Consilium Navigation

            Consilium Selesmar, based in Stockholm, Sweden, has been engaged in the design and manufacture of marine navigation radars since 1960 when, as Selenia Industries, it collaborated closely with another company, Raytheon. From its very start in the MNR domain, the company focused on "high-seas" systems and, by 1976, when its relationship with Raytheon ended, it was well-established in maritime circles, as "Selenia Marine." By that time, too, it had initiated production of its own transceivers and had established a foothold in automatic radar tracking. In 1985, it was absorbed into the Italian defense-electronics company Segnalamento Marittimo ed Aero ("SMA"), and radar manufacturing was relocated to Florence, Italy, under a new name: Selesmar Italia. By 1995, this division of SMA had attracted the attention of Consilium, a Swedish company based in the national capital, Stockholm, and acquired yet another new persona: "Consilium Selesmar." As is so common in industry, the parent company Consilium underwent several reorganizations, in the course of which the radar-products division was split: by 2006, Consilium Navigation, in Sweden, had assumed responsibility for development and worldwide sales; and Consilium Marine Italy assumed responsibility for sales of all marine products, including radar, in the Italian market.

            By any reasonable measure, Consilium Navigation has enjoyed considerable success in the MNR domain. According to corporate literature, it has installed around 5000 radar systems in sea-going vessels; and since it produces only "high-seas" models, this represents a very substantial inventory. In 1999, it commenced an extensive project to upgrade all deployed systems, and in 2003 it initiated a new product line, based on a design known as Selux. This line, which is documented in the Appendix, comprises: two X-band transceivers with three antenna options and two turning-motor options [1]; and an S-band transceiver with a single associated antenna and, again, two turning-motor options. In all, then, there are 14 possible configurations. Because of IMO regulations regarding display-sizes, however, each configuration might also have any of three displays - and thus any of three "model names" might also be used; but it is still the same three transceivers. We await opportunities to examine, characterize and describe  the radiated behaviors of Consilium products.

Consilium Navigation

Appendix 1
Published Radar Characteristics
 

            In its Selux product line, which is the only line in present-day manufacture, Consilium uses three basic transceivers, four antennas and four different turning motors, two for each RF band.  The characteristics of these are tabulated as follows:

�          Table 1 cross-indexes transceivers' scan rates with the appropriate antenna system.

�         Table 2 tabulates the pulse rates and PDs used by the product-line.

The following points should be borne in mind when interpreting these tables:

  • Much of the data has been compiled from sales literature maintained by Consilium Marine Italy, a sales organization for the Italian market, rather than from Consilium Navigation.    
  • Pulse-rate information is only indicative, at best; furthermore, in type-approval documentation, Consilium is credited with providing transceivers to Kongsberg AB for its DataBridge10 radars[2], to which Kongsberg ascribes different pulse rates from those given by Consilium.        
  • Multiple scan rates are given for all systems; these are exclusive, as they are determined by the turning motor included in the configuration. Very fast rates are intended to comply with IMO regulations regarding high speed craft, rather than large ocean-going merchant vessels.
  • Nomenclatures "T-250" and "T-340" relate to IMO requirements on display sizes, for vessels under and over 10,000 gross registered tonnes respectively. They include ARPA (automated tracking) requirements but do not influence transmission characteristics.
  • The RTM-12X configuration is restricted to an "up-mast" transceiver location; other systems may be either "up-mast" or "down-mast."
  • Both X-band transceivers may use a 12' antenna; the beamwidth associated with this antenna is excessively narrow, thus not compliant with current IMO regulation and therefore not intended for mercantile usage.

[1]One to meet IMO high-speed craft regulations and the other for more-ponderous ocean-going vessels.

[2]See Koden Section, Appendix 2, Table 1

[3]The RTM-25X also forms the basis for the C-Scope X-Band Frequency Diversity System, from Norcontrol, a dual-RF coastal radar system operating on 8900 and 9375 MHz. In single-RF mode, this may be parametrically indistinguishable from the MNR variant.