digital has been selected to deliver and support a suite of sophisticated K-Sim Navigation ready ship’s bridge simulators for the Royal Austalian Navy. The contract will enable the Royal Australian to significantly increase its training capacity and reduce costs associated with qualifying bridge watch keepers and other staff before going to sea.

 Picture shows Maritime Warfare Officer Training in the KONGSBERG simulator at HMAS Watson. Photo credit: POIS Yuri Ramsey. Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia

The simulators will be delivered for installation in a new training facility at HMAS Stirling in Perth starting May 2019, with existing bridge simulators at HMAS Watson in Sydney being upgraded from December 2018. The new simulation centre in Perth and extensive upgrades in Sydney will ease pressure on the Navy’s existing facilities and provide sophisticated bridge simulation training capabilities on both coasts of the Australian continent.

“The Royal Australian Navy has trained crew on KONGSBERG ship’s bridge simulators since 1998, and our engine room simulators are also integral to its engineer training,” said Lars Klemmentsby, VP Business Development Defence, Kongsberg Digital. “Their high level of satisfaction over these past two decades has played a major role in this latest contract award, which confirms Kongsberg Digital’s position as the supplier of choice for both bridge and engine room simulation to the Australian Navy.”

The contract also includes a Long Term System Support Program (LTSSP), designed to ensure high operational availability and easy access to new KONGSBERG simulator developments. The Royal Australian Navy has already benefited from an existing LTSSP, which enabled fast track upgrading of its capabilities at HMAS Watson with new KONGSBERG ship’s bridge simulators in 2016/17.

K-Sim Navigation is based on a cutting-edge technology platform enabling more realistic training scenarios and enhanced user benefits for both instructors and students. It features an advanced new physical engine and state-of-the-art hydrodynamic modelling, allowing vessels, objects and equipment to behave and interact as in real life, as well as a new instructor system, complete configuration flexibility and easy integration with other simulators for complete team training.