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experts, as well as L-3's combined years of marine offshore oil and gas experience,? said Tony Gardiner, general man- ager of L-3 DP&CS. The system features combined wide-screen and touch-screen display technology, deliver- ing a smarter user interface that is intuitive, with complete vessel overviews. Overall, this development greatly simpli- fies operations ? enabling the crew to concentrate on oper- ating the ship safely and reliably without any undue dis- traction or stress.? L-3 DP&CS new NACOS Platinum DP System uses a combination of networked architecture and modular components to support a full range of applications ? from small alarm or stand-alone DP system capability to largeand complex configurations for positioning, maneuver- ing, navigation and control of highly advanced vessels. Additionally, system configurations can be easily expand- ed, upgraded or modified to provide increased functional- ity for each type of vessel. The versatility of the L-3 NACOS Platinum System is illustrated by integrated multi-functional workstations directly connected to the vessels IP network, enabling access to information from any workstation. The NACOS Platinum product suite is based on identi- cal components that utilize a common network support- ing Dynamic Positioning, Radarpilot, ECDISpilot, Trackpilot, Conning Displays, Propulsion Control, Power Management Systems, and the Alarm, Monitoring and Control System. With system reliability of utmost impor- tance, all hardware in the NACOS Platinum product line is based on marine-certified components that can be con- figured with redundancy and triple voting options for vital DP operations.INTERFACEAND COORDINATION According to Michael Ford, the various propulsion sys- tems in common use today come ready to be interfaced with DP control systems. That wasnt always the case. Today, L-3 DP controls interface with virtually any propulsion system imaginable, and L-3 liaises with manu- facturers to ensure that this occurs as smoothly as possible. Among the propulsion technologies that L-3 commonly interface with are Berg, Schottel, Waterjet, Thrustmaster, Voith Schneider and many others. Ford insists, Almost anything out there can be DPd. One of our strengths is our flexibility in dealing with different varieties of propul- sion systems.?TRAININGTraining is always an important consideration with the operation of any complex marine equipment. DynamicPositioning is no exception to the rule. As DP skills and certifications come under increasing scrutiny, coupled with the renewed focus on offshore safety, DP training also finds itself under the hot spotlight. And althoughthere are private certifications in play and IMO and the STCW developers are talking about it, nothing has yet been formalized in terms of a global standard. L-3, like other DP players, maintains a robust in-house training presence. L-3s Ford explains, Fundamentally, DP is the same on any console, but there are nuances to each oper- ators equipment. We operate three schools (Houston, Singapore, and Brazil) and partner with third party schools, as well.? Training, he says, is a key part of their service package. AMERICANMANUFACTURED ? GLOBALLY AWARE With L-3 components manufactured right here in the United States, we asked Ford if that variable gave L-3 an inroad to the U.S., Jones Act trades. And, while that might be a selling point here in North America, Ford instead pointed to the broader, international markets. Even a vessel delivered here may find itself eventually trading in any number of markets. We market to a global audience.?The global need for dynamic positioning is growing. Driving that demand is a rebounding offshore energy sec- tor and a post-Macondo focus on safety. That reality requires robust, easy to use equipment, and the experience to deliver all of that on a global level. In on the ground floor of DP development more than 25 years ago, L-3 today remains among the top tier of firms able to do just that. For hundreds of hulls and the operators that operate them, thats the good news. ww w.L-3com.com/MPS www.marinelink.com MN51