US Coast Guard’s ‘Polar Star’ receives new CCTV system

Kongsberg Maritime, a Norwegian technology enterprise, has delivered a new CCTV system to the US Coastguard for its Heavy Ice Breaker vessel Polar Star (WAGB-10).

The delivery follows a previous CCTV System upgrade on Polar Star’s sister vessel, the USCGC Healy Polar Ice Breaker, in 2013.

The USCGC Polar Star is one of the largest ships in the US Coast guard and one of the world’s most powerful non-nuclear ships. It was commissioned in 1976 but in 2006 went into ‘Caretaker’ status when the crew was reduced and the ship kept ready for a return to ice. In 2013 the Polar Star was officially reactivated and re-assumed its missions throughout the polar regions.

According to Kongsberg, the installed CCTV range is a scalable harsh environment marine platform with an in-house design and modified off the shelf (MOTS) video camera stations, telemetry and control components.

The system deployed on the Polar Star comprises a range of marine grade camera stations including fixed cameras with zoom capability and one PTZ (Pan, Tilt & Zoom) camera, in the exposed above deck locations.

The Polar Star, as with the Healy, has its homeport in Seattle, USA. KUTI (Kongsberg Underwater Technologies Inc.) based in nearby Lynnwood, WA, provided the customer with local assistance during the commissioning of the CCTV system for the Healy and will provide similar support for the Polar Star.