Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 1992)

and is now in operation with the

U.S. Navy fleet.

The contract for the fifth ship of the class, LHD-5, includes options for two additional ships, LHD-6 and -7, which would be awarded follow- ing Congressional funding of future year defense budgets.

The 40,500-ton LHDs are 844 feet long, with a beam of 106 feet. Two steam propulsion plants, develop- ing a combined 70,000 horsepower, drive the ships to speeds above 20 knots.

The Wasp Class ships are the first specifically designed to accom- modate the air cushion landing craft (LCAC) and Harrier (AV-8B) STO/

VL (Short Take Off/Vertical Land- ing) jets. The class will also accom- modate the full range of Navy and

Marine Corps helicopters, conven- tional landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Outfitted for their pri- mary mission, LHDs carry a mix of assault helicopters, plus six to eight

Harriers.

The ships are fully capable of maintaining onboard aircraft and landing craft, as well as supporting the embarked landing force.

LHDs have more than 22,000 square feet of vehicle space, 100,00 cubic feet of cargo space,.and accom- modations for nearly 3,000 troops and crew members.

For combat casualities, as well as humanitarian missions, LHD-5 will have six fully equipped medical op- erating rooms, four dental operat- ing rooms and hospital facilities ca- pable of caring for 600 patients. The lead ship of the LHD program, USS

Wasp (LHD-1), was delivered to the

Navy by Ingalls in 1989. Ingalls now has in production Essex (LHD-2),

Kearsage (LHD-3) and Boxer (LHD- 4).

In addition to LHD amphibious ships, Ingalls is building a series of

Aegis guided missile cruisers and destroyers for the U.S. Navy and is participating in international ship- building programs.

Jered Brown Wins

U.S. Navy Contract

For Elevated Causeway

Marine systems manufacturer

Jered Brown Brothers Inc. has been awarded a $27 million contract by the U.S. Navy for the design, con- struction and demonstration of a new elevated causeway (ELCAS) for use in amphibious landings.

The contract—awarded by the

Naval Facilities Engineering Com- mand, Port Hueneme, Calif.—in- cludes an additional $12 million op- tion clause which can be exercised within 15 months.

ELCAS is part of the U.S. Navy's

Strategic Sealift Program. It will enable deep-draft supply vessels to unload cargo onto an unimproved beach and is designed to carry loads up to the weight of a 60-ton main battle tank.

Jered president Rick Edger says the ELCAS award represents a new challenge and a new direction for

Jered as a prime government con- tractor on a complex system.

ELCAS rides on piles above the water. As a result, unlike landing craft and pontoon systems, its use is not restricted by rough seas. It is a modular system that can be trans- ported on a single ship and erected within a week.

The basic contract is for the de- sign, construction and demonstra- tion of the majority of the elevated causeway, including 800 feet of a 3,000-foot roadway that will serve as a ramp to the landing beach. If the Navy exercises its option clause,

Jered will build the additional 2,200 feet of causeway.

The causeway will be built at

Jered Brown Brothers recently ac- quired facility in Brunswick, Ga.

In announcing the award, Mr.

Edger praised the efforts of Jered employees and of its three technical partners—JJH, Inc. of Arlington,

Va., a naval architect and marine engineering firm; TRD of Cherry

Hill, N.J., which will provide inte- grated logistic support; and McLean

Construction, Glen Bernie, Md., which will build a demonstration section of the causeway.

For free literature detailing Jered

Brown Bros, marine products,

Circle 116 on Reader Service Card

Bender Awarded Contract

On USNS Redstone

Senator Howell Heflin of Ala- bama recently announced that

Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co.,

Inc. of Mobile, Ala., was awarded a $2,933,419 contract for the regular overhaul and drydocking of the

USNS Redstone (T-AGM20). The

Redstone is a 595-foot-long missile- tracking ship operated by the Mili- tary Sealift Command, Bayonne,

N.J., for the U.S. Navy.

Bender drydocked the Redstone on the Pete B, its newest and larg- est drydock. The Pete B has a lifting capacity of 20,000 tons, a length of 545 feet and measures 124 feet be- tween its wingwalls.

For free literature on the facili- ties and capabilities of Bender Ship- building,

Circle 97 on Reader Service Card

MarAd Awards $2.7 Million Contract

To T-ACS Deactivation

The Maritime Administration (MarAd) has awarded a $2,722,120 contract to Eastern

Technical Enterprises, Inc., Nor- folk, Va., for deactivation of the auxiliary crane ship Keystone

State.

U.S. Navy Ships... have been fitted with Loeffler deck drains, valves, and bells for almost 40 years. They are precision made to the latest applicable

NAVSEA, BUSHIPS, or MIL standard.

If you are building for the U.S. Navy or Coastguard, you need Loeffler.

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Go overboard into a freezing ocean and you're really in hot water.

The number one cause of cold-water deaths each year is hypothermia. Your body loses heat 23 times faster in water than in air, so the killing effect of hypothermia can be quite, swift. Even in water as warm as 50°F, your survival time may be as little as one hour. The Imperial Immersion Suit provides two elements essential for survival: buoyancy and waterproof insulation from the cold.

The Imperial Immersion Suit has saved more lives than any other.

More than 450 people have informed us that they were saved by wearing Imperial Immersion Suits. Many of these people survived waters below 35°F for several hours before being rescued, and more reports are coming in all the time. Because Imperial is the company that invented immersion suits, we have more experience, and have done more testing than anyone else in the field. We know that lives are at stake, so every suit is individually checked before it leaves the factory. Imperial quality is known and trusted around the world and our suits are approved by most major maritime nations*

To get more details or suit specifications, write or call us. Dealer inquiries invited.

I. One-piece Sealed

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Shield 5. Built-in

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Pocket 7. Built-in

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Indefinitely 8. Reflective

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Tighteners 10. Toe Valves

II. Non-skid Soles 12. Compact

Storage Bag -IMMERSION SUIT

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Phone 908-721 -5300 FAX 908-721 -4016

Circle 287 on Reader Service Card 44

Circle 264 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News