Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) is looking for a contractor to provide sonar equipment for a period of 48 months from the date of the contract award.
The framework agreement includes non-exclusive purchase of equipment, support and training needed for navigation sonars.
Today Danish Navy vessels sail as patrol vessels in Greenland territorial waters. Large areas of these ice filled waters are still unsounded and unmapped. For safe navigation in uncharted waters these vessels will be equipped with navigation sonars.
The navigation sonars shall provide reliable sonar image in ‘real time’ and data of water depths ahead of the vessels down to a depth that is safe for the vessels to pass over. The sonars shall be based on multi-beam technology.
An essential feature shall be a sonar picture easy to interpret and which provides clear indication of underwater structures that may present navigational danger to the vessels. It is an important feature that operators only need to adjust a few parameters to optimize sonar performance.
The sonars shall provide an underwater field of view covering at least a sector in front of the vessels. The sonars shall be mounted in forward part of the vessels and forward of a nearby down looking multi-beam survey sonar.
Concurrent operation of navigation sonar and survey sonar should not cause interference for the survey sonar operating at 100 kHz frequency. The sonar transducer shall be protected from ice floating in seawater and around the hull. This may be accomplished by making the transducer retractable using a hoist or similar system.
The framework agreement has a value between 3,000,000 and 10,000,000 DKK, and the tenders should be submitted by October 17, 2013.
[mappress] Press Release, September 20, 2013; Image: Navy