Page 24: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 1993)

Pentagon's 'Bottom Up1

Review: One Contract Each

For Newport News And

Electric Boat

As part of a "bottom up" review of post-Cold War defense needs re- leased by Defense Secretary Les

Aspin, the Pentagon recommends that the Department of Defense (DOD) continue bolstering its surge sealift fleet, that Newport News

Shipbuilding, a Tenneco subsidiary, get a $3 billion contract to build a new aircraft carrier, and General

Dynamics' Electric Boat division, a competitor of Tenneco's, build the third Seawolf submarine.

The recommendations were in- tended to reflect the new defense requirements of the U.S., which, instead of contending with a super- power, must now contend with what

Mr. Aspin reportedly called "re- gional bullies" like Saddam

Hussein.

Electric Boat, of Groton, Conn., was given the contracts for the first two Seawolf subs.

The Pentagon decided to main- tain this course to support the con- tinued existence of both the nation's nuclear shipyards. Electric Boat has also been recommended as the designer/builder of the next genera- tion of attack subs.

Newport News is the only U.S. yard that can build, overhaul and refuel nuclear surface ships, and it is currently building two carriers

Use the navigation technology selected by the Coast Guard.

TRIADS™ is the new shipboard attitude and navigation system devel- oped for the U. S. Coast Guard by ASI.

The system uses proprietary Global

Positioning System technology to pro- vide instantaneous heading and three axis attitude in addition to 24-hour, real-time measurement of position, velocity and time anywhere in the world.

TRIADS measures attitude with the smallest antenna separation in the in- 26 dustry. TRIADS can be installed sepa- rately or integrated with other naviga- tion sensors and is compatible with

ECDIS and other bridge systems. It provides triply redundant position so- lutions and contains a very capable

RAIM integrity algorithm. TRIADS meets NMEA interface standards and is fully DGPS capable.

TRIADS improves the attitude and navigation capability on today's fleet and serves as the basis for advanced systems on new ships. The system is field tested and available for demon- stration and installation.

Circle 226 on Reader Service Card

If your application requires precise navigation and control as well as man- agement of a highly dynamic plat- form, you owe it to yourself to find out more about TRIADS. Call us at (703) 684-2900 to discuss your system needs.

AS!

ADROIT SYSTEMS INC® 209 Madison Street • Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-2900 • Fax (703) 836-7411 and six earlier-generation subs.

The Pentagon said it will strive t improve the mobility of U.S. force by purchasing additional Ro/Ro ves sels for their surge sealift fleet

Purchasing the ships, which ma; number as many as 20, has been ai issue since the Pentagon's Mobilit;

Requirement Study was sent to Con gress in 1992.

The Navy, which has been ac cepting bids on the ships, has alsc said it would spend $ 1 billion for the conversion of five containerships tc

Ro/Ro's.

The Pentagon's other recommen- dations include improving the re- sponsiveness of the Maritime

Administration's Ready Reserve

Force (RRF).

The Pentagon's recommendations have yet to receive Congressional approval, and Newport News is ex- pected to continue striving for the third Seawolf contract.

Electric Boat's number of employ- ees has shrunk from 25,000 to about 18,000 since the defense spending of the Reagan era. Even should the new contracts for construction and design be approved, that number is reportedly projected to shrink as low as 7,800 by 1997.

Singmarine Unit Wins $6 Million 'Cat1 Contract

Singmarine Industries Limited, through its subsidiary Aluminum

Craft Pte. Ltd., won a shipbuilding contract from a repeat customer in

South China.

The contract, worth about $6 mil- lion, is to build a 115-foot catama- ran for a state-owned company in

Wan Shan District of Zhuhai City,

South China.

The first vessel for the customer, a 92-foot monohull ferry, "Tong Chi

Yi Hao," was recently delivered. "We (were) impressed by Alumi- num Craft's excellent workmanship and technical competence in the con- struction of the monohull ferry, and are confident that they will continue to maintain these standards in the building of the catamaran," said Pan

Qing Hong, regional director and general party secretary of Wan Shan

District in Zhuhai City.

Two high speed diesels driving fixed-pitch propellers will power the vessel to 29 knots in calm waters.

This aluminum ferry will have a capacity for 250 passengers and eight crew. It is scheduled for deliv- ery in the first quarter of 1994 and will be deployed along the coast of

Zhuhai. For more information,

Circle 45 on Reader Service Card

NNS Wins $10.3 Million

Navy Repair Contract

Newport News Shipbuilding,

Newport News, Va. has been awarded a $10.3 million Navy Re- pair Contract for the post-shake- down availablilty of the "Montpe- lier" (SSN 765) nuclear-powered submarine.

Maritime Reporter/Engineering New*