Why Choosing Environics as a Single Supplier for Naval CBRN Protection

As an Application Manager, it is very beneficial to jump off from your professional role and put yourself into the boots of your customers on regular basis. The other day I started to summarize the benefits of selecting one company like Environics as a single supplier for naval CBRN monitoring solutions. My question was what types of advantages this approach might bring to naval stakeholders in the short and long run.

In my opinion, long experience and proven expertise counts, on the condition that your partner shows agility and have a design-oriented mindset in developing new products and systems for the customers. Environics is a high technology company, operating in the field of manufacturing, design and implementation of CBRN solutions for more than three decades.  On the contrary to pure system integrators, this gives a clear advantage: we have special insights and strong expertise for building sensor networks for many types of applications in the military and civil defense. We deeply understand the possibilities and limitations of technologies, we can create always appropriate and proportional CBRN systems to match the desired level of protection. Compared to the system integrators, Environics is capable of providing CBRN application targeted tools for situation monitoring, operator guidance, operator trainings and system maintenance.

In the course of the years, we have improved CBRN safety worldwide with our in-house CBRN technologies and system solutions. In fact, different organizations from civil to the military defense in over 50 countries have already selected Environics as their partner in CBRN threat monitoring and detection. Many of our success stories relate to naval CBRN monitoring. The multi-professional teams of Environics design and supply CBRN solutions to various vessels types: from environmental survey vessels to surface warships ranging from frigates to mine hunters. To date, over 100 naval CBRN system installations have been implemented in co-operation with the leading shipbuilding companies. Lately, we have also realized new opportunities in the form of CBRN monitoring systems for marine fire-fighting and rescue operations.

In addition to customer orientation, the CBRN solutions shall meet certain industry specific requirements – there is no doubt about that. In naval CBRN Monitoring Systems, it means that the basis lies in two elements:  in robust, durable and functional design for harsh conditions typical for military environment and in the recommendations, rules and regulations made for naval vessels by Classification Societies. I am proud to tell that our CBRN System Components of Naval & Marine Vessels are compatible with Classification Society requirements. They have been approved in the concept of IACS UR E10 for versatile EMC and environmental tests.

Close co-operation with the naval stakeholders – end-users, design offices and shipbuilding companies – can be considered crucial, if a partner wants to enhance dialogue between the different parties and have co-creative and a holistic design approach. Environics values extraordinary customer and user experience and aims to sustainable and optimized products and systems. It means that our scalable, performant and maintainable CBRN solutions are designed to create true value. When your partner is able to meet the essential spots of innovations through viability, feasibility and desirability, all aspects of customer-centered design and user experience will surely be in the focus. What could be the valued features of the CBRN solutions then? Of course, the CBRN systems shall enable the users to achieve their defined goals effectively and provide a purpose to operators. They must be credible and reliable, so that customers can trust in the solutions, not only in that the devices and software really do what are promised to do, but in that they are also durable and provide meaningful, timely data. Desirability is gained through lovable products that are also recommended to other users. The solutions and their contents shall be findable by the customers and the solutions shall be easy to implement and use for everyone. As the last but not as the least – the CBRN solutions shall provide value both to the customers and to the business, summing up of all the different factors of user experience.

Fast and reliable response by the CBRN systems enables real-time situational awareness, followed by appropriate guidance available. When thinking of Environics´ Naval CBRN solutions, there are three essential tasks the systems have: protection of maritime personnel from CBRN threats and their hazardous effects by giving fast response and early-warning, 2) provision of situational awareness and guidance and 3) making further analysis and timely and correct countermeasures possible at the time of threats.

Environics´s typical naval CBRN Monitoring Systems represent turnkey solutions that incorporate sensor integrations, data communication, databases, system services and user interfaces. In practice, we apply our core technologies for chemical (CWA/TIC), biological and radiation detection/identification, complementing 3rd party instrumentation and it propriate data communication solutions and EnviScreen Operix System Software in our naval solutions. In addition to the fixed monitoring installations, we also apply additional CBRN capabilities in the form of hand-held and portable instrumentation for CBRN detection and identification needs, as well as other system supporting components, personal protective equipment and devices and tools for decontamination.

As a customer, you most probably expect that your partner offers solutions, services and support for the whole system lifespan. According to our policy, we provide full lifespan support to our turnkey CBRN solutions. In practice, it means strong commitment in every stages of the customer journey from our side.  At the very beginning, we identify customer needs and pain points and propose appropriate and proportional CBRN monitoring capabilities to meet the versatile requirements in naval projects.  In the project phase, we implement and deliver the designed solutions, approved in FAT and HAT procedures and commissioned for operational use.

It is a pure fact that only maintained and optimized CBRN Monitoring systems are able to meet their objectives in the naval missions. Consumable and spare parts, extended warranties and preventative maintenance plans and maintenance agreements are Environics´ integral services to support the lifespan of the delivered CBRN solutions. As a new feature, our system software includes an in-built web-portal for system maintenance & service tasks. It works on the background, notifying and guiding the operators, whenever the system requires presumptive or immediate maintenance. Furthermore, we offer an in-built optimization service for biological and chemical detection. It enables data collection for simulations that enhance the adaptation of the system to the operating environment.  These all intelligent features of the  system software help to keep the system functional and online at all times, with optimized chemical and biological detection performance. From operators´ point of view, it is essential to create and maintain knowledge and skills needed in CBRN threat events. We support our customers in that need by providing the system operators with user, maintenance and tactical trainings in the basic and advanced levels.

So, what comes into the prominence from all of these topics combined?  Like we know, naval vessel operations typically require specialized instrumentation and unique ship layouts.  The vessels to be built or renewed shall meet international and national standards of safety and performance. When realizing smaller and bigger naval projects, high construction quality and cost-efficiency become important valued features, too. According to the 2020 Shipbuilding Challenges and Trends, the naval and maritime industry seems to face multitude of challenges currently: they range from lack of resources, deficient skills and multi-project management to environmental and digital transformation and economic and social changes. This is exactly the point where an experienced, agile and customer-orientated partner can step into the view as one Point of Contact and help the naval stakeholders to concentrate on their essential content and core competencies. That kind of a partner is willing and able to support shipbuilding companies, integrators and navies worldwide to succeed in their goals in producing and operating efficient and resilient ships for the fleets. No matter, if it is a case of retrofitting or building new ships, selecting such a partner to a single supplier means eventually pure savings in time, money, resources and efforts – and that is what we all are looking for. We know that we cannot control the winds, but Environics can surely adjust the sail as your single supplier of the Naval CBRN Monitoring Solutions.

So, get on board soon!