The NAUTIS 3 family of Combat Management Systems completed its development phase in March 2003 for a European NATO Minehunter system, with the successful Factory Acceptance Test.
AMS has been contracted by a German Consortium to supply NAUTIS for a programme of six ships. The Nautis system completed its Harbour Trial on the First of Class vessel in May 2003 and is now in the Combat System linking phase. FOC Ship trials will continue through to ship acceptance at the end of 2003.
The AMS Contract also includes the provision of a high fidelity SBTS (Shore-Based Training System) for Command and Operator Training. The SBTS is scheduled for Factory Acceptance in June 2003, following which it will be installed in a naval building currently being fitted out by AMS. The SBTS comprises a full representation of the Ship’s Command Information Centre, including NAUTIS, sonar, radar and mine disposal consoles, and a full internal communications system as fitted to the ships.
The SBTS integrates this ship operational equipment with high fidelity simulation of the Sonar, Radar, Autopilot and ROV-based Mine Disposal Systems to provide a comprehensive Command and Operator Training facility. (ends)
HUNT Mid-Life Update
(Source: Alenia Marconi Systems dated June 24, web-posted July 3, 2003)
TheNAUTIS 3 Combat System for the Royal Navy’s HUNT Class Mid-life update is on schedule and Factory Acceptance will take place in July 2003. Ship fitting will follow shortly afterwards with Sea Acceptance trials in November 2003.
The NAUTIS systems are in daily use on vessels of the minehunter class and major war ships in navies around the globe. In addition to the Royal Navy, other countries which have purchased the minehunter variant of NAUTIS include: Australia, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Spain, Japan and the United States.
NAUTIS variants are also available for OPV’s, Coastguard vessels and EEZ patrol vessels with functionality to suit a large number of roles, including surveillance, fire control and data links.
The NAUTIS 3 MCM Command and Control System is based on commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware, operating systems and associated programme software such as database applications. At the heart of the system is AMS’s NAUTIS 3 MCM software, which controls all the combat system and platform equipments essential to MCM mission effectiveness, including planning, navigation, minehunting sonar, remote mine disposal (MDV) and ship control.
Key factors in the success of the NAUTIS 3 MCM system are its modularity which allows upgrading and its compact design that makes installation easy. The lightweight low profile console is particularly suitable for retrofitting to existing platforms.
AMS is an equal shares joint venture between Finmeccanica of Italy and BAE Systems of the UK. AMS is a multi-national electronic systems company specialising in the design, manufacture and supply of radar and mission critical command, control and management systems to defence forces and air traffic management authorities throughout the world.
It employs 7,400 people, has a turnover in excess of 1.2bn Euros with a healthy order book of 3.3bn Euros which underpins its ambitious growth plans for the next four years. AMS has an established customer base in over 130 countries.
