JUNE 17, 2013 — Wicklow, Ireland, headquartered Arklow Shipping has chosen Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit  to upgrade 12 container vessels with VisionMaster FT Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) to enable paperless navigation.

Sperry Marine will install all of the systems by the end of 2014. The VisionMaster FT ECDIS will replace existing NaviECDIS that utilises the Voyage Management System supplied by Sperry Marine.

"With Sperry Marine's VisionMaster FT ECDIS, these vessels not only meet the International Maritime Organization's requirements for paperless navigation, but will now have improved long-term cost efficiency," said Alan Dix, managing director of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine.

The VisionMaster FT system flexibility has been designed to meet customer specifications, with information from all navigation sensors brought together and merged into multifunction workstations. In addition to paperless navigation, the new ECDIS will reduce maintenance costs and provide the Integrated Bridge System with the latest technology and features.

Arklow Shipping operates a fleet of 44 ships that transport project cargos, grain, and both general and bulk commodities. The 12 ships being upgraded are multipurpose vessels ranging in capacity from 3,000 to 5,000 gross tonnage.