The varied missions and challenging operating environment set tough requirements for the communications systems.
OVERVIEW
In December 2011, the Finnish Border Guard ordered a new-generation offshore patrol vessel, Turva, from the STX Finland shipyard. The vessel was to be used for frontier supervision and maritime search and rescue as well as other demanding missions. Designed in close co-operation with the Finnish Environment Institute, the vessel was to significantly improve the Baltic Sea area’s capability to respond to oil and chemical accidents.
CASE DESCRIPTION
The varied missions and challenging operating environment also set tough requirements for the communications systems. Because the offshore patrol vessel must also be able to operate in explosive atmospheres, STX Finland Oy and the Finnish Border Guard selected Promarine’s proATT™ power limiters for Turva.
“The classification society required the vessel to have at least two operational radio systems during operations in explosive (EX) atmospheres. Promarine’s product range included products that enabled the operation of both marine radio and the authorities’ radio system”, says Matti Himanen, who is in charge of communications systems at Atlas Elektronik Finland Oy.
Promarine’s proATT™ products enable fault-tolerant, remote-controlled power attenuation of the radio system in accordance with the safe power limits specified in classification societies’ ATEX standards. Without such attenuators, it would not be possible to use the vessel’s radio systems in a situation in which, for example, the surroundings of a tank ship have become explosive for any reason but it is still necessary to operate in the area because of rescue command operations.
CONCLUSION
Promarine’s CEO Jani Järvinen considers the project interesting, even though the product in question has already been available for a long time.
“Representatives of the classification society, STX Finland and the client wanted to follow the product functionality test, which was carried out in a special EMC laboratory,” Järvinen says. Offshore Patrol Vessel Turva was handed over to the Finnish Border Patrol on 9 May, and will operate year-round under the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard.
