Western Gear Corp. Receives $8-Million Contract From Navy

Western Gear Corporation, Lynwood, Calif., announced that it has received a contract valued at $8 million at time of shipment, for eight advanced marine reduction gear units. The gears will be used for main power propulsion in the U.S. Navy's new guided missile frigates of the FFG-7 class. The equipment will be manufactured by Western Gear's Power Transmission Division. This contract represents a follow-on from an initial 11 gears ordered by the Navy.

Western Gear designed, manufactured and delivered the first gear in this series for installation in the USS Oliver Hazard Perry, launched at Bath, Maine, in September of 1976. The Perry is the SHIPYARDS CORPORATION SHIPYARDS Brooklyn • New Orleans • Galveston Houston . Los Angeles • San Francisco • Seattle first of a planned 74 ships in its class. These light, maneuverable patrol ships will be equipped with surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile systems, antisubmarine torpedos, and a 76-mm gun, as well as two manned helicopters.

Of the 20 ships now under contract, six are to be built in San Pedro, Calif., by the Todd shipyard there; five are planned for the Todd shipyard in Seattle, Wash., and nine more are expected from the Bath yard. All three shipyards will be supplied with gears from the Lynwood plant of Western Gear Corporation.

The Guided Missile Frigate class is designed to be useful not only to the U.S. but also to NATO allies. Of the 20 ships on order, two are being constructed for the Royal Australian Navy.

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