[JLRC]

Pentagon Contract Announcement
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Oct. 15, 2004)
 
 
 Lockheed Martin Corp., Maritime Systems and Sensors (LM MS2), Manassas, Va., is being awarded a total not-to-exceed $41,852,000 cost-plus incentive-fee/award-fee undefinitized contract action contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6207) for Virginia Class submarine (SSN 774) production long lead material under the Acoustic Rapid Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Insertion (A-RCI) program.  
 
A-RCI is a sonar system upgrade installed on SSN 688, SSN 688I, SSN 774, SSN 21, SSGN and SSBN 726 Class submarines. A-RCI integrates and improves towed array, hull array, sphere array, and other ship sensor processing. These improvements are incorporated via rapid insertion of COTS based hardware and software.  
 
Efforts to be performed include interfaces to the legacy systems; signal processing enhancements; display enhancements; and incorporation of Government Furnished Information (GFI) algorithms.  
 
Work will be performed in Manassas, Va. (32 percent), and Portsmouth, R.I. (68 percent), and is expected to be completed by January 2006. None of the funds being obligated will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  
 
The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.  
 
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[P44]

Não sei se é novidade...

O novo Porta-Aviões Italiano, originalmente chamado "Andrea Doria", foi rebatizado "Comte de Cavour"

[JLRC]

Lockheed LCS Team Completes Key Milestone
 
 
(Source: Lockheed Martin; issued Oct. 18, 2004)
 
 
 WASHINGTON, DC --- With the successful on-schedule completion of the Initial Critical Design Review (ICDR), the Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) team is proceeding to Final Critical Design Review – the last program milestone leading to authorization to begin construction of the first LCS.  
 
“Lockheed Martin thoroughly addressed all the required elements and demonstrated their commitment to the LCS program, schedule and budget with disciplined attention to detail and a can-do management approach,” said Capt. Don Babcock, the Navy’s LCS program manager. “The Lockheed Martin team is on schedule and on target to provide the Navy with the first in a new class of vessel that will transform warfare in the littorals.”  
 
ICDR included customer approval of final design elements, such as general arrangements, drawings and initial manning concepts. As approved, the LCS will provide the Navy with a new type of naval combatant designed to dominate the world’s coastal waters. The Lockheed Martin LCS team will now complete the final design phase in preparation for the Final Critical Design Review scheduled for December.  
 
“We are working closely with the Navy to deliver real warfighting capability to the littoral battlespace, with a continued focus on a low-risk, low-cost solution,” said Carol Hulgus, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors’ Littoral Ships & Systems line of business. “Our team has the people and facilities in place to deliver the lead ship on schedule in 2006, and our design maturity is demonstrated by our on-schedule program execution.”  
 
The Lockheed Martin team recently opened the Mission Systems Integration Center (MSIC) in Moorestown, NJ, which provides a full-scale LCS Mission Control Center. The MSIC will be used to integrate and test the LCS Mission System, including COMBATSS-21, as well as for initial crew familiarization and training, further reducing program risk prior to ship construction. The team is also preparing for high sea state performance model tests of its semi-planing monohull at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Carderock Division in Carderock, MD.  
 
LCS, a revolutionary naval combatant designed to dominate the world’s coastal waters, provides the Navy with fast, maneuverable and shallow draft ships aimed at maximizing mission flexibility. The ship’s first missions will include mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.  
 
The Lockheed Martin team was awarded a contract for final design in May, with options for up to two Flight 0, or initial production, ships. Lockheed Martin is scheduled to begin construction of the lead ship at Marinette Marine in Marinette, WI, in the first quarter of 2005. The Lockheed Martin-led team includes naval architect Gibbs & Cox and ship builders Marinette Marine and Bollinger Shipyards. The team designed a low-risk, affordable solution that provides the Navy with a maneuverable, flexible, networked surface combatant.  
 
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[JLRC]

Metal Storm Enters Agreement with Lockheed Martin for Torpedo Defense Project
 
 
(Source: Metal Storm; issued Oct. 19, 2004)
 
 
 ARLINGTON, Va. --- International ballistics company Metal Storm Limited today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Lockheed Martin to conduct studies and technical demonstrations in order to establish the feasibility of the Metal Storm torpedo defense system over a four-month evaluation period.  
 
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.  
 
“This agreement is an important step forward in the advancement of our technology,” said Metal Storm Limited’s Chief Executive Officer Charles Vehlow. “Once we have completed the four-month evaluation of the design and concept, we hope to begin early prototype development. We are encouraged by the growing receptivity we have received from Lockheed Martin and other defense and military organizations.”  
 
“The Lockheed Martin approach to defeating torpedoes for both surface and subsurface combatants, coupled with Metal Storm’s launch capability, offers an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the feasibility of our combined technologies for the benefit of naval personnel worldwide,” said Dr. Joseph R. Mayersak, Advanced Projects general manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Manassas, VA. “Lockheed Martin is pleased to be working with Metal Storm on this special project for the U.S. Navy.”  
 
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[JLRC]

Raytheon Awarded Contract for MK56 ESSM Vertical Launching Systems  
 
 
(Source: Raytheon Company; issued Oct. 20, 2004)
 
 
 TEWKSBURY, Mass. --- Raytheon Company has been awarded a contract by Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the production and delivery of MK56 Evolved Seasparrow Missile Vertical Launching Systems and associated supplies and services. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.  
 
The launching systems will be installed on four Baynunah class corvettes being constructed by ADSB for the UAE Navy. The contract includes an option to equip two additional ship sets.  
 
The MK56 was chosen competitively by the UAE Navy as the preferred launching system for the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM), which will be the primary air defense system for the Baynunah class. Raytheon’s MK56 is one of a family of Seasparrow Vertical Missile Launchers now currently operational in six international navies around the world.  
 
The MK56 launcher is a lightweight system designed and qualified specifically for the ESSM. It has been used for multiple live firings of the ESSM conducted by both the U.S. and Royal Danish Navies, all of which were completely successful. In fact, the U.S. Navy used the launcher as part of the ESSM missile qualification program. The MK56 is adaptable to a variety of configurations to support from four to 16 missiles, equally suitable for small and larger naval platforms.  
 
Work on this program will be performed at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems’ Naval Integration Center in Portsmouth, R.I., Surveillance and Sensors Center in Sudbury, Mass.; Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd.; and at the shipyards in Cherbourg, France, and Abu Dhabi, UAE, where the Baynunah vessels are being constructed.  
 
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[JLRC]

OTO Melara Announces 100th Successful Test Firing of ‘DART’ Anti-Terror Gun Launched Missile System
 
 
(Source: Oto Melara North America; issued Oct. 20, 2004)
 
 
 WASHINGTON --- OTO Melara North America (OTO Inc.) announced today the 100th successful test firing of the OTO Melara DART gun launched missile system. DART is launched from the 76 Compact and 76 Super Rapid gun systems developed by OTO Melara and now used by 54 navies, including the US Navy and US Coast Guard.  
 
“We are developing DART, which is guided by a radio frequency beam, and the unguided variant, ART, to provide cost effective tools for naval planners concerned about the threats posed by cruise and sea skimmer missiles now available to rogue forces and the ‘small swarm boats’ used by terrorists,” said Howard Goldberg, CEO of OTO Inc. “When you combine a range in excess of 8,000 yards, a proven microwave fuze, and a high rate of sustained fire capability, DART will defeat a barrage of incoming missiles and multiple swarm boats.”  
 
Goldberg said the unguided variant, ART, is an ultra high speed missile, which, when combined with the 76 SR system’s high rate of fire, will provide the best possible protection against a multitude of explosive-laden terrorist swarm boats attacking naval vessels. ART also is available as a non-lethal inert missile to stop suspect contraband ships without loss of life to the crew.  
 
“All OTO 76mm gun systems include proven state-of-the-art barrel cooling systems which insure continued accuracy at a high rate of sustained fire,” said Goldberg. “DART and ART create multiple cost effective opportunities to defeat air and surface born threats compared to conventional missile systems. The Italian Navy is the first to use these systems and we envision that ART will be deployed in 2005 and DART will be deployed in 2007.”  
 
OTO Inc. and OTO Melara SpA are part of the global aerospace and defense company Finmeccanica.  
 
OTO Inc. is currently evaluating sites for a US assembly and test facility for 76 SR gun systems as well as industrial arrangements for the US production of ART and DART. Since these new Gun Launched Missile Systems are compatible with all variants of the OTO 76mm gun, the 54 country worldwide market could be supported by US production.  
 
“76 SR gun systems, missiles, and ammunition produced in the US will be eligible for the FMS program,” Goldberg concluded.  
 
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[JLRC]

Exercise Trident Warrior Takes Tarawa ESG into Future
 
 
(Source: US Navy; issued Oct. 20, 2004)
 
 
 ABOARD USS TARAWA, At Sea --- The crew of the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) had its first look at FORCEnet, the next-generation naval warfighting process, during exercise Trident Warrior 04, Oct. 4-15.  
 
The ships of the Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group participated in Trident Warrior as they headed north to participate in Fleet Week celebrations in San Francisco. The participating units included Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1, the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Tarawa, USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), USS Cleveland (LPD 7), USS Chosin (CG 65) and USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53).  
 
“A lot of people compare FORCEnet with Star Wars, because we’re talking about how to fight battles in the timeframe from 2015 to 2020,” said Cmdr. Paul Lommel, Tarawa’s C4I Officer, who coordinated the ship’s Trident Warrior efforts. “It’s an opportunity for the Navy to take advantage of cutting-edge technology to make a major leap forward.”  
 
The FORCEnet technology being tested during Trident Warrior is essential to how U.S. naval forces will conduct battle in the future, according to Tarawa Commanding Officer Capt. John Riley. Riley had a commanding overview of the promise that this new process offers to the Navy’s future aboard his ship, where more than 150 different FORCEnet capabilities and processes were tested and evaluated during this year’s Trident Warrior exercise.  
 
Overall, FORCEnet takes a major step toward achieving the fundamental concepts of the Chief of Naval Operations’ vision for future Naval operations, according to Lommel. It will align and integrate Sea Service warriors, networks, sensors and weapons to implement a more centralized warfare network. It also will empower commanders in battle to make better decisions faster and to see the effects of those decisions more rapidly.  
 
“Increasing the speed that our naval forces can successfully engage our adversaries in the global war on terrorism has become critically important,” said Riley. “With FORCEnet, instead of taking hours to execute an operational mission, now we’re working down to minutes.”  
 
Outside the improved warfighting capabilities, FORCEnet offers other aspects that will improve the quality of life for Sailors, according to Lommel. Sailors will be able to access information on managing their careers through Navy Knowledge Online, and be able to use the Distance Support Web site to help them do their jobs aboard ship. Additionally, they will be able to communicate with their detailers and family using e-mail and Web-based services while deployed.  
 
“What impressed me the most was that Navy Knowledge Online gave me a standpoint of where I’m at right now in my career and what I need to do to advance,” said Tarawa crew member Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class Tyrell Cleveland, who learned about this new career management system. “I anticipate it will help me a great deal as I start to plan for my future.”  
 
According to Lommel, FORCEnet has no ‘end state’ – the technology and capabilities will continue to grow and evolve as necessary to ensure the continued dominance of U.S. and coalition forces on the battlefield. More importantly to the Sailors and Marines of the Tarawa ESG, most of the FORCEnet technology will remain permanently installed aboard their ships for use during their upcoming deployment.  
 
“The technology looks very promising,” said Information Systems Technician 1st Class Martin MacLorrain, who assisted the Trident Warrior contractors working in Tarawa’s Automated Data Processing shop. “In the parts of our job that involve the FORCEnet technology, everything will be more laid out and there’ll be less guesswork involved in our work.”  
 
“What I’ve liked most about Trident Warrior has been the interface between the systems commands, the technical experts and the ship,” said Riley. “This has been a textbook example of building and testing equipment. The technical experts came aboard during Trident Warrior and brought us new systems and equipment, along with the training and logistics support. This has been a true partnership that will bring us, our shipmates and the Navy into the future.”  
 
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[JLRC]

Russia Denies Reports of Leasing Nuclear Sub to India  
 
 
(Source: Voice of America news; issued Oct. 22, 2004)
 
 
 Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov is denying reports that Russia will lease a nuclear submarine to India.  
 
The Interfax news agency says Mr. Ivanov told reporters Friday in the Ural mountain region of Orenburg that he had discussed military cooperation with India, but reports on the lease are false.  
 
Interfax on Thursday quoted sources in Russia's defense industry as saying India would lease an Akula-class nuclear-powered submarine.  
 
The report said the deal was signed earlier this year and could earn Russia tens of millions of dollars per year.  
 
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[JLRC]

Delivery of the First Electronic Defence System for the German Navy  
 
 
(Source: Indra; issued Oct. 22, 2004)
 
 
 The event has been chaired by the Armament and Equipment General Manager and was attended by the German Ambassador in Spain, as well as by important dignitaries from both countries  
 
Indra’s Vice-president emphasized that “this electronic defence system states the great technological capacity of the by Indra designed systems”  
 
The Armament and Equipment General Manager Carlos Villar has chaired the delivery of the first electronic defence system the Spanish company Indra will deliver to the German Navy in order to be installed in its K-130 class frigates.  
 
The event held at Indra’s facilities in Torrejón de Ardoz, a city in the Madrid area, was attended by distinguished political authorities, being the German Ambassador in Spain among them, as well as various military men, in addition to Indra’s main executives. On his speech, Indra’s Vice-president Humberto Figarola referred to this act of delivery to the German Army’s highest officers, as a sign of the greatest technological level of all the systems developed by the company. Likewise, he mentioned the important commercial relationships of Indra with this country.  
 
The system now being delivered, is the first of a set of five that were signed in July 2003 and whose delivery period goes from October 2004 up to March 2007. This first contract will be extended in the future, because the K-130 program foresees the construction of 14 light frigates (corvettes) in several sets.  
 
The development of the system for the German frigates is an adaptation of the Aldebarán system, also developed by Indra for the F-100 frigates of the Spanish Army and whose main mission is the self-protection of the platform where it is to be installed.  
 
The operation will be carried out in two phases: in the first one, a passive subsystem that detects the menacing signals for the platform and identifies them; and in the second one, an active system counteracts these signals by disturbing those, or by modifying them in order to delude the station sending distorted messages, orders or signals.  
 
This contract with the German Navy means the recognition of Indra’s self-protection systems technology in one of the most advanced countries in the world, marking a milestone in the company’s internationalisation.  
 
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[JLRC]

Systems Engineering Support Sought for Air Warfare Destroyer Project
 
 
(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Oct. 23, 2004)
 
 
 The Howard Government has today advertised a tender seeking an Australian based combat system engineering company to support the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program.  
 
Defence Minister Robert Hill said the combat system tender follows last week's release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Australian shipbuilders to bid for the contract to build the Navy's Air Warfare Destroyers - one of Australia's largest and most complex Defence projects.  
 
"The Government has now moved quickly to engage Australian industry in the additional major work needed for the AWD program as promised during the election campaign," Senator Hill said.  
 
"This is a challenging systems engineering project. The successful tenderer will be required to work with Defence and the US Navy in developing a total combat system for the AWD using AEGIS as the core.  
 
"The world-class AEGIS system that will be fitted to the new AWDs will be capable of detecting and defeating multiple hostile aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 kilometres. This will be in addition to anti-submarine and anti-shipping capability and sensors to detect ballistic missiles in flight.  
 
"The release of today's RFP tender completes the initial package of tenders for this project."  
 
The role of the AWD Combat System-Systems Engineer (AWDCSSE) is to provide system level design and integration of non-Aegis elements of the AWD combat system.  
 
The engagement of combat system integration expertise from within Australia is in line with the Government's Skilling Australia's Defence Industry policy and the Defence Electronic Systems Sector Strategic Plan.  
 
"Developing key Defence capabilities within Australian Industry is a top priority for the Howard Government," Senator Hill said.  
 
The terms of the combat system RFP will be available from Monday, 25 October 2004. The RFP will remain open for approximately eight weeks. It is expected that the company selected for the AWDCSSE role will be appointed by March 2005.  
 
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[JLRC]

SWMLU Enters Period of Intensive Integration
 
 
(Source: Alenia Marconi Systems; issued Oct. 25, 2004)
 
 
 The recent successful completion of the SWMLU Critical Design Review (CDR) marks the end of the design phase of the programme and heralds a period of intensive integration, testing and the launch of initial production.  
 
In November 2000 AMS was awarded the Seawolf Mid-Life Update (SWMLU) contract by the Ship Missile Integrated Project Team (SMS IPT), based in Abbey Wood, Bristol. The SWMLU programme, valued at £260 million, is a prime contract for the upgrading of the Seawolf Naval Point Defence Missile System.  
 
Work has already started on converting the first Trackers to comply with the new SWMLU build standard and the Y Model subsystems are under manufacture.  
 
During the integration phase extensive testing of the system will be conducted at two dedicated AMS test sites at Bushy Hill, near Chelmsford and Fraser, near Portsmouth, prior to work on the First Of Class ships.  
 
Bushy Hill is dedicated to the integration and testing of the Type 22 systems, with the Type 23 systems following similar programmes at Fraser, which is also the home of the Shore Line Tracker (SLT). The SLT facility was especially created in order to prove the SWMLU design in a near sea environment prior to the ship programme.  
 
The work undertaken by AMS for the SWMLU programme will significantly improve system performance against the most demanding threat environment, allowing ships of the Royal Navy to be defended against defined threat cases well into this century and provide a technology platform for future upgrades as the threat cases evolve.  
 
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[JLRC]

USS Virginia to Enter Service with Combat System for the Future
 
 
(Source: Lockheed Martin; issued Oct. 22, 2004)
 
 
 MANASSAS, Va. --- The U.S. Navy will launch an era of unprecedented capability for the fleet on Saturday, Oct 23, 2004, with the commissioning of USS Virginia (SSN 774), the nation's newest submarine.  
 
Virginia's sonar, combat system, radio room, and electronic support measures were designed by Lockheed Martin, together with industry and government partners, to leverage the power of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology while meeting the demanding needs of a submarine and crew to counter any threat, anywhere.  
 
"The Navy challenged us to build a system with unprecedented capability, and within the cost constraints of the 1990s," said Rick Udicious, vice president for Submarine Programs at Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors. "On the combat system alone, this netted a cost avoidance of a billion dollars over the design and initial ten ships when compared with previous programs. We worked side-by-side with the U.S. Navy's Team Submarine to give our sailors the tools they need to do their jobs safely and reliably in their defining moments."  
 
The automated external communication system, known as the "Common Submarine Radio Room" (CSRR), represents another significant operational and technological milestone. Designed for USS Virginia, the CSRR is planned to be installed across all submarine classes, enabling joint communications for all U.S. submarines. CSRR is a result of teamwork across the electronics and shipbuilding industry, Navy laboratories and program offices, and commercial electronics suppliers.  
 
"USS Virginia's network centric communication capabilities are a significant departure from legacy systems and address many of the Navy's FORCEnet transformational communication needs," said Michael LaRouche, senior executive for Lockheed Martin's Navy Command and Control programs within Maritime Systems & Sensors.  
 
The sonar and electronic support measures are also designed to make COTS computers and wideband sensors work in harmony to give sailors the best situational awareness in any environment, against any adversary. From the most sensitive passive arrays to high powered active sensors to powerful computer algorithms, U.S. submariners will be the first to know and the first to shoot. The crew will also benefit from design and process features that reduce the time sailors currently spend on maintenance tasks and training, creating greater combat-related proficiency and more time with their families.  
 
Lockheed Martin also led the collaborative effort to integrate the combat system and other shipboard electronic systems in an open, distributed, computer network. The model for COTS utilization and software integration has been cited as a model for other programs seeking to benefit from the flexibility of an open architecture.  
 
"The Submarine Force, with the VIRGINIA Class in the lead, has been at the forefront in the use of COTS and Open Architecture systems," said Rear Adm. John Butler, the Navy's program executive officer for submarines. "Lockheed Martin has been a prime contributor and leader in this effort."  
 
Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.  
 
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[JLRC]

KDX-2 Live Firing Tests Confirm Thales' Leading Position in Naval Defence Systems
 
 
(Source: Thales; issued Oct. 25, 2004)
 
 
 NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France --- The "Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin", the first of class of the KDX-2 destroyers of the Republic of Korea Navy, recently conducted live firing tests with SM2 block 3 missiles at the Pacific Missile Test Range off the coast of Hawaii. The tests were highly successful as both missiles scored direct hits.  
 
The tests consisted of firing two SM2 block 3 missiles at incoming threats. Other systems that participated in these tests were Thales' STIR 240HP long range fire control radar, Thales' MW08 medium range multibeam surveillance radar and the KDX-2's long range surveillance radar.  
 
During the first test, MW08 detected the threat and initiated STIR. After the SM2 was launched, STIR directed the missile towards the threat. The interception point was at a range of approx. 20 km. In the second test, the threat was detected by the KDX 2's long range radar. After designation to STIR the SM2 was guided with STIR’s track data and at a range of approx. 115 km, the SM2 intercepted the target with a direct hit.  
 
Thales demonstrated its capabilities in controlling ESSM and SM2 missiles earlier in the tests with the Royal Netherlands Navy's new LCF frigates and the German Federal Navy's new F124 frigates. During the gunfire tests that preceded the missile tests, the Thales gunfire control equipment, MW08, DDWCS and Gun Interface Cabinet, demonstrated its excellent capabilities by guiding the KDX-I and KDX-II 5-inch gunfire to the target: the decommissioned US Navy Vessel Priora. Every round was a direct hit.  
 
Thales is an international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace and security markets. The group employs 62,000 people worldwide and generated revenues of 10.6 billion euro in 2003.  
 
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[JLRC]

Rolls-Royce and ABG Shipyard Prepare Indian Coast Guard for Oil Emergency Role
 
 
(Source: Rolls-Royce; issued Oct. 25, 2004)
 
 
 ABG Shipyard, the largest private yard in India, has selected Rolls-Royce to design and provide equipment for three Indian Coast Guard ships which will prepare it for potential environmental crises – particularly oil spills.  
 
The ships, which will feature a range of Rolls-Royce propulsion, steering and motion control equipment, are India’s response to the increasing risk of serious spills from merchant ships, many of them ageing, in its waters.  
 
The three vessels, each 94 metres in length and weighing 3,300 tonnes, will be built at the ABG Shipyard in Surat in a £50m (Rs 400 crore) contract with the Coast Guard, the first being delivered in 2006. The contract from ABG is worth £14m (Rs 112 crore) to Rolls-Royce.  
 
Coast Guard statistics for last year show that eight merchant ships which had sunk near major Indian ports or in the Andaman Sea were 20-25 years old. It also estimated that at least 200 ships are in the Indian Ocean every day, 40 per cent of them oil tankers. That figure is expected to increase significantly, in line with predictions of a 100 per cent increase in oil demand in India over the next 20 years.  
 
Rolls-Royce has also designed ships for use by the French Navy and Norwegian Coastguard.  
 
Rishi Agarwal, Managing Director – ABG Shipyard, said: “We have built many highly-specialised vessels, including those with diesel electric propulsion and dynamic positioning, for customers worldwide. This experience, coupled with the excellent design and equipment package from Rolls-Royce, is expected to result in very high quality Pollution Control Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard.”  
 
Saul Lanyado, Rolls-Royce President – Marine, said: “This contract demonstrates our ability to use our design experience to create new naval marine solutions. India has recognised that its growing role in world shipping will also bring new responsibilities, and I am delighted its Defence Department has selected us to help carry out a vital environmental role. The contract also marks Rolls-Royce’s first naval partnership with an Indian shipyard, reflecting our continued drive to form local partnerships where they can serve the customer.”  
 
The ships, each of which will have a helicopter capable of overseeing operations, will use a boom system to contain oil spillages. Contaminated water can be pumped on board and analysed in a laboratory. The oil can then be separated and held in storage tanks or inflatable barges which can be towed behind the vessel to free up deck space.  
 
Additional duties will be surveillance and law enforcement, anti smuggling and fishery protection, search and rescue, collecting data, and assistance with salvage and fire fighting.  
 
Rolls-Royce propulsion, steering and stabilisation equipment on each ship will include: two Bergen B32 diesel engines, two Kamewa Ulstein propeller plants, an Ulstein Aquamaster thruster, Tenfjord steering gear, an Ulstein rudder, Rauma Brattvaag deck machinery, Ulstein automation system and switchboards and Intering anti-roll stabilisation.  
 
More than 50 Rolls-Royce designed vessels are in commercial service in India and about 60 operators have a total of 300 ships with Rolls-Royce equipment on board. The Indian Navy has also ordered a Syncrolift shiplift for the naval base at Karwar. The company also has more than 1,000 aero engines in service in India.  
 
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[JLRC]

Raytheon Begins Full Rate Production of MK 54 Torpedoes  
 
 
(Source: Raytheon Company; issued Oct. 26, 2004)
 
 
 TEWKSBURY, Mass. --- Raytheon Company has begun full rate production of the MK54 torpedo, the U.S. Navy’s next generation lightweight torpedo. This significant milestone follows a series of successful technical and operational evaluations and the U.S. Navy’s authorization of initial operational capability for introduction to the fleet.  
 
Co-developed by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems and the U.S. Navy, the MK54 is the next generation anti-submarine warfare weapon deployed from surface ships, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to track, classify, and attack underwater targets. Sophisticated processing algorithms allow the MK54 to analyze the information, edit out false targets or countermeasures, and pursue identified threats. The MK54 is designed for both deep water and littoral environments, making it the only lightweight torpedo capable of striking any target in the world’s oceans, regardless of water depth.  
 
“The MK54 is the most thoroughly tested torpedo in the world. During the recently concluded operational testing, the MK 54 met or exceeded all design specifications and significantly surpassed baseline performance requirements,” said Rear Admiral John D. Butler, U.S. Navy, program executive officer --Submarines. “With the MK 54 lightweight torpedo now reaching the fleet, threat submarines truly have no place to hide.”  
 
Raytheon is the U.S. Navy’s provider of light and heavyweight torpedoes. The Navy chose Raytheon as the prime production supplier based on the company’s proven performance on existing torpedo contracts and demonstrated ability to work synergistically with the Navy torpedo enterprise to produce these hardware assets most efficiently and cost effectively.  
 
Under the consolidated procurement contract for fiscal year 2004, Raytheon will deliver 51 MK54 lightweight torpedoes and associated whole-life support services. The five-year contract value, including exercised options, is expected to exceed $500 million.  
 
Work will be performed at Raytheon’s Torpedo and Readiness Center, co-located on the U.S. Navy base in Keyport, Wash., and at the Naval Integration Center in Portsmouth, R.I.  
 
Based in Tewksbury, Mass., Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) is Raytheon’s leader in mission systems integration. With a strong international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. armed forces and U.S. Missile Defense Agency, IDS provides integrated capability solutions to the air, surface, and subsurface battlespace.  
 
Raytheon Company, with 2003 sales of $18.1 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 78,000 people worldwide.  
 
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