February 1977 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

Rohr Outlines Plans For Design, Construction And Component Testing Of 3,000-Ton Navy SES

The newly formed subsidiary of Rohr Industries, Rohr Marine, Inc., will handle the recently announced award of a $159.9-million contract from the U.S. Navy for design, component verification- testing and long-lead procurement for a 3,000-ton Surface Effect Ship (3KSES), according to Fred W. Garry, Rohr's chairman and' chief executive (see January 1, 1977 issue of MARITIME REPORTER and Engineering News).

Components of the ship will be fabricated at Rohr's Chula Vista and Riverside (Calif.) plants, and it is currently planned that final assembly will take place at a facility to be constructed in National City. The ship will be completed in FY 1982. It is expected that over 1,000 personnel will be employed under this contract.

Concurrent with the beginning of work on this new contract will be the organization and initial operations of Rohr's new company, Rohr Marine, Inc. This wholly owned subsidiary was recently incorporated and will be located at Rohr's present Chula Vista facility.

Rohr Marine, Inc. is a separate and autonomous subsidiary dedicated to research, development and production of advanced marine systems. Rohr Marine will emphasize U.S. Navy surface effect ship and air cushion vehicle programs, such as the 3KSES.

The Navy's 3,000-ton Surface Effect Ship Program represents the culmination of 15 years of research and development to produce an oceangoing operational surface effect ship prototype.

The 3KSES design has an approximate length of 270 feet, a maximum beam of about 105 feet and a cushion height of 18 feet.

The ship will be able to carry a crew of 125 men at speeds three times that of conventional ships.

For propulsion, General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines will drive waterjet propulsors. Cushion air will be provided by six centrifugal fans powered by two LM 2500 gas turbine engines. The ship will be equipped with helicopters and/or V/STOL aircraft, as well as weapons and sensors for test purposes.

Rohr's winning competitive design for the revolutionary new naval vessel has full length rigid sidewalls with bow and stern seals of a special "planning" type to contain the cushion of air. These advanced seals developed by Rohr are made from elastomeric and composite materials and have shown far better wear and reliability than those currently in use on smaller craft. They will be constructed at Rohr's plant at Riverside, Calif.

Of particular importance in Rohr's design is the ride control system which reduces waveinduced motions and assures good habitability. This is accomplished by controlling the flow of air through the variable geometry centrifugal fans which supply the ship's air cushion.

Major subcontractors proposed to support Rohr in the contract are: Aerojet Liquid Rocket Company, Sacramento, Calif., for the design and construction of the lift fans and waterjet propulsion pumps; Litton Data Systems Division, Van Nuys, Calif., for the design of the combat system; Maritime Dynamics, Inc., Fullerton, Calif., for analytical and model test support; General Electric Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, for the LM 2500 lift and propulsion engines, and General Electric Company, Daytona Beach, Fla., for the ship control system.

Rohr Marine, Inc.'s president is Wilfred J. Eggington. Mr.

Eggington joined Rohr in 1973 as program manager, and in 1974 was appointed vice president and general manager of Rohr's Surface Effect Systems (SES) Division.

Born in England, Mr.

Eggington received a Bachelor of Science degree in special mathematics from the University of London. He also completed postgraduate work in mathematics and hydrodynamics at the University of London. Prior to joining Rohr, he was director, Advanced Surface Ship Systems, with Litton Systems, Inc., where he directed the 2KSES preliminary design phase. Previously, he was director, Air Cushion Vehicles, Aerojet-General Corporation, where his responsibilities included the JEFF (A) Amphibious Assault Landing Craft Program.

Earlier, with Aerospace Company, he was responsible for research, development and preliminary design of surface effect ships.

G. Douglas McGhee has been named vice president and program manager for the 3,000-ton Surface Effect Ship Program.

Mr. McGhee has directed the 2KSES team through the subsystem development phase over the last two years. A graduate of the Georgia School of Technology with a B.S. degree in aeronautical engineering, Mr. McGhee also possesses a master's degree in engineering from UCLA. Mr.

McGhee's 30 years of experience includes assignments with Litton Systems as associate program manager and technical director on the 2KSES preliminary design, associate program manager and technical director on the LHA Project, and with Aerospace Corporation as director of systems analysis. Prior to that, Mr.

McGhee was associated with Gilfillan and Douglas Aircraft.

The new company is headed by a board of directors chaired by Jerome J. Filiciotto. Mr. Filiciotto, senior vice president, Aerospace and Marine Systems, Rohr Industries, has been with Rohr for nine years. He has held various posts with Rohr including group vice president, Industrial Systems and vice president, Aerospace Systems. Prior to joining Rohr, Mr. Filiciotto held executive positions with Martin Marietta Company. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University.

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