Solid state SharpEye™ Radar from Kelvin Hughes has been fitted as part of an integrated bridge package onboard the 107m Austal-built catamaran Jean De La Valette, which will enter service shortly for Maltese operator, Virtu Ferries. Austal’s recently delivered 107m Auto Express catamaran for Maltese operator Virtu Ferries features a suite of Kelvin Hughes bridge equipment. This includes MantaDigital™ Radar and ECDIS and features both conventional magnetron and the high performance solid state SharpEye™ S-band Radar sensors.
The equipment was supplied by Kelvin Hughes’ Australian representative, AMI Marine International. AMI managing director, Jim Fraser, highlights that: “All HSC fast ferries that are now being built in Australia feature Kelvin Hughes’ Radars; an accolade which speaks for itself.”
He notes: “We have a long-standing relationship with Austal and have also recently won an order to supply SharpEye™ solid-state S-band radars for two fast ferry catamarans being built by the yard for Caribbean operator L’Express des Iles.”
The Jean De La Valette is the largest high speed catamaran built at Austal’s Henderson facility and is its 24th commercial delivery to the Mediterranean region. The vessel will operate on Virtu Ferries’ busy inter-island service between Malta and Italy, and is designed to carry 800 passengers and 156 cars (or 45 cars and 342 truck lane metres) at an operational speed of up to 40 knots. “Jean de la Valette” will join Virtu Ferries’ existing 68 metre vehicle-passenger ferry “Maria Dolores” which was delivered by Austal in 2006.
Spike Hughes, Kelvin Hughes’ Commercial Equipment Director commented: “This is the latest in a series of successes that have been built on our relationship both with Austal and our Australian agent AMI.
SharpEye™ solid-state radar is an ideal solution for use on these high performance vessels and this combined with wide-screen MantaDigital™ display technology and Enhanced Target Detection gives the ultimate solution in terms of performance and reliability, and reinforces Kelvin Hughes premier position amongst Radar manufacturers.”