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Issue link: http://sea-technology.epubxp.com/i/639963
www.sea-technology.com February 2016 / st 9 soundings )) Cargotec Acquires INTERSCHALT. Cargotec Corp. has agreed to acquire INTERSCHALT maritime systems AG, a German specialist software and related service provider to the maritime industry. INTERSCHALT pro- vides software solutions and services for the maritime industry, and its activities are structured into two seg- ments: software solutions for cargo and feet management, as well as maintenance, repair and retroft servic- es for bridge navigation, communication equipment and data voyage recorder systems. Cargotec is planning to integrate software solutions into the Kalmar business area and services into the MacGregor business area. )) Curtiss-Wright, GeoSpectrum to Develop New Sonar. Curtiss-Wright's Defense Solutions division's IN- DAL business unit is collaborating with GeoSpectrum Technologies to develop a new compact and light- weight sonar system designed for the smaller surface ship and USV markets. The TRAPS (Towed Reelable Ac- tive Passive Sonar) system will deliver an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solution. Based on its reduced size and weight, TRAPS will be the frst towed active/passive sonar system to enable smaller navies, such as those op- erating frigates, corvettes, coastal patrol vessels and ships of opportunity, to perform effective ASW operations. )) Upgrade to Asia, Trans-Pacifc Submarine Cable Network. The Asia America Gateway (AAG) consortium re- cently upgraded its Asia and trans-Pacifc cable network leveraging Ciena's GeoMesh submarine solutions. This will allow AAG to meet growing demand for international capacity. Private networks share of total used trans-Pacif- ic bandwidth is forecasted to grow by more than 50 percent in 2016. AAG is a 20,000-km submarine communica- tions cable system, connecting Southeast Asia with the U.S. mainland, across the Pacifc Ocean via Guam and Ha- waii. With Ciena's 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, powered by WaveLogic coherent optics and Flexible Grid technology, AAG can seamlessly add capacity and cost-effectively extend the useful lifetime of its network. )) Solution for Marine Renewables Infrastructure Integrity. Fraunhofer UK, part of Europe's largest application-oriented re- search organization, has joined forces with Synaptec and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to develop an innovative solution to address cable and electrical infrastructure integrity within the marine renewable energy industry. Funded by the U.K. government's InnovateUK, the ORCHIDS project (Offshore Renewable energy Cable Health monitoring using Integrated Distributed Sensor systems) is looking to enhance subsea cable monitoring capabilities by combining emerging optical sens- ing techniques to enable a smart cable management system that can be utilized during manufacture, transport and installation through to end of life. The feasibility study will include a market assessment looking at the commercial case for the technology alongside a technical review of different distributed fber sensing techniques that can operate alongside Synaptec's offering. )) Teledyne RESON, ODOM Goleta Ops Relocating. The Goleta, California, operations of Teledyne RESON and Teledyne ODOM Hydrographic will be relocated later this year to other Teledyne facilities. Sales and Services will be relocated to a Teledyne facil- ity in Camarillo, California. Manufacturing and Development will be consolidated into the ISO 9001-certifed manufacturing center in Denmark. Goleta R&D; will be moved to Denmark and Rotterdam. Deliverability of products will be uninterrupted. )) Mitcham Acquires L-3 Communications Klein. Mitcham Industries, Inc. has acquired L-3 Communications Klein As- sociates, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of L-3 Communications Corp., a provider of a broad range of communica- tion and electronic systems and products used on military and commercial platforms and a prime contractor in aero- space systems. The acquisition should lead to new applications for existing products and new product development. )) Unprecedented Provisional Charts for Yukon River. NOAA's Offce of Coast Survey has issued provisional charts for barge operators and others traversing Alaska's challenging Yukon River, relying solely on satellite images to create the electronic navigational charts that only display shoreline and shoals. The ENCs, which display no depth soundings, will give the mariners annually updated information to help their navigation along the changeable river. Coast Survey has not created or released a navigational product like this before. The charts will help to address the concerns of the local barge industry that supplies goods and services to western Alaska. In the case of the Yukon, satellite-derived bathymetry can estimate shoals, but doesn't provide exact depth measurements or tidal data at the time the satellite imagery was taken. )) Shell Appeals US Interior's Denial of Suspension of Ops. Royal Dutch Shell plc appealed the decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior to deny Shell's requests for "suspension of operations" in connection with oil and natural gas leases in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, NOIA reported. Interior denied Shell's earlier re- quests, which were submitted in July 2014, leaving in place the possibility of the leases expiring in 2017 and 2020. The appeal is based upon the inability of Shell to move expeditiously on its leases due to litigation that caused de- lays, as well as a changing regulatory scheme. Interior has the authority to extend leases beyond the original time frames when companies are unable to develop those leases, usually due to events beyond their control. Shell is requesting a fve-year extension. It is likely the appeal will be heard before the Interior Board of Land Appeals. ST