Issue 30. November - December 1998

TRANSAS: ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION

Yevgeny Komrakov

The Russian company TRANSAS is one of the world's leaders in the field of information technologies. The principal direction of the company's activity is the production of competitive electronic systems for ensuring safety at transport.

n May 1996, an electronic navigation chart system produced by Transas was delivered to the Mir orbital station. The system was highly rated by cosmonauts and specialists of the Flight Control Center. In November 1996, a standard Navi Sailor system was included in the navigational equipment of the nuclear cruiser Pyotr Velikiy and, following its successful use during the cruiser's sea passages, Transas received a letter of commendation from Russia's naval command. In February 1998, Transas was awarded an international prize, instituted by the popular maritime newspaper Lloyd's List, for outstanding achievements in the field of navigational simulators. In April 1998, the world's first and so far the only Type Approval Certificate was issued to Transas Navi Sailor 2400 Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) as the one meeting the requirements of International Standards IEC 61174, IEC 60945, S-57 and S-52.

A notorious accident of the super large tanker Exxon Valdez off the cost of Alaska served as a serious argument in favor of the ECDIS systems. Specialists assert that had an ECDIS system been installed on this ship, the crew would have been alerted by the alarm system 36 times. We are proud that in September 1996 our company won an international tender for the delivery of the ECDIS system not only for the Exxon Valdez super tanker but for other Exxon ships.

The largest navigation simulator in Glasgow, Great Britain

Some of the software and hardware products manufactured by Transas can be used on military ships. Ships operated by navies and coast guard units of many countries worldwide are equipped with our ECDIS systems. The entire Swedish navy of over 400 surface ships and submarines will be equipped with Transas' systems. To date, the system is operational on board 164 ships. Presently, a bulk delivery of the ECDIS system is effected to the U.S. Navy for installation on board the MARK V and MARK II newly built ship designs. Systems manufactured by Transas are installed on 60 U.S. Coast Guard patrol ships currently under construction at the Bollinger shipyard (Louisiana). Moreover, the company has won a tender for the delivery of the ECDIS system for Norway's 49 naval and 35 coast guard ships. The system is also supplied to Peru for installation on ten naval ships. In March 1998, a tender was won for the supply of the ECDIS system to the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle of the French Navy.

Today, Transas' navigational simulators are used at naval training centers in a number of countries. We have fulfilled a number of orders for the development of trim, strength and stability computation systems applicable to some combat and auxiliary ships.

The majority of coast guard units in the world are tasked with monitoring and combating oil pollutions in their zones of responsibility. Having won the U.S Coast Guard's tender, our company has developed a software package for a maritime oil pollution response and environmental protection system and another package for an oil spill response trainer.

Our company supplies equipment to navies and coast guard units of more than 20 countries.

Over the last few years the structure of the world's military hardware market has changed dramatically. There is steady growth in the demand for modern computer technologies used for sea and aerial navigation, in educational and simulator-aided training systems, target tracking systems, surface and air surveillance systems, decision-making information support systems, and other systems based on the application of dynamic mapping data. Transas is specialized in the development and production of such systems and currently produces the following:

1. Integrated electronic chart and information system. Over 3,500 systems have been manufactured and hundreds installed on naval and coast guard ships operated all over the world. All systems hold internationally recognized certificates issued by the world's Classification Societies.

2. Nautical vector electronic charts. The folio contains 4,600 electronic charts which cover the entire world. Chart scales vary from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000,000. The unique collection presents more than 100 million points which determine the locations of real-time line-type objects, 9 million soundings, detailed information about 100 thousand stationary and 200 thousand floating navigation aids, etc. It has taken almost one million man/hours to create such a folio.

3. A broad range of marine simulators. More than 200 training centers are using Global Maritime Distress and Safety Signal (GMDSS) and full-mission navigational simulators. Recently, development of the following systems has been completed: ship mechanical and electrical engineers training simulators, electronic chart system simulator, oil spill response training simulators, liquid cargo handling simulators and fishing simulators. All of them are based on standard modern computers which can operate within a single network to provide for a comprehensive training of various specialists working on shipboard and ashore. All of the simulators hold the requisite international certificates.

4. Software packages for the trim, strength and stability calculations. Today, this software is used on 450 ships. It has been approved by all of the world's leading classification societies.

Swedish patrol boat Combat-90 equipped with the Transas’ ECDIS system

5. Software packages and special devices designed to interface any type of marine and aviation radars (including analog radars) with electronic chart systems. These devices:

- process a raw radar video signal with a resolution of 1,000 bearings and 700 ranges;

- overlay the raw radar picture on the electronic chart;

- extract and track up to 512 targets;

- record target dynamic parameters and the entire raw radar picture regardless of the operator actions. Due to the unique compactness of the recording, the raw radar data obtained during every single scan of the radar antenna can be saved onto a standard size disk over more than a month's time of continuous operation;

- make it possible to retrieve any segment of a ship's path.

6. Sea traffic management or surface surveillance systems. These systems are available in several versions, including those which can be tied to currently operational coastal radars (including analog radars).

7. Navigational electronic chart systems for rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. The systems are contemplated for installation on Ka-50 Black Shark helicopters and S-80 advanced aircraft.

Transas has developed basic software packages for use in future combined systems using shipboard and coastal equipment. The combined traffic control and information gathering systems collect information about mobile marine, airborne and ground objects from radar tracking stations and other sources and display this information on an electronic chart. Due to this fact, the operating effectiveness of mobile objects can be dramatically enhanced. Such systems could be helpful for commanders of military units in action.

Transas has deployed an experimental combined surface surveillance system in the Gulf of Finland to keep the sea borders of the Russian Federation under control. The system operates several shore-based radars and frontier guard ships. The information about targets is sent to the military district's headquarters in St. Petersburg and to the Central Command Post in Moscow. The dedicated software used in the system permits prompt presentation of the surface situation and helps commanders take proper decisions.

The systems can be provided with simulators for the comprehensive training of personnel.

In St.Petersburg, hundreds of vehicles (ambulance cars, security cars, etc.) are equipped with a special unit which transmits information about their current location and status. At a control station this information is displayed on the city's electronic map. The system features some other specific functions permitting mobile objects to be kept under control continuously. Transas has a great potential for the development of modern hi-tech systems and welcomes cooperation with Russian and foreign partners.

Banners Exchange System 'Flamingo'