The U.S. Navy unveiled plans for a major transformation in military marine navigation over the next few years, in which traditional paper nautical charts will be replaced with advanced, interactive, electronic navigation systems throughout the fleet. The Electronic Chart Display and Information System – Navy (ECDIS-N) is based on the Voyage Management System software programs developed by Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit, and operates with Digital Nautical Charts, a global database of digital charts produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

It was said that the Navy has launched an ambitious initiative to equip the entire fleet of surface ships and submarines with ECDIS-N by the end of 2009. Once the ships complete their certification process with the new equipment, they would no longer rely on traditional paper nautical charts and manual plotting of a ship’s position. The Navy passed an important milestone in May, when the Aegis guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) became the first ship to be authorized to navigate with ECDIS-N, following an extensive certification process to ensure it met the Navy’s requirements for safe navigation. Also in May, an ECDIS-N system was approved for Los Angeles class submarines, and should be certified soon.