Page 49: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 1992)

Peterson Builders Launches

Ninth Mine Countermeasure

Ship In Series Of 11

Peterson Builders, Inc. (PBI) re- cently christened and launched the 224-foot wooden MCM-12 Mine

Countermeasure Ship at its yard in

Sturgeon Bay, Wise.

The sponsor of the ship, Sue Ann

Thompson, wife of Wisconsin Gov- ernor Tommy Thompson, chris- tened the ship Ardent.

The Ardent is the ninth MCM launched at PBI in a series of 11

MCM Ships contracted with the U.S.

Navy. Peterson Builders is one of the few remaining shipyards with the expertise, facilities and knowl- edge to construct large wooden ships today. PBI is entering its fifth de- cade of minecraft ship construction and has built minecraft for 13 differ- ent navies around the world.

The Mine Countermeasure Ships accommodate a crew of 81, and are the Navy's largest wooden-hulled ship. A wide variety of special skills, equipment and materials are uti- lized in laminating the ship's major structure from large timbers of Dou- glas fir, white oak and Alaskan ce- dar.

The MCM incorporates modern mine countermeasure technology into a specially designed platform which includes low magnetic signa- ture diesel engines, a precise elec- tronic navigation system, a minehunting and classification so- nar, and a mine neutralization sys- tem.

The MCM mission is to clear the bottom and water volume of mines in coastal and offshore areas.

Overall length of the MCM ships is 224 feet. Draft is 11 feet 3 inches and beam measures 38 feet 11 inches. Full load displacement of the ships is 1,250 tons. The MCM is powered by four diesel engines rated at 600 hp per unit. They are equipped with a 350-hp bow thruster, and electric power is furnished by three 60-Hz, 375-kw generators.

The MCM-1 Avenger, the lead ship of this new MCM Class built at

PBI, is based in Charleston, S.C.

Six ships of the MCM-1 Class remain in various stages of construc- tion at Peterson builders, with de- liveries scheduled through mid- 1994.

For free literature on the facili- ties and capabilities of Peterson

Builders,

Circle 80 on Reader Service Card $8.2 Million Contract

To Electric Boat

For Sub Refit

The Electric Boat Division of

General Dynamics, Groton, Conn., recently received an $8,173,441 firm- fixed-price contract modification from the Naval Sea Systems Com- mand to exercise an option for the extended refit period of the USS

Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658).

The contract number is N00024- 91-C-2102.

Scott Named President Of

California Steamship

Group

Richard Scott was recently elected president for the Steamship Asso- ciation of Southern California. Scott is currently the vice president of

International Business Transporta- tion Service Inc. in Long Beach,

California.

GE Awarded $8.1 Million Contract

General Electric Company, Navy & Drive Turbine Systems, Fitchburg,

Mass., was recently awarded an

DIESEL POWER $8,099,794 firm-fixed-price contract modification for two ship service generator sets for the Seawolf SSN- 21 Class submarines. The contract,

N00024-90-C-4066, was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command.

PAXMAN DIESELS LIMITED, PAXMAN WORKS, HYTHE HILL, COLCHESTER, ESSEX G01 2HW, ENGLAND

TELEPHONE: (0206) 575151. FAX: (0206) 577869. TELEX: 98151

PAXMAN DIESELS USA, PO BOX 219129, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77218, USA

TELEPHONE: (713) 578 7828. FAX: (713) 492 8277

GEC ALSTHOM INTERNATIONAL CANADA INC., 2 PAXMAN ROAD, ETOBICOKE, (TORONTO) ONTARIO M9C IB6

TELEPHONE: (416) 622 3060. FAX: (416) 622 1291

THE SILENT

APPROACH

Like cats, minehunters creep up on their prey.

It's a dangerous business because mines today are cheap, nasty and effective.

The SRMH minehunter needs ultra-quiet, smooth propulsion to do it, the sort that Paxman diesels provide.

Our engines are powerful yet compact, highest quality, lowest magnetic signature.

Simple in design, economical and easy to maintain, they have proved their combat reliability in 50 years of naval warfare. Quite simply, they represent the first choice in naval diesel power and propulsion today.

PAXiyiAN

February, 1992

Circle 251 on Reader Service Card 49