1.
Since the early 1990s, Rutter’s sigma S6 radar technology has been the marine industry’s leading ice radar. The sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ is installed as a ‘bolt-on’ upgrade to existing marine radars on offshore oil & gas platforms, supply ships, icebreaker, Arctic cruise ships, expedition yachts, and ports in harsh environments worldwide.
Mitigating the risk of ice encounters, sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ is at the heart of ice management and ice route planning in marine and marine-adjacent industries. For shipping, arctic tourism, oil and gas, and exploration, Rutter’s superior ice intelligence represents an essential part of any ice-adjacent industry, saving time and money on costly shutdowns and workflow interruptions, and protecting personnel and assets.
2. Technical Superiority
Rutter’s sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ provides vessels traversing ice-filled waters with a number of superior capabilities over and above conventional marine radar and other ice radar systems. Highlights include: the ability to detect smaller ice objects at further ranges and in better detail; the ability to detect key ice features in pack ice, including icebergs, ice ridges and open water leads; the ability to set ‘guard zones’ to monitor areas of concern; and real-time remote access from anywhere at any time.
3. Ice Management
Ice Planning – With active guard zones set at a distance exceeding the
Ice Management – Understanding the size and movement of an iceberg allows for the best allocation of resources and planning in redirecting
the object.
4. Ice Navigation
Rutter’s sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ provides information essential for safe navigation through ice-infested waters.
Open Water Lead Detection – A critical application of Rutter’s sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ is the ability to detect open water leads in pack ice, allowing for safe and successful navigation through ice fields.
Icebergs in Pack Ice – Avoid icebergs and other larger ice features in pack ice using the sigma S6 Ice Navigator™’s ability to detect and monitor these potential hazards.
Ice Ridge Detection – Use the sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ to monitor for potential hazards such as ice ridges and re-route if necessary.
5. Safety
As vessels traverse ice-filled water in industries such as Arctic tourism, shipping, and oil & gas on a more frequent basis, the superior ice detection capability of the sigma S6 allows smaller ice objects such as bergy bits and growlers to be detected at further distances and in better detail – mitigating safety risks for both crews and passengers.
6. Data Access
In industries and jurisdictions where the standards for regulatory compliance demand accountability and superior record-keeping – such as offshore oil and gas- the Rutter sigma S6 Ice Navigator™ provides real-time remote access to superior operational data. Protecting your company’s operations and reputation with the best ice monitoring available is a solid bottom-line decision.
7. Pushing the boundaries of polar exploration
When the British Antarctic Survey commissioned the construction of one of the most advanced polar research in the world – which is currently under construction in the Cammell Laird shipyard – they chose Rutter’s sigma S6 radar technology for both its safety value and research capability. This vessel, the RSS Sir David Attenborough, will conduct world-leading research in the world’s polar research using Rutter’s Ice Navigator capability to safely navigate in sensitive marine environments while employing Rutter’s WaMoS®II Wave and Surface Current Monitoring radar for important sea-state information.
