News Review: MESTE joins the Navy | ADM Aug 2009

Commodore Williams has formally opened the Royal New Zealand Navy's (RNZN's) NZ$5 million Marine Engineering Synthetic Training Environment (MESTE) in June.

The four-phase project, located at the Marine Warfare Training centre at Devonport, Auckland, is expected to become fully operational in early 2010, RNZN Technical Training Officer LTCDR Des Tiller told ADM.

When all its modules are delivered MESTE will include an integrated platform management system classroom for generic training, two machinery control rooms, a main power system for switchboard training, a local operating panel for simulating systems and machinery and an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) bridge for full mission simulation.

MESTE provides sound and visual cues only and is designed to simulate weather up to Sea State 10.

Currently, the RNZN have accepted phases 1 and 2, said Miller and there are two uniformed MESTE instructors.

This allows technician basic courses to be held including generic main engine, generic auxiliary and generic electrical systems training.

The Main Power Systems Trainer is due in August; development of Switch Board Operating Certificate (SOC) training awaits planned delivery of the first module in October and the Anzac model is due in December.

Hitherto Anzac simulation has only been available at the RAN base at HMAS Sterling.

The Control Room Watch Keeping Certificate training will follow delivery of the appropriate module in May 2010.

Gas Turbine Operating Certificate training will commence in September 2010.

Crews destined for the Project Protector Vessels will receive generic integrated platform management system training rather than ship specific training, said Tiller.

Delivery of the first module for this training was scheduled for mid July.

The OPV bridge is a partial simulator, "Hence the focus is less on navigation and seamanship and more on communication between the Machinery Control Room and Bridge and command and control."

However, ADM understands that the RNZN Navigation School intends making use of MESTE.

ADM asked why two generic merchant ships were included in the simulation.

Tiller said that they were originally provided to supplement RNZN instructor training until the OPV and ANZAC models could be delivered.

"However, the Roll-on, Roll-off vessel is similar to HMNZS Canterbury and therefore generic training will continue on this model.

"The idea is that technicians will gain their Marine Engineering Operating certificate on MESTE and then be further certified on a ship specific platform."

Using MESTE will drastically reduce training time for marine engineering trades, increase the throughput of qualified watch keepers and also expose trainees to levels of stress that would be difficult and dangerous to attempt to reproduce on an actual ship, such as repeated total electrical failures.

MESTE is a joint effort between the RNZN, engineering consultancy Beca, New Zealand marine electronics company Electronic Navigation Ltd (ENL) and specialist developer Transas.