Australian Navy contracts Kongsberg for bridge simulator delivery and support

The Royal Australian Navy has awarded Kongsberg Digital a contract to deliver and support a suite of K-Sim Navigation ready ship’s bridge simulators.

The contract will enable the Royal Australian to increase its training capacity and reduce costs associated with qualifying bridge watch keepers and other staff before going to sea.

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 center 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) which will allow the navy 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 ship’s bridge simulators in 2016/17.