Thales Introduces I-Mast 100

Thales introduces the I-Mast 100 integrated sensor and communication system for naval vessels.

I-Mast 100 is a central mast structure that houses all of a ship’s radar and optronic sensors, most of the communication antennas and all associated cabinets and peripherals.

The advantages of this sensor concept are numerous: improved operational performance, higher operational availability, reduced ship-building time, reduced maintenance requirements and substantial savings in below-deck space.

The I-Mast 100 concept has been validated before its formal introduction with numerous navies and shipyards around the world.

I-Mast 100 is the second member of Thales’s I-Mast family. At present the I-Mast 400 is being built at Thales’s Hengelo facility. The first system is scheduled to be installed on the Royal Dutch Navy’s Holland class Patrol Ship at the end of 2010.

Introducing the I-Mast 100 demonstrates once more Thales’s leading position worldwide in naval sensor systems.

About I-Mast 100
I-Mast 100 is a system that integrates practically all of a naval vessels sensors and antennas in one enclosed topside structure. It offers unrivalled operational performance and a 360o unobstructed view for all sensors. The problem of electromagnetic interference has been solved by studying all of a ship’s topside elements instead of looking at separate systems. Survivability has been increased as the I-Mast offers a high level of redundancy and by incorporating solid-state technology. Continuous operation is guaranteed.

I-Mast 100 houses a sensor architecture that uses open interface standards and common building blocks. This unique comprehensive solution reduces the need for dedicated sensor maintainers, requires less training and offers simple status monitoring by a web-based built-in test system that provides information on all systems integrated in the I-Mast. Thus I-Mast 100 supports reduced manning concepts. Maintenance can be performed from the interior, under adverse weather conditions. This reduces overall operational costs even further.

While the shipyard concentrates on its core business of shipbuilding, Thales simultaneously integrates and tests all of the sensors in the I-Mast structure. Thales guarantees the performance of the I Mast and tests the full performance before it is delivered to the shipyard as a turn-key system for installation on the ship. This procedure eliminates complicated and lengthy installation activities. Sea trials to demonstrate the operation of the ship’s sensors and antennas can be reduced substantially.

I-Mast 100 offers a flexible, scalable design. The system uses much of the knowledge and experience obtained from the construction of the I-Mast 400 for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Holland class Patrol Ships, thus reducing development risks to a minimum. The sensors in I-Mast 100 share technology with the successful Ground Master 400, also on display at DSEi.

Source : Thales Group

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