Sonardyne International has introduced a collision avoidance capability for naval, commercial, passenger and private vessels with its new Vigilant forward looking sonar (FLS).

The systems provides live and past vessel track, detailed 3D bathymetry out to 600 meters and automated warnings of unseen collision hazards on and beneath the waterline out to 1.5 km.

The company said that Vigilant is suitable for vessels of all sizes and types; expedition cruise, research and exploration, coastguard, private yachts, merchant and naval shipping.

When underway, it provides crew with an early warning of hazards, from rocks and wrecks to sand banks and otherwise hidden, below-the-surface obstacles, over a 90 degree field of view.

Vigilant is also unmanned surface vessel (USV)-ready, with its output able to be utilised by autopilots for remote control and autonomous over-the-horizon operations.

Vigilant provides two operational modes: 3D and Sonar, which helmsman and vehicle pilots can seamlessly toggle between. Sonar mode detects obstacles in the water out to more than 1,500 m giving large vessels in particular, valuable time to react. The system’s configurable alarms ensure hazards are not overlooked during periods of high operator workload.

Derek Lynch, Sonardyne’s Global Business Manager for Marine Vessel Systems, said: “Every day, we hear of ships of all types and all over the world running aground or colliding with unseen submerged objects, sadly including endangered mammals and ecosystems. The costs and consequences in all respects can be enormous. These incidents occur for many different reasons, some human, some technical, but in every case, there is a lack of subsurface situational awareness. Vigilant is the most capable (longest range, highest area coverage, highest resolution) commercially-available forward looking sonar on the market and it is an invaluable tool to help mariners avoid these situations.”