Australia Unveils Containerized Arafura Patrol Ship Simulators for Navy
The Royal Australian Navy has launched two new containerized bridge simulators in Darwin, Northern Territory, to prepare future Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel operators.
Located at Defence Establishment Berrimah in Coonawarra, the training systems will support realistic rehearsals on coastal navigation, fleet interoperability, confined waters pilotage, and related bridge operations at sea.
Other sessions encompass pre-workup, cooperative training, and revalidations associated with obtaining a helmsman certificate.
Users can operate the platforms independently or in a linked format to practice in the same environment.
Corresponding lessons will be supervised by the trainees’ official ship navigator, executive officer, or commanding officer.
According to the Australian Department of Defence, personnel who are deployed to a minor war vessel fleet component under the navy’s Maritime Warfare Officer (MWO) course can also continue their navigation training when stationed in the region.
“Having the simulators located in Darwin is a great support to locally based units and students who previously had to travel to HMAS Watson in Sydney for bridge simulator training,” MWO Course Officer Lt. Cmdr. Simon Fenech remarked.
“This new capability for the region will provide a large range of training opportunities to a number of key stakeholders.”
Tasmanian Innovation
Canberra said that the integration of full-mission bridge systems in Coonawarra was made in partnership with Tasmania-based maritime solutions developer Pivot Maritime International.
“Our goal is to keep people in peak performance, whether they are on land or at sea,” Pivot Managing Director Dr. Jeffrey Hawkins explained.
“We design our simulators to prepare navigators to safely and successfully guide their vessels in often challenging environments.”
In 2022, the Tasmanian firm first revealed the induction of its Container Simulation System, or “ContainerSym,” for the Royal Australian Navy sailor training programs in multiple locations across the country.
Some of these platforms were also announced to be fitted among Australia’s largest warships, including the HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Stalwart, and HMAS Choules.
