LHD Landing Craft CCTV Power Up

This implementation was a good result for the Amphibious Combat and Sealift Systems Enterprise and a demonstration of cooperation between the Navantia Australia team the Amphibious Combat and Sealift Systems Program Office (ACSSPO) and Naval Ship Management Australia, the Asset Class Prime Contractor (ACPC) for the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) program. Navy personnel are also pleased with the new capability.

The first LLC was fitted with the cameras and passed the ‘Set To Work’ conducted by Navantia Australia engineers and Sofraco at the end of January 2020.

The Navantia Australia team consisted of engineers from the Melbourne Design and Engineering Centre, supported by the LHD Field Engineering team in Sydney.

“I’m really impressed with how it’s turned out. To get that level of capability more or less “out of the box” is excellent,” commented Navantia Australia’s Combat Systems Lead, Mr Aidan Crees.

“The camera feeds look really good and provide Navy with a fantastic capability of early hazard detection and visual monitoring of the engine room spaces,” concluded Mr Crees.

The new system is based on Power Over Ethernet (POE) rugged COTS cameras and provide operators with a high resolution and simple interface to monitor hazards in the engine and jet rooms. The system is very simple to operate and requires very little configuration to achieve a high degree of capability. The system enhances crew safety by removing the need to physically enter the engine room to conduct potentially hazardous visual inspections.

The term ‘Set to Work’ is used whenever a system is newly installed and being turned on for the first time or being started up after it has been down for maintenance. Set to Work is a test and activation process to check that the system is functioning correctly, checking for leaks, software bugs etc.

The remaining LLCs have since also had the CCTV capability installed and fitted in conjunction with the new Bulkhead Upgrade, also designed by Navantia Australia.

About Navantia Australia

At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian supply chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian shipbuilding and sustainment industry. Established in 2012, Navantia Australia is the Design Authority and delivers platform system design and integration services for all classes of Navantia designed vessels.

Navantia’s productive partnership with the Royal Australian Navy began with the contracts to design the Hobart Class guided missile destroyers (DDG) in 2006 and continued with the design and co-manufacture of the LHDs, the design and construction of twelve LHD landing craft (LLC). In 2016 Navantia was appointed to provide shipyard management services to the AWD Reform Program and to design, build and maintain two Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Ships (AOR).