Page 25: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 15, 1984)

crease personnel accommodations from 41 to 183. Two twin pedestal cranes are being installed on each ship's main deck to handle off- loading of cargo, including am- phibious landing support craft.

When converted these ships will provide the capacity to rapidly transport to any desired location 25 percent of the vehicles and ini- tial supply of ammunition, fuel, and rations for a Marine Corps amphibious brigade.

NASSCO has been involved with the T-AKR program since its in- ception in the fall of 1981, when the Navy surveyed the industry to determine which shipyards would be interested and could qualify for design and conversion of these ships. Subsequent to its successful performance during the competi- tion/design phases, NASSCO was in September 1982 awarded a con- tract to provide the detail design and conversion work for two ships with an option for a third. The op- tion for the third ship has been exercised.

The T-AKR ships will be sta- tioned in the U.S. and, if an emer- gency arises, will be loaded with military cargo to provide rapid second-wave support to deployed combat troops. These 946-foot ships have speed of up to 33 knots. Con- version will include removal and rebuilding of internal structures used in carrying containers, as well as installation of new inter- nal and external ramps for load- ing, storing, and unloading mili- tary vehicles. Additional decks, cargo cranes, and a helicopter hangar are also being added.

NASSCO is awaiting arrival in

September this year of the 87,000- dwt NASSCO-built tanker Worth, which will be converted into a T-

AH hospital ship. This is the first of a two-ship contract worth a to- tal of $336.2 million. The second

T-AH conversion will be the 87,000- dwt tanker Rose City, also built by the San Diego shipyard.

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NEWPORT NEWS

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) in Virginia, the country's largest privately owned shipyard, has designed, built, overhauled, and repaired a wide variety of ships for the U.S. Navy. Today it is the only yard in the U.S. capa- ble of building and servicing a full range of surface and submersible vessels.

NNS currently has 10 Navy ships under construction or con- tract—three aircraft carriers and seven high-speed attack subma- rines. The 688 Class submarine

Chicago (SSN-625) will be launched on October 13 this year, the 209th birthday of the U.S. Navy. The carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN- 71) will be launched on October 27, the birthday of the president for whom she is named and Navy

Day.

Newport News is also overhaul- ing and refueling five submarines, and has contracts to plan for simi- lar work on two additional subs.

The yard recently completed the overhaul of the aircraft carrier

Nimitz (CVN-68) and returned her to the fleet in a period of 13 months.

A leader in application of high technology to shipbuilding, New- port News Shipbuilding provides a variety of engineering services to the Navy. It has been awarded several contracts to modify and improve existing ship designs, and to develop designs for new classes of submarines and surface ships.

The yard currently employs some 29,000 people, many of whom are fourth generation shipbuilders.

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NORSHIPCO

A Phased Maintenance contract with the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea

Systems Command has provided the Norshipco yard in Norfolk with repair work for three T-AO-177 class oilers over a 54-month pe- riod. The three ships that will undergo repairs—the USS Merri- mack, USS Monongahela, and USS (continued on page 28)

Making a big ship trigger is the job for a real shipyard.

Jumboizing

We coined the term arid jumboized our first ship in 1956. Since then we ve jumboized 24 ships .. .more than the rest of thi

U.S. industry combined. No other shipyard in the entire world can match our facilities, our people, our jumboizing experience.

We have an engineering and design staff of3,500... and a total work force of more than 28,000 conscientious craftsmen.

We have 8 piers up to 1200 feet and up to 2200 feet of berthing space.. .deep-draft graving docks from 650 to 1600 feet long and 92 to 250 feet wide ... 300,000 sq. ft. of machine shops ...an ir/2 acre steel fabrication center... a foundry that specializes in pouring marine castings.

We have nearly a century of shipbuilding and ship repair experience and we have the critical knowledge of regu- lation standards and regulatory bodies.

We can produce any size jumbo.. .bulk tanker, cargo vessel, container ship, spe- cial product carrier. We nave more experience than any other U.S. yard in designing, installing and testing inert gas systems, crude oil washing systems, segregated ballasts and other modifications to meet

IMO standards.

If you're consider- ing a jumboizing job or upgrading to meet regu- latory requirements, call us.

Newport News Shipbuilding.

Newport News, Virginia 23607. (804) 380-2600/Telex 82-3453.

TWX 710-880-0007.

Newport News

Shipbuilding

A Tenneco Company

August 15,1984 Circle 317 on Reader Service Card 27