CCTV has been installed on the first LHD Landing Craft (LLC).
The installation was a success for the Amphibious Combat and Sealift Systems Enterprise and was the result of cooperation between the Navantia Australia team, the Amphibious Combat and Sealift Systems Program Office (ACSSPO), and Naval Ship Management Australia, the asset class prime contractor for the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) program.
Navy personnel are also reportedly pleased with the new capability.
The first LLC was fitted with the cameras and passed the ‘Set To Work’ conducted by Navantia Australia engineers and Sofraco at the end of January.
The Navantia Australia team consisted of engineers from the Melbourne Design and Engineering Centre, supported by the LHD Field Engineering team in Sydney.
“I’m really impressed with how it’s turned out. To get that level of capability more or less out of the box is excellent,” Navantia Australia’s Combat Systems Lead Aidan Crees said. “The camera feeds look really good and provide Navy with a fantastic capability of early hazard detection and visual monitoring of the engine room spaces.”
The new system is based on Power Over Ethernet (POE) rugged COTS cameras and provides operators with a high resolution and simple interface to monitor hazards in the engine and jet rooms.
The term ‘Set to Work’ is used whenever a system is newly installed and being turned on for the first time or being started up after it has been down for maintenance. Set to Work is a test and activation process to check that the system is functioning correctly, checking for leaks or software bugs.
The remaining LLCs have since also had the CCTV capability installed and fitted in conjunction with the new Bulkhead Upgrade, also designed by Navantia Australia.