Sperry Marine Bridge Navigation Systems For Hero Class Patrol Vessels
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected to supply bridge navigation systems for nine new mid-shore patrol vessels to be built for the Canadian Coast Guard. The contract, valued at up to USD 3 million (USD), was awarded to Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit in Canada through its dealer, Techsol Inc. The first of the Damen Stan Patrol 4207 design vessels should be ready for service in 2011.
The rest of the vessels is to be delivered by 2013. The scope of supply for the new ships which will all be built at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, includes Sperry Marine radars, autopilot, gyrocompass, magnetic compass, speed log, repeaters and a communications suite meeting the international Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) requirements. “We’ve maintained an outstanding working relationship with the Canadian Coast Guard and Navy as a major supplier of navigation equipment for more than 25 years”, said Alan Aitken, national sales manager for Sperry Marine Canada. “We recently completed the navigation radar upgrades on the Canadian Navy’s twelve Kingston-class maritime coastal defense vessels. This most recent contract award is a reflection of Sperry Marine Canada’s outstanding reputation for reliable state-of-the-art navigation systems backed by an industry-leading worldwide service organisation.”
MSPV Programme
The mid-shore patrol vessel (MSPV) programme is an important part of the Canadian government’s major fleet renewal programme for the Coast Guard. The vessels will each be approximately 43 m in length, have a top speed of 25 knots, a range of 2,000 nautical miles, and be able to stay at sea for two weeks without reprovisioning. Five of them will be used primarily to support Department of Fisheries and Oceans conservation and protection programs in the Maritime, Quebec and Pacific regions. The other four will be used in a program with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to enhance security along the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.