The new, cutting-edge Kongsberg Norcontrol IT VTMIS at Vardø, in northern Norway has been extended to provide coverage of southern Norway and the North Sea. Run by the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the new Vardø VTMIS, which is called 'C-Scope,' was initially designed to provide a VTS Information Service (INS) and Traffic Organisation Service (TOS) covering the northern areas in the Arctic, from the Barents Sea to Rørvik in the south, but the recent extension makes it responsible for one of the largest single maritime domains in the world.
Utilising advanced vessel tracking and management systems, Vardø demonstrates the latest in VTMIS technology and how it can be implemented on a very large scale -- not dissimilar to that envisioned by the EU's research project Maritime Navigation Information Service (MarNIS). The Vardø VTMIS installation in addition to being a large scale operation is also one of the most technologically advanced C-Scope systems, which is Kongsberg Norcontrol IT's 7th generation VTMIS.
C-Scope has been designed to not only provide an accurate picture of the maritime domain using traditional sensors such as radar and AIS tracks, MetHyd, CCTV, SCADA and VHF/DF, but to combine this with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to ensure operators have relevant information presented to them in a timely and efficient manner.
The C-Scope Operator Client provides a coherent Traffic Image with critical information easily accessible at all times including radar video, tracks, weather, oceanographic and satellite imagery. C-Scope has also been designed to ensure that information from both internal and external databases can be collected, correlated and exchanged with other stakeholders such as vessels and authorities.
"C-Scope is an ideal solution for Vardø, especially following the extension of our VTS Area, as it is fast and provides our operators with decision support tools to highlight vessels at potential risk, which is often a problem when dealing with such a vast sea area. Environmental protection is also a core requirement for the Vardø C-Scope VTMIS. C-Scope provides our operators with optimum situational awareness by ensuring an uncluttered and logical interface that identifies risk, enabling them to provide a safe and efficient maritime domain," said Jarle Hauge, Engineer in Chief, Norwegian Coastal Administration.