A recent cooperation agreement between Damen and VSTEP has been established for the delivery of a NAUTIS Full Mission Bridge Simulator with Alphatron Marine equipment to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. The delivery is part of the Sandy Bottom Project, which sees the Defence Force acquire a range of Damen patrol vessels, upgrade its existing fleet and develop its port and base infrastructure.
VSTEP, with input from Damen, will develop four simulated vessels for use in its custom simulator. Pushing the boundaries of maritime simulation, the results of this collaboration will involve the seamless digital recreation of the whole of the Bahamas, an area of 13,878 km2, including nine detailed ports.
The project will see VSTEP deliver the latest version 3.0 of NAUTIS featuring improved graphics, advanced ship dynamics and increased accuracy and visual fidelity of the sea, allowing for the most realistic training possible.
“The incorporation of the simulator package was an instrumental part of the overall Sandy Bottom agreement. It will give the RBDF the ability to recruit and train new cadets annually in a professional manner. The synergy between the simulator training, the familiarisation training we have already completed and the general commonalities between the different classes of vessel and the bridge systems will provide longevity and increase the patrol capabilities of the RBDF.” – Alan Borde, Damen Sales Manager
Our CEO Pjotr van Schothorst is looking forward to the collaboration between VSTEP and Damen. He believes that in the future this will be an interesting way to prepare crews for new vessels before the naming ceremony. He underlined this with the following words: “The crews of these new vessels will be trained on the simulator for situations which are difficult or dangerous in real life, which makes them well prepared. They can train for ship handling & manoeuvring, and prepare for various operations relevant in their area.”
About VSTEP
VSTEP creates innovative simulation software for professional organizations worldwide. We are a team of 60 explorers who are always up for challenges. We are not constrained by standards and are flexible in our approach to fulfilling the mission: enable learning by simulation.
We are all dedicated to the same vision: ensure that at least one-third of the maritime industry has obtained their skills through our simulation technology. Hence, we strive to make a great contribution to creating a more sustainable world. We invest in continuous R&D of our software and work passionately as a team to get there.
