Transas

Massachusetts Maritime Academy unveils new simulation facilities in newly opened American Bureau of Shipping Information Commons Building

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012, USA – Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) recently hosted the grand opening ceremony for the start-of-the-art, American Bureau of Shipping Information Commons Building, which houses the Academy's new cutting-edge Full Mission Ship Simulator, supplied by Transas USA Inc.

The 42,000 square foot academic building combines maritime tradition with the latest technology in maritime training, including the campus library, museum, archives, model ship collection, plus hi-tech simulation facilities, multimedia 'smart' classroom, and resource centers.

The new simulator and its support areas represent the showcase facility for the Marine Transportation program offered at MMA. The simulation facilities include a full mission, 360 degree bridge simulator meeting the highest international training and certification standards, debriefing room, instructors control room and an ante room. The simulator forms a crucial part of MMA cadet training, by exposing them to a range of modern navigation systems, and will assist students in developing command and decision-making skills.

Modern navigation systems implemented on the Bridge include an Integrated Navigation System (INS), Dynamic Positioning Systems (DP2), ARPA/Radar multifunction displays, and Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), all meeting the latest International maritime regulations.

The full mission simulator builds upon the Transas Navi-Trainer Professional 5000 simulator systems already installed at MMA. It can operate either independently, or in joint exercises across campus for multi-vessel scenarios, with the existing Tug Bridge and Electronic Navigation Lab.

For over 100 years, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has been preparing women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As one of the USA's six state maritime academies, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimental lifestyle with a typical four-year college academic course of study. Located on Cape Cod, at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college for young women and men to pursue their love for the ocean, their concern for the environment, their interest in Math and Sciences, and their thirst for adventure.

Related links:

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Transas Marine launches 4-level ECDIS Concept

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012- Transas Marine releases new 4-level ECDIS concept to suit all types of customers needs.

The Transas Marine 4-level ECDIS concept is designed to provide an IMO compliant solution for the shipping companies.

The new range of product packages Standard, Standard⁺, Premium and Premium⁺, features Transas well renowned Navi-Sailor software with the best technology applied through all systems. From the entry-level Standard ECDIS to the Premium⁺ advanced ECDIS Multifunction Display, they all include a carefully selected standard features with an extensive range of additional options.

Anders Rydlinger, Transas Marine Product Development Director says: "This concept is truly unique. Our objective is to provide a solution to the market where a "Standard" system features the best available quality and at the same time is user-friendly and cost-efficient. On another side, there are shipping companies which want to utilize a comprehensive technology going beyond IMO requirements. With our new 4-level concept we cover all market requirements".

Transas Marine has the biggest ECDIS background in the maritime industry. From the very first Electronic Chart System in 1990 to the latest 5^th generation ECDIS, today Transas introduces the most comprehensive ECDIS solutions including official data supply, service support and training through company's global network.

You only need one reason to go for Transas ECDIS. When you choose your ECDIS supplier, choose the world's number one.

For more information please visit Transas ECDIS Solutions

Transas GMDSS Simulator used for training of radio operators in Indonesia

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012, Indonesia – In the end of year 2011 the Directorate General Post & Telecommunication, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Indonesia got brand-new Transas GMDSS Simulator TGS 5000 installed in Surabaya and Medan (second and third largest cities in Indonesia).

The new simulator configuration includes one instructor station and eight trainee stations at each location. Together with stand-alone GMDSS Simulator CBT and two sets of GMDSS real radio, these new systems are intended for training and examination of Indonesian seafarers in GMDSS radio system operations.

The Directorate General (DG) Post & Telecommunication is one of Transas's first customers in Indonesia. They acquired Transas GMDSS Simulator TGS 2000 at 1999. It was installed in Jakarta, and is still in operation.

DG Post & Telecommunication is the authorized agency responsible for issuing radio certificates for seafarers, such as GRO (General Radio Operator) and RRO (Restricted Radio Operator). "The fact that DG Post & Telecommunication selected Transas solution for training of national level, demonstrates the superior quality of the product and after sales service provided by us", - commented Managing Director of PT. MultiIntegra Aloys Sutarto, Transas distributor in Indonesia.

In addition to mentioned above, Transas GMDSS simulator is being installed at Merchant Marine (BP2IP) Tangerang, Marine Polytechnic (PIP) Makasar. Both schools are a part of the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation's Education Training Agency.

At the moment there are 10 Transas GMDSS simulator installations in Indonesia: Aceh, Dumai, Medan, Tangerang, Jakarta (two locations), Surabaya (two locations), Makasar & Sorong)

Merchant Marine School BP2IP Tangerang

Transas Marine sets the standard in ECDIS Training

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011 – Transas Marine GmbH is the first among all German training institutes to receive BSH Flag State approval for its STCW conform ECDIS training. BSH has issued a certificate for Transas with an honorable number BSH-2011-921-001.

ECDIS Training offered by Transas Marine follows the IMO Model Course 1.27 fully compliant to the Manila Amendments to STCW 2010, which will be compulsory for training from 1^st of January 2012. This allows Transas to issue STCW 2010 compliant ECDIS training certificates.

After successful formal and on-site BSH audits, Transas ECDIS training course was certified until 2015. In a challenging time of ECDIS mandatory requirements, training becomes of vital importance. The BSH certification is recognition of Transas Marine as a high-level ECDIS training provider according to the latest regulations.

Transas Marine has the biggest ECDIS background in the maritime industry. With the first ECDIS in the world to receive BSH type-approval in 1999, today Transas introduces the most comprehensive ECDIS solutions to the market. Transas Marine runs certified IMO Model Course 1.27 in its premises and through its Global ECDIS Training Network GET-Net around the world.

When you choose your ECDIS supplier, choose the world's number one.

The First French National SAR centre

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011, France – The new French National SAR Training Center equipped with Transas simulators opened its doors in St-Nazaire harbour, West of France, not far from Nantes. The official opening took place late June, welcoming about 200 guests including representatives of National SAR HQ, Navy, French Affaires Maritimes, and various local authorities and sponsors. The project major sponsor is the well-known oil and gas company TOTAL.

The most outstanding feature of the project is that it is the first time when French SAR organization "Société Nationale des Sauveteurs en Mer" (S.N.S.M) established one centralized national professional training center. Volunteers will be regularly trained there using both simulation and real navigation equipment including real ships, RIBs and jet skies. One of the SNSM goals will be to provide highly professional training course very close to the daily tasks.

French Pilots from SPSA (Atlantic, Brittany and French territories pilotage association, all in all 80 pilots), also major Transas Simulation users, participated in the project. They made a special donation of all their restricted areas and ports to SNSM.

The simulator bridge mockup has been designed in accordance with original ship drawings and is an exact 1:1 replica of one of SNSM latest modern 14-meter life boats (V1NG). A particular attention was paid to ergonomics, instruments and commands.

Project scope of supply includes a Full mission bridge with visualization of 210° FOV with circular projection, a small 3-channel cubicle, instructor workplace with selective visual channel, introduced as an Evaluation bridge, and a complete VTS/MRCC desk with VTS simulator including Navi-Harbour 4.3 VTS. An MRCC station is offering the outmost realism of complete operations control – VTS Coastal Surveillance, communications, operations management etc. Six VHF panels enable reliable communications between ships and shore. A new model of latest generation of modern Search and Rescue ship was specially developed for SNSM to provide most accurate training. 3D Compass simulation is a special development based on Navi-Sensor technology, it shows heading on a small LCD display and reacts to a vessel movements (turning, rolling). All in all, the project will greatly benefit to education of French SAR specialists.

SNSM is managing around 250 ships, and 3000 volunteers, from professional sailors to beach rescuers. SNSM is on order by French MRCCs, operated by French Navy and Affaires Maritimes, located all around French coasts and abroad territories.

Related links:

SNSM

TOTAL Foundation

Pilots Syndicate for the Atlantic, Brittany and Overseas simulator (SPSA)

New version of Transas Marine FleetViewOnline 3.11 SSAS and Tracking service

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November, 2011 – In today's world economy, fleet management becomes more and more essential where information is a key. In response to this, Transas Marine introduces a new version of its fleet SSAS and tracking service FleetViewOnline 3.11.

FleetViewOnline 3.11 offers its users three alternatives for electronic charts presentation; Transas Marine proven TX-97 charts with worldwide coverage, OpenStreetMap land charts and any charts provided by Web Map Service. Web Map Service allows to load and display georeferenced images that are generated by a map server using data from GIS database, for example charts from 3rd-party providers, weather forecasts, satellite images, images of industrial zones, and other.

In the new FVO 3.11 version, SSAS and tracking functionality for Area A4 (Polar Regions above 70 degrees North or South latitude) is available for vessels equipped with SAILOR H4122 Iridium SSAS.

Transas Marine has also protected FVO software with the digital certificate to ensure even higher security level when using FleetViewOnline.

For those, who want to track their fleet anytime and anywhere, an Android client for FVO has been released and can be downloaded from FVO website. It includes a number of the FVO functionalities, such as graphical fleet location presentation, vessel tracks, commands sending to terminal, user zones presentation and editing of alarms, weather presentation, various reports (fleet report, track report, SSAS log). In addition, a mobile version of FleetViewOnline website is available now for smartphones and tablet computers with any operating system.

Ashore ship management becomes a common thing and allows shipping companies not only to monitor vessel tracks, performance and security, but also to control crew performance and optimize voyage parameters in order to decrease the cost.

Recently, Transas Marine has signed a fleet contract with German shipowner Claus-Peter Offen Tankschiffreederei. The contract was signed for the complete fleet which includes tankers and bulk carriers. An interesting detail of this project is that recently Offen Tankers had a piracy attack in Indian Ocean and the company needed a solution to constantly monitor their vessels. Now, with Transas FleetViewOnline, this became possible.

About FleetViewOnline

FleetViewOnline is a security protected web-based SSAS-Tracking service that provides processing and distribution of SSAS Alerts and displays your vessel's position anywhere in the world anytime. FleetViewOnline operates with Transas ShipGuard Inmarsat D+/ISAT M2M terminals as well as with a wide range of Inmarsat C and Inmarsat mini-C terminals installed on-board. FleetViewOnline displays weather data over a chart area where your vessel is located.

For more information please visit FleetViewOnline webpage.

TRANSAS and Industrial Investors Group to create strategic alliance

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

TRANSAS Saint-Petersburg premises hosted the official ceremony to celebrate the signing of the agreement, under which Industrial Investors Group becomes a strategic partner and a shareholder of TRANSAS.

Industrial Investors Group (IIG) acquired 25%+1 share in TRANSAS, the total transaction amount equaling to USD 50 million.

This deal brought together unique intellectual potential and technological leadership of TRANSAS and IIG's extensive management expertise, strategic insight, as well as financial resources, to further boost TRANSAS ability to achieve remarkable success in such a complicated and highly competitive industry.

Both partners are assured that this alliance opens new horizons for TRANSAS in strengthening its international positions in such areas as avionics, aircraft simulators, unmanned aircraft, and virtual reality entertainment systems. At the same time the partnership would also contribute to further development of TRANSAS traditional areas of leadership – marine navigational and control equipment. This segment will probably benefit most from the new alliance, given that Industrial Investors Group have extensive experience in marine operations, owning Russia's largest dry bulk and container shipping company – FESCO, and provide valuable input from the client's perspective.

At present there are no plans to further increase IIG share of ownership in TRANSAS capital, the acquisition does not entail any changes in TRANSAS senior operational management. The majority of proceeds from the acquisition have been reinvested into the development of TRANSAS' existing and new businesses.

About Industrial Investors Group

Industrial Investors Group (IIG) is a Russian private equity investment company, specialized in industrial assets and projects. The Group's objective is to improve operational and financial efficiency of businesses where IIG invests, to grow profitability and shareholders' value, through strategic governance and active contribution to improvement of business processes. IIG's key current projects include:

FESCO Transportation Group, the national champion in integrated transportation and logistics, uniting marine, rail and truck transportation, port and terminal infrastructure assets, freight forwarding and logistics services. The group owns 50 vessels with total deadweight of 900,000 tons, 19,000+ railcars of various types, controls the port of Vladivostok with annual throughput of 430,000 TEUs of container cargo and 6 mln tons of bulk cargo. FESCO possesses a network of freight forwarding offices and agents in 15 countries around the globe. FESCO is a listed company on Russian stock exchange.
DEXTER – the first in Russia air taxi company, connecting on-demand any two destinations within the range of 2,000 km and with appropriate airport infrastructure. Services are provided with DEXTER's own fleet of Swiss-made "Pilatus PC-12" aircraft.

Transas develops an Anti-Piracy training solution

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011 – In response to still pressing piracy threat off the coast of Somalia, Transas has developed an Anti-Piracy solution that will support maritime schools in performing relevant training.

The Transas Anti-Piracy package consists of a mothership, a smaller mothership and four fastboats with different speeds. The look of all vessels is typically 'pirate': badly maintained and rusty. The fastboats have four different visual states that can be triggered during running exercise to increase the threat by escalation levels from 'fisher' to 'agressive pirate' state.

The training goal is to help trainees understand what effect their avoidance maneuvers would have and practice in resolution of potential hostile targets, evasion techniques, communication, making contact and engaging.

During an exercise, trainees learn how to detect a hostile pirate vessel using ECDIS, radar plotting, AIS information, visual sightings (by fuel barrels on deck, weapons, type and number of crewmembers etc.) and by comparison of target data with known behavioural patterns of pirate vessels. Evasion for merchant ships techniques include avoidance of contacts with potentially hostile vessels or keeping out of range of known hostile vessel's weapons using course and speed changes. Finally, preparations, best angle of approach and practicing of best course and speed decisions are trained for closing and engaging hostile vessels for Anti-Piracy forces.

If simulator configuration comprises more than one bridge, both attacked merchant ship and assaulting pirate vessel can be loaded as Own Ship. Pirate vessels as Own Ship can be controlled in a more realistic way to simulate typical attack patterns. This allows the bridge team to understand what effect their avoidance maneuvers would have if scenario is observed from pirate's view.

Ralf Lehnert, Transas Marine Simulation Business Unit Director has this to say about the new development: „Anti-Piracy training is all about early reconnaissance and recognition and then about initiating the countermeasures and best management practice at earliest. That's why we put a lot of efforts in making those typical piracy attack vessels visually very close to reality and also provide realistic manoeuvring characteristics. The fact that these exercise objects can change their threat status from simple fishermen to aggressive attacking pirates during a scenario will help the training organisation to provide situational awareness training, from the early radar observation to the final visual identification. Our Navigational Simulator can also provide Naval ships and helicopters as escort objects for Convoy sailing and communication procedure training. This is only a first start of a series of planned functionality, as we see the piracy problem and its harm to commercial shipping unfortunately not as a short term threat only."

The Anti-Piracy solution has already found its first users: US Merchant Marine Academy, Malaysia International Shipping Company and Akademi Laut Malaysia already start courses using new Transas development.

First in the country 360 degree full mission bridge ship handling simulator for Indonesia Oil & Gas Company Pertamina

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011, Indonesia – Transas Marine in cooperation with its local representative PT MultiIntegra successfully accomplished the significant project for Indonesia Oil & Gas company Pertamina. As a result, Pertamina benefits from new simulator facilities, while existing simulators in use from year 2001 have been upgraded. This makes Pertamina training centre the most sophisticated and advanced in Indonesia.

Pertamina Maritime Training Center got the latest Full Mission navigational simulator NTPRO 5000 with 360 degrees horizontal field of view. This will enable trainees to better immerse in the virtual environment and thus increase the training realism. Four part-task cubicle bridges with 120-degree visualization have replaced the previous one 200-degree visualisation bridge to increase simulator centre capacity and increase its cost-effectiveness. To top it off, GMDSS, Engine Room Simulator and Cargo Handling simulator have been upgraded to the latest versions as well.

Suwardi Somantri, Pertamina Learning Center Vice President, commented the delivery of new facilities at Pertamina Maritime Training Center: "We (Pertamina) have been using Transas systems for 10 years already and found that the equipment still runs smoothly. It really helps us in providing best services in maritime training and education to our customers. It both satisfies us as the user, and also brings us profit. Transas, as the well-known marine simulator manufacturer, has been giving us the evidence of the equipment quality, easy maintenance and best support from the local partner with its quick response technical support".

This September during Oil, Gas & Marine Indonesia 2011, one of the biggest exhibitions in Indonesia, PT MultiIntegra showcased the Pertamina project which got immense interest from the local maritime community.

Pertamina (Perusahaan Pertambangan Minyak dan Gas Bumi Negara, lit. 'State Oil and Natural Gas Mining Company') is an Indonesian government-owned corporation which extracts and refines the country's oil and gas reserves. It was created in August 1968 by the merger of Pertamin (established 1961) and Permina(established 1957). Pertamina is the world's largest producer and exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

Related links:

Pertamina

Global Gateway Crewing Services will use Transas simulators to educate seafarers

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011, Greece - After a series of negotiations, Transas Hellas has agreed with Michaelmar Shipping Services Inc. (Piraeus) to supply a multi-purpose simulator facility for its Manila branch, GLOBAL GATEWAY CREWING SERVICES INC.

The complex will enable training to the requirements of IMO STCW 78/95 Convention and Model Courses 7.01, 7.03, as well as number of specific tasks beyond the scope of the Convention. The contract includes supply of the Transas navigational simulator latest version, Navi-Trainer Professional 5000 (NTPRO 5000) with total horizontal visualization area of 180 degrees. It will guarantee realistic training, to the full satisfaction of the trainees.

The system will include a multi-task ship handling simulator capable of reproducing entire situation on the bridge, including mooring and maneuvering in restricted waterways. An instructor station and a debriefing facility provide instructor with all necessary tools for efficient preparation, editing, conducting, monitoring, playback and assessing the exercise. With such features and facilities, substantive learning will be fully challenging for trainees.

Three desktop bridge simulators enable training in watch keeping and operations with ECDIS, radar/ARPA, familiarization with all the details of electronic chart operation, including route planning and monitoring, electronic chart updating and the principles of displaying different information.

Michaelmar Shipping Services Inc. is dedicated to crew management and manning services. Manila office was established in order to provide Filipino crew to Greek and foreign ship owners. The new simulator will guarantee that the officers sent onboard are well-versed with their respective duties and responsibilities during ship's navigation. The simulator complex will be used mostly for training the officers of Global Gateway who are sent to the principals of Michaelmar. Meanwhile, the said learning equipment will be open for seamen from other companies as well. This way, Global Gateway will ensure that the training is competitive in the market.

Related links:

Michaelmar Shipping Services Inc.