Kelvin Hughes launches new range of radar systems

2nd September 2016 - A world leader in the design and supply of navigation and security surveillance systems, Kelvin Hughes is delighted to announce the launch of a new range of radar systems for commercial shipping based on its innovative, solid-state SharpEye™ technology.

Kelvin Hughes has been supplying IMO type-approved radar to merchant ships, fishing boats and workboats since the 1940s, delivering reliability and low cost of ownership together with highly superior detection capability. SharpEye™, with its Doppler processing of the radar returns, has taken situational awareness to a new level with its ability to detect more targets, at longer ranges, than conventional, magnetron-based radar systems. Delivering improvements in sub-clutter visibility of approximately 30dB, SharpEye™ can detect targets with a low Radar Cross Section (RCS), typically 0.5m2, without any picture degradation even in adverse weather conditions.

A supplier of radar to more than 25 of the world's navies, Kelvin Hughes also has thousands of systems installed on cargo ships, cruise ships (including the Queen Mary 2), fast ferries and offshore support vessels. The new radar range for commercial shipping includes:

S-band Upmast Radar

SharpEye™ S-band radar technology meets the challenges of safety, navigation and collision avoidance at sea through a clever combination of radar techniques designed to provide the best performance in all conditions. The detection performance of SharpEye™, despite a low peak transmission power of less than 200W, is much improved over a 30kW magnetron radar.

The high reliability and lack of routine maintenance means the need to subsequently access the SharpEye™ transceiver is almost removed.

Navigation Radar Display

The latest navigation radar innovation from Kelvin Hughes is the new integrated radar display which incorporates all the market leading software functionality of the company’s MantaDigital™ radar series whilst adding a number of improvements.

Working with the transceivers as part of a fully redundant networked system, the radar display provides radar, chart radar and Electronic Chart System (ECS) information to support navigation, route planning and training. Type-approved (MSC192/79 / IEC 62388 ED2), it features dual PPI (Plan Position Indicator), collision warning, spy scope and Enhanced Target Detection (ETD) mode.

In addition to its SharpEye™ systems, the new Kelvin Hughes commercial shipping range also includes:

X-Band Series - 12kW Upmast Radar

The 12kW X-band Upmast Magnetron Radar features improved target resolution and beam sharpening and represents a cost-effective, type-approved radar in a lightweight package. The increased gain and narrow beam width of the 12kW Magnetron Radar Antenna offers greater range and bearing resolution for improved performance and target separation. Designed for any vessel requiring IMO type-approved radar as well as smaller boats such as workboats and fishing vessels, this compact lightweight radar system is easy to install with a single waterproof connector.

Spike Hughes, Kelvin Hughes’ Sales and Marketing Director, commented: “Kelvin Hughes has long been at the forefront of navigation radar for the world’s commercial shipping fleet. We’re confident that our new range of products – combining state-of-the-art technology with affordability – will keep us in that position in the years to come.”