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Two new multibeam systems accepted by US Navy
SUBSEA NEWS
NAVAL NEWS | 25. February 2008 |
Kongsberg Maritime multibeams pass FAT as part of extensive T-AGS 60 upgrade
program
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The USNS Sumner while drydocked in Japan.
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KONGSBERG equipment lab.
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Kongsberg Maritime's USA subsidiary, Kongsberg Underwater Technology, Inc. reports
the acceptance by the US Navy in December 2007 of two further multibeam upgrades
for its fleet of oceanographic vessels. The two systems are part of the US $42 million
contract for upgrades to the six existing and one future T-AGS 60 class survey vessels
operated by the US Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO).
The two new multibeam systems passed the FAT with flying colors. One is scheduled
to be installed on the USNS Pathfinder (TAGS-60) in 2009 and the second system will
be installed on the newest vessel, T-AGS 66, which is yet to be constructed. These
installations will follow the successful installation of the first multibeam upgrade
on the USNS Sumner (T-AGS 61) in 2007 and the upcoming installation of the USNS
Bowditch (T-AGS 62) in 2008.
The new sonar systems are a replacement for the current equipment, including
the Kongsberg EM 121A, 12 kHz multibeam originally installed when the vessels were
constructed in the early 1990s. Five fully integrated sonar systems where tested
as part of the two FATs:
- EM 122 (1° x 1°) - Deep-water Multibeam echo Sounder (DMS) for mapping to
full ocean depth
- EM 710 (0.5° x 1°) – Shallow to Intermediate depth Multibeam echo sounder
- EA 600 (200, 38, 12 kHz) - Multi-frequency Single Beam echo (MSB) sounder
for surveying in all depths
- SBP 120 (3° x 3°) - Deep-water Sub-Bottom Profiler (DSBP) for high-resolution
sub-bottom data to full ocean depth
- ADCP (supplied from Teledyne RD Instruments) - Multi-frequency Doppler Current
Profiler for shallow and deep current profiling
Additionally, Kongsberg's new Sonar Synchronizing Unit (SSU) was tested and delivered
during the FAT in December 2007. The SSU will be used to eliminate acoustic interference
between the many sonars located onboard, allowing for more efficient surveying.
Kongsberg Underwater Technology, Inc. was contracted by NAVOCEANO in March 2006
to provide systems including deep water multibeam echo sounders, multi-frequency
single beam echo sounders, deep water sub-bottom profilers and acoustic doppler
current profilers for the T-AGS vessels over a five year period.
The T-AGS upgrade contract includes design, manufacture, test, integration, installation
and overall support of the new systems. The project is managed and the systems supported
by Kongsberg Maritime's technical team in Lynnwood, Washington.