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Continual modernization of the aircraft carrier fleet helps the U.S. Navy maintain its edge as the most advanced and effective naval force in the world. One important element of this methodology is the enhancement of existing technology. The Situational Awareness Bridge Display System (SABDS) is a sophisticated video system that consolidates critical data to a centralized display. Utilizing RGB Spectrum's QuadView® XLRT multiviewer, SABDS assimilates electronic information from a range of systems, including: Command and Control, Threat Detection, Navigation, Surveillance, and Air Control. Incorporating this data into an exclusive display console eliminates redundancy, displacing an excess of single-purpose displays. Designed and implemented by DOD contractors, with specific experience to the needs of today's carrier mission, SABDS significantly improves situational awareness, and enhances decision-making resources for the Commanding Officer and Navigation Team.

RGB Spectrum's multiviewers were first installed in 2001 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) for the carrier fleet's prototype deployment. The U.S. Navy contracted Prism Maritime, LLC a maritime support services provider, specializing in government projects, and based in Virginia Beach, Virginia to design and install the SABDS upgrade. Keith Hurban, Director of Engineering for Prism Maritime explained, "The initial SABDS upgrade phase, required deployment of ruggedized equipment that would display real-time imagery from a variety of sources, to simultaneously track multiple systems. One of the challenges we encountered, involved processing the ship's various and exotic video signals, as well as radar imagery, poorly supported with the hardware being utilized. Through extensive research, we determined that RGB Spectrum's QuadView® XLRT multi-viewer was the only available product that provided the necessary signal support requirements, durability, and flexibility for this application".

SABDS includes two QuadView® XLRT multi-viewers, with each multi-viewer supporting up to 16 inputs from a wide range of tactical and navigation sources. The shipboard system converts all composite and S-video signals to RGB. The SABDS QuadView® processors are supplied with multiple types and resolutions of RGB signals. Imagery includes navigation radars, electronic charting, flight deck cameras, electronic status boards, ship status displays, surveillance video, workstation computer graphics and ship's television.

The ruggedized QuadView® XLRT is designed for mobile and harsh environments, including tactical operations centers, naval and airborne consoles, and military vehicles. It incorporates a number of structural augmentations for dependable performance under severe conditions, including a stiffened enclosure, front loaded air filters, and enhanced air flow.

Prism Maritime LLC is continuously working with the Navigation\Steering Control In-Service Engineering Agency (NAVSSES Philadelphia, Code 966) to increase situational awareness and integrate today's most advanced equipment into the Navy. Prism Maritime LLC is a full service provider of maritime support services to the United States Government. Prism Maritime provides consulting, program management, installation, and technical services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), in support of testing and life cycle support of new technologies / systems in the DOD maritime environment. Prism Maritime is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. For more information, call 757-460-8800 or visit www.prismmaritime.com.