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Newsline Naval school Mürwick uses new simulator generation Virtual seaways, fog on command Mürwick/Bremen. Maritime traffic is governed by a “right-of-way” just like other traffic. Anyone who fails to obey this has to expect serious damage to the crew and ship. Although mistakes made at the naval school in Mürwick may cause accidents, these are nevertheless without impact on man and machine as dangerous situations are all part of simulator training. The AANS shiphandling training system at the school’s simulation center has one fundamental objective: to train actions and reactions sufficiently to avoid errors and to teach trainees how to deal with mistakes made by others in order to avoid major damage. In addition to this, there are a whole lot of procedures that are important for naval forces and require initial training in the simulator. Nevertheless, simulator training is still only one (important) element of training since true seamanship can only be learned on board ship. After far more than 20,000 hours of operation of the old simulation center taken into service back in 1987, the decision in favor of a system renewal was reached in 1997. Two years of planning, development and integration by the Bremen-based company STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH then follo- wed this decision. The modernized simulation center was finally taken into operation on 2 December 1999. The gap between a simulator and the real ship is becoming smaller and smaller. The simulations provided by the new AANS at the naval school in Mürwick are so realistic that even experienced seafarers soon forget that they are “only” commanding a computer-generated simulation and not a real ship. The system is equipped with the very latest state of the art. It consists of a true-to-scale nautical bridge with all the usual instruments like control stand, engine console and radar equipment. An eleven-channel visual system with CGI (computer generated images) allows a realistic simulation of the outside world at day and night. Even complicated docking maneuvers can be practiced in the simulator thanks to the exact physical/mathematical reproduction of the own ship’s model, including the use of lines and pilot vessels. Two instructor stations as well as a briefing/debriefing room are available for control and monitoring purposes. The instructor communicates with his pupils via intercom and VHF. Besides Rheinmetall assigned“BBB/A-2” London/Düsseldorf. Standard & Poor’s recently assigned its triple-“B” long-term corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings, and its “A-2” short-term corporate credit ratings to the German group Rheinmetall AG. The outlook is stable. The ratings reflect Rheinmetall’s moderate financial profile and average business-risk profile, based on sound positions in its respective markets. These strengths are offset partly by exposure to the German defence sector (about 15% of sales are to the German defence ministry) and to market trends in the global automotive and electronics industries. A key rating factor is the company’s standing as market leader in several industrial segments that target different customer groups. In the defence sector, Rheinmetall further benefits from a comfortable order backlog. Also, the ratings take into account Rheinmetall’s moderate geographical diversification, to which Germany contributes about one-half of consolidated sales. In the past few years, Rheinmetall has grown very rapidly thanks to several substantial acquisitions. The group more than doubled its sales between 1997 and 1998. In the year to Dec. 31, 1998, the group generated revenues of euro (€) 4.13 billion (US$ 4.37 billion) and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of € 328 million. The group’s lease-adjusted EBITDA margin has increased gradually over the years, and amounted to about 10% in 1997 and 1998. The group posted a 8 The naval school at Marwick also uses the latest simulator generation from STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH. the bridge with visual system, the training system includes six cabins with the complete nautical equipment but without the visual systems. The interaction between the main bridge and cabins also allows exercises like nautical operations in units and combined operations with several ships. The general configuration therefore also meets the international standards for training nautical and technical officers of ships in accordance with STCW 95 (standards of training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers, issued by the International Maritime Organisation IMO) which is obligatory for all UN members. pre-tax loss of € 17.7 million in the first half of 1999 (compared with a pre-tax profit of € 5.2 million in the first half of 1998), partly because of the fact that profits in engineering and defence activities are typically booked in the second half of the year, but also because of softer sales. With a lease-adjusted net debt-tototal capital ratio of 26% at Dec. 31, 1998, Rheinmetall is considered to have good financial flexibility and a moderate financial policy. Standard & Poor’s expects the financial burden of future external growth to be alleviated partly by equity support from existing shareholders and/or strategic partners. The balance-sheet structure is expected to remain very conservative. The ratings do not assume any major improvement in profit margins, or any substantial organic growth, Standard & Poor’s said.
Newsline EXCHANGE OF IDEAS: Discussions during a recent meeting at the new group headquarters in Düsseldorf focused on socio-political and economic aspects. The former executive board chairman of Rheinmetall AG, Dr. Hans U. Brauner, had invited representatives from political and industrial circles to this event. Guests included the minister president of North-Rhine Westphalia Wolfgang Clement, the prime minister of the Grandy Duchy of Luxembourg, minister of state Jean-Claude Juncker, his colleague Francois Biltgen, labor and employment minister as well as minister of education and cultural affairs, minister for parliamentary relations and delegated communication minister of Luxembourg, Dr. Julien Alex, the ambassador of the Grand Duchy in the Federal Republic of Germany, district president Jürgen Büssow, the mayor of Düsseldorf Joachim Erwin, Dr. Heinz Kriwet, supervisory board chairman of Thyssen Krupp AG, Dr. Edgar Jannott, executive board chairman of Ergo Versicherungsgruppe AG, Dr. Peter von Blomberg, chairman of the management board of Allianz Versicherungs AG and Dr.-Ing. Hans-Peter Keitel, executive board chairman of Hochtief AG. The program for the evening included a visit to the installation “Aspetti Magici” created by Professor Gabriele Henkel as well as a tour of the new headquarters of the Rheinmetall group. Our photos show the guests and their host, above all (photo on right) the prime minister of Luxembourg Juncker (c), minister Biltgen (second from l), ambassador Alex (l), the minister president of North-Rhine Westphalia Clement (second from r) and Brauner (r), formerly chairman of the executive board and now supervisory board chairman of Rheinmetall. Close cooperation in self-protection Bern/Neuenburg. RUAG SUISSE, Bern/Switzerland, has acquired a minority stake of Neue Technologien GmbH in Neuenburg/Germany. At the same time a close cooperation in the field of self-defence systems was agreed between SM Schweizerische Munitionsunternehmung AG,Thun/Switzerland, Buck Neue Technologien GmbH and Nico- Pyrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG Trittau/Germany, both part of Rheinmetall DeTec AG domiciled in Ratingen/Germany. So far SM and Buck Neue Technologien GmbH already cooperated at the product level. The jointly developed Maske self-protection system – today’s leading product in the field of infrared active self-protection smokes for combat vehicles – is currently being produced for the Swiss Armed Forces. With the minority stake and the cooperation agreed upon, the pyrotechnical core competence of the three enterprises is gaining strength. Moreover SM will have access to an extended market, can make better use of its capacities, and contributes to the safeguarding of knowhow for the Swiss Armed Forces. Leopard 2 main battle tank with L-55 gun. Electronics for Spanish tank Madrid. A corporate alliance consisting of STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH of Bremen (a subsidiary of Rheinmetall DeTec AG), and the Spanish company Indra EWS of Madrid has received an order from Spain’s stateowned Santa Barbara Blindados (SBB), general contractor for the Spanish government’s Leopard 2 tank program. The contract entails the delivery of 219 combat systems for the Leopard 2 MBT, each consisting of a fire control unit, panoramic periscope, tank-testing device and command system, as well as 16 command systems for armored recovery vehicles. The order is part of a pro- 9 curement program for the Spanish Army. In addition, Empresa Nationale Santa Barbara (ENSB) of Madrid and its cooperation partner Rheinmetall W&M GmbH of Ratingen have received an order from Santa Barbara Blindados worth more than DM 155 million. This contract is for the supply of 219 L44/120 mm tank guns for the Leopard 2. ENSB will manufacture the guns under a licence granted by Rheinmetall W&M GmbH. Rheinmetall will furnish the necessary knowhow and support ENSB with technical assistance and the supply of hardware worth DM 55 million. In response to the Germany Army’s decision to buy the new L55 barrel under its Combat Performance Upgrade Programme 1 for the Leopard 2 MBT, Spain is also opting for the new gun system.
Page 1 and 2: Responsibility passed on: Eberhardt
Page 3 and 4: Newsline Meeting with the press on
Page 5 and 6: Aditron AG is the new name Düsseld
Page 7: Newsline Eurofighter Simulation Sys
Page 11 and 12: Newsline Perfection by “dry pract
Page 13 and 14: Systems from STN Atlas ElektronikGm
Page 15 and 16: Newsline The M/S Nordnorge built in
Page 17 and 18: Newsline Series launch at KS Pistõ
Page 19 and 20: Distinguished with the Good Design
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Page 25 and 26: Newsline Successful qualification o
Page 27: Newsline Pierburg develops AMA 4000

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