The Navy approved Northrop Grumman’s [NOC] new Electronic Chart Display and Information System (Navy ECDIS) for deployment to the fleet, the company said on Oct. 5.
Approval came when the service’s Operational Test and Evaluation Force (OPTEVFOR) issued a formal determination that Navy ECDIS is “operationally suitable, operationally effective and cyber survivable.”
The capability is expected to be a core element for all Navy bridge and navigation systems, the company said.
Northrop Grumman said the Navy ECDIS “processes and displays multiple chart formats including digital nautical charts developed by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The system tracks targets from the vessel’s navigation radar, enabling creation of route plans, automation of plan execution and monitoring progress along the route.”
The system also includes safety checking functions that analyze chart data and radar targets to warn operators of hazards for safe navigation while underway.
The company noted it decided to develop the ECDIS enabled software in pieces called sprints, allowing them to incorporate customer input at various steps.
“This workflow allowed the Navy to see and evaluate results of their input as they came up and saved them both time and money,” Todd Leavitt, vice president, naval and oceanic systems at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement.
Northrop Grumman underscored the Navy ECDIS includes the next generation of navigation capabilities for the fleet to include compliance with the standard for mission interoperability with NATO allies, implementing cybersecurity requirements, and enhancements to the human-machine interface to simplify operations, improve situational awareness and increase navigation safety.
The OPTEVFOR approval comes after almost a year of government testing that started with sea trials on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, USS Kearsarge (LHD-3). Further evaluation occurred at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD).
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is set to be the first ship to receive the Navy ECDIS, with installation by NSWCPD planned for this month.
The company said the Navy plans to ultimately install this system on 115 ships over three years.
The Navy ECDIS will replace the Navy’s current software, Voyage Management System, also developed by Northrop Grumman. That navigation system is currently a core part of the bridge and navigation system on all Navy ships and submarines