 Early HS-DS systems were installed on the (Germany), the (Germany), the (US) and the (India) in 1989 and 1990 and subsequently on a number of other vessels including the (US) and (Japan).As the cost of components has decreased, the number of multibeam systems sold and in operation worldwide has increased significantly.Smaller, portable systems can be operated on a small launch or tender vessel unlike the older systems that required considerable time and effort to attach to a ship's hull.