New simulator will improve training and cut costs for the operation of small, fast ships in vital roles with the Dutch navy.
A world-leading joint venture between the Marine Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) and the Dutch Ministry of Defense will see the development, within two years, of a new Fast Small Ship Simulator (FSSS) for the training of crews working on high speed boats.
Together with key suppliers Cruden and Tree C Technology, and end-users, the Royal Dutch Naval Defense School and the Royal Dutch Navy’s Surface Assault Training Group, the consortium aims to deliver a whole raft of training and cost improvements.
Fast small ships play a vital role in all modern defense strategies, allowing a swift and flexible response to everything from illegal immigration and drug smuggling to fisheries protection and piracy. However, crew training is currently expensive, time consuming, weather dependent and tough on instructors, who face up to a 1,000 hours per year at sea and slamming accelerations of up to 9g!
The FSSS project is unique in its high degree of technological innovation as it is the first in the world to integrate advanced manoeuvre- and seagoing simulation technology, the latest motion cueing algorithms and state-of-the-art visualization of both the marine environment and ‘at sea’ conditions.
The simulator will reduce wear and tear on front-line operational vessels and a sharp reduction in fuel costs, while also opening up the possibility of coordinated training with other marine simulators such as the Ship Handling Simulator system.
The technology partners working with MARIN in this demanding specification are Cruden, the leading designer and manufacturer of interactive, motion-based driving and racing simulators and Tree C Technology which provides real-time simulators for the offshore and remote handling industry.
Cruden CEO, Maarten van Donselaar said: “We are delighted to be part of this consortium and to transferring simulation technology and know-how from the automotive and motorsport industries to the marine sector. A hydrodynamics-focused simulator, using detailed modelling and motion cueing techniques as well as professional image generation, is the next frontier for realistic and accurate training in fast boat handling, safety and navigation. We recently announced our entry into the high speed boat simulator sector, a project which has progressed rapidly thanks to data gathered from the Dutch military on its fast interceptor vessels and security boats.”
The FSSS simulator will be geared specifically to giving its crew a dynamic nautical setting in which they can perfect all the maneuvering and navigational skills they might require.
