Reference Group meeting – Laksevåg 7th of March 2019
After 2 years, the project came to an end, and it was time to summarise the project experience and value of testing the S-102 data in an operational environment.
Each participating partners held a presentation where they summarised their own findings and shared their views of the knowledge gained throughout the project.
Captain Lieutenant Odd Sveinung Hareide kicked off the meeting with a speech on “The Navigator’s situational awareness”, he pointed out not only the benefits but also the challenges faced around better and more technical systems on board.
The main point was that future systems need to give the navigator less complexity, not more. Based on this, any new systems introduced should ensure that the focus is not taken away from navigation based on actual observations (i.e. out the window) but that we consider where these new systems can provide the best value, e.g. during planning phases or on the “Back of the bridge” systems.
VTS officer at Kvitsøy VTS – Asle Njåstad, used statistics from 2018, in this instance number of dragging incidents, to emphasise the need to verify and secure anchoring operations along the Norwegian coastline, to minimise the risk of environmental disasters (due to grounding). S-102 data will be important in the contribution of secure anchorage operations.
The value of using S-102 in Submarine warfare was presented by Military Geographer, Inger Johanne Moen. She spoke of the benefits that could be obtained using S-102 data, especially relating to the planning phase prior to a mission.
Marin Pilot, Jim Pedersen, summarised the opportunities S-102 gives in pilotage assignments , e.g. the ability to validate and squeeze margins based on a 3D view of the seabed and accurate vessel models.
The final point on the agenda was an operational test with all the project partners involved. This was held in the The Royal Norwegian Naval Academy’s simulator environment, with several scenarios tested, including the Queen Mary 2 pilotage activity.
The day at The Royal Norwegian Naval Academy was a memorable end to a very successful 2 year R&D project.
S-102 Demonstrator Project 