Launch of major new navigation training centre in the United Kingdom

Safe navigation is a priority operating principle for our flagship navigation software technology ‘BMT REMBRANDT’. This month, BMT demonstrated that commitment with the unveiling of new, state-of-the-art, 5-bridge marine navigation simulators at its expanded South Coast facility.

Significant investment has been made in developing this new facility and full-mission multi-bridge training centre, and it is an exceptional tool. Comprising a suite of 4 dedicated tug simulators networked to full mission bridge simulator hardware, the facility will provide a state-of-art precision synthetic training platform to support the commercial and naval pilotage markets. Our industry leading BMT REMBRANDT (Real-time Manoeuvring, Berthing and Training) provides the 3D ship hydrodynamic software platform, linked to radar, ECDIS and GMDSS modules, which leads to enabling the software elements for the 360-degree synthetic modelling environment to create a shared, fully-immersive virtual reality simulated experience. BMT REMBRANDT also secured the UKHO’s Admiralty Innovation Prize in 2020 for its upgrade to process and display the next generation of dynamic hydrographic data – IHO S-100.

The new tug simulator suite comprises two DnV Class A tug simulators in fully enclosed, 360-degree tug bridge environments and two Class B simulators providing 270-degree visualisation. All are fully networked with a DnV Class Full Mission Bridge. The BMT REMBRANDT software platform is both IHO S-57 and IHO-S-100-enabled. It also utilises a 3D port hydraulics engine model, which feeds navigation simulations with granular, dynamic water levels and 3D current data, allowing for precision navigation and pilotage simulation and state-of-art training and performance feedback. The facility has already secured multi-year pilot training programmes in the naval markets.

BMT REMBRANDT navigation software systems have been in constant development, and have been supporting the maritime industry, for over 30 years. It is multi-platform enabled from full mission bridge platforms through to desktop and shipboard systems. It is widely field tested by a diverse range of maritime stakeholders including commercial shipping, ports, statutory agencies and defence contractors. Separately, it has amassed over 2,000 man years of operations onboard cruise and LNG vessels to support and augment STCW requirements. It is widely used in incident reconstruction and lessons learned, with statutory agencies licencees including the US NTSB and UK MAIB, who have onboarded as our commercial delivery partners. More recently, the world’s first autonomous navigation assurance was performed on the BMT REMBRANDT Full Mission Bridge on behalf of the UK Naval Authority Group and Navy X.

Sarah Kenny, OBE, Chief Executive at BMT, said:

“This is going to be an important facility delivering the best in maritime education and training for the commercial maritime and naval pilotage sectors.

It is an additional maritime services offering that draws on and complements BMT’s commercially-proven navigation technology capability BMT REMBRANDT. It means that we are able to offer specialist and highly-adaptable training for a broad range of customers, including our industry’s key ship and port operators, tug masters and pilots from the UK and overseas.

BMT’s investment in its wholly immersive maritime training facilities allows the expanded centre and its leading simulation experts to address and configure a range of mission-based training scenarios that offer the highest degree of granularity and realism. We are proud of this next step in the continuous innovation of BMT REMBRANDT.”

Dr Phil Thompson, Maritime Products Director at BMT, said:

“The new muti-bridge hardware and software platform allows users to train within a totally immersive synthetic port environment that is underpinned by dynamic and granular tidal and water level data, supported by precision ship hydrodynamic modelling.

Enhancing safe and reliable navigation operations at sea, in restricted waterways and in ports, are our primary concern. Alongside our long-term, contracted admiralty pilot and tug training project for the UK MoD, we look forward to supporting and growing a diverse range of current and future commercial customers in our new facility.”