Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1976)

Navy Awards Bath Iron $224-Million Contract

For Five Missile Frigates

Congoleum Corporation an- nounced that the U.S. Navy has awarded a $224-million contract to its shipbuilding subsidiary,

Bath Iron Works Corporation (BIW), Bath, Maine, for the con- struction of five Guided Missile

Frigates of the new FFG-7 class.

The contract has incentive fea- tures as well as provisions for escalation of labor, materials, and overhead. BIW designed and is building the lead ship of this new class of destroyer-type ves- sel under contracts awarded in 1972 and 1973, and is procuring long-lead-time materials for other ships of the class under a 1975 contract amendment.

According to Eddy G. Nichol- son, Congoleum's executive vice president with primary corporate responsibility for BIW: "The new contract is not only the largest ever awarded to BIW, but it also provides the shipyard with its highest quality backlog in dec- ades. The award increases BIW's current backlog to $359,000,000, of which only $36,000,000 relates to a long-term fixed-price con- tract. Therefore, shipyard results in coming years should not be materially affected by inflation, a factor which has had a sub- stantial effect on contract per- formance during the past several years."

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On shipboard the called channel lights up on the Lorain Call Indi- cator and a signal sounds as the

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The Navy contemplates build- ing a fleet of 50 or more of this new class of ship, named in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard

Perry. Deliveries will extend into 1986 at an estimated final cost of $8.6 billion for 50 ships. The new BIW contract calls for de- liveries in 1980 and 1981.

Contracts for additional ships of the FFG class are expected to be awarded as the ships are au- thorized by Congress. To date, construction of 10 FFGs has been authorized for the U.S. Navy, with additional authorization planned at the rate of eight ships per year. Several foreign coun- tries are also interested in adding

FFGs to their fleets.

Commenting on the possibili- ties of additional awards, Mr.

Nicholson stated: "We are opti- mistic as to our long-term par- ticipation in the FFG program, which will further increase the amount of BIW's inflation-pro- tected backlog."

The frigates will be 445 feet long and displace just under 3,600 tons. They are to be fitted with gas-turbine propulsion and the very latest weapons and electron- ics systems. The mission of the

FFG is to ensure that the United

States merchant and Navy forces can maintain control of the sea lines vital to U.S. commerce.

According to Mr. Nicholson,

BIW has undertaken extensive facility modernization in recent years, and has just acquired a 9,000-ton-capacity floating dry- dock to broaden the range of work that can be performed to include virtually all facets of ship construction, overhaul and modernization. "Acquisition of the drydock is well-timed to co- ordinate with renewed emphasis on overhaul and modernization of existing ships in the U.S. fleet and growing reliance on private shipyards for this work," he said.

In addition to its participation in the Guided Missile Frigate

Program, BIW is currently con- structing four roll-on/roll-off mer- chant ships for the States Steam- ship Company of San Francisco, has undertaken extensive over- haul of the USS Biddle, a guided missile cruiser, and has a con- tract with Matson Navigation

Company for the construction of one containership, with an option clause for a second ship.

Adams & Porter Appoint

Marshall Crawford VP

Marshall Crawford has been appointed vice president of Adams & Porter Associates, Inc., 1819

St. James Place, Houston, Texas 77027, an international marine insurance brokerage firm. The announcement was made by Clyde

W. Hanks, president.

Mr. Crawford, a 1956 graduate of Rice University, who has 20 years' experience in the insur- ance business, will have the re- sponsibility of expanding the property, liability and bonding departments of the firm. 28 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News

Send for illustrated catalog and equipment list. LORAIN ENCODER PUTS CALL THROUGH

IN TWO SECONDS

To place a call, the ship's radio man selects the as- signed 5-digit number on the five thumbwheel switches of the Lorain Encoder. He then selects the correct frequency for the called point on the

SSB radio and presses the "transmit" button on the

Encoder. The 5-digit code "rings" the Decoder at the home office without voice monitoring. AD %

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