Two different companies, Kongsberg and Computer Science Corporation, are bidding for the Navy’s simulator business. Each has a “full mission bridge simulator” at the Naval Academy, which helped to test and evaluate the two different units.
The academy also has six desktop versions of the bridge simulator.
“They have a smaller image, but use the same software,” said Lt. Kurt Sellerberg, the academy’s simulator officer.
Sellerberg said Navy facilities in Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan, already have such simulators, but the goal is to have them at all fleet concentration areas such as San Diego, Everett, Wash., Pascagoula, Miss., and Norfolk, Va.
Rick Bragg, the Navy’s integrated program manager for the ships’ weapons systems, wanted to see which system would be most cost effective and best for training.
“We volunteered to assist him and provide feedback and evaluations,” Sellerberg said. “Our input provided a unique comparison and also helped to improve the system.”
The ribbon cutting for the two simulators occurred June 23. However, earlier this summer, members of the Class of ’05 became the first midshipmen to use the simulators as they began preparing for their summer training cruises aboard the 108-foot yard patrol craft.
Link: Kongsberg Maritime
Link: CSC/AMC