THE UNDERSEA

Undersea Surveillance Aligned Under Naval Oceanography

Commander Undersea Surveillance (CUS), head of the Navy’s Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS), was elevated to an echelon IV command Feb. 28 to serve under the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The move united the Navy’s Undersea Surveillance Command with the Navy’s oceanography community. It culminated several months of discussion and study, continuing the reorganization of NMOC efforts to focus the Navy oceanography community’s activities on the needs of its warfighting customers. NMOC is an Echelon III command under the lead of Fleet Forces Command. CUS, headquartered in Dam Neck, Va., previously was a command serving under the Naval Submarine Force. “We believe this is a natural partnership, and we are delighted that the Navy agrees,” said Rear Adm. Timothy McGee, NMOC Commander. “CUS uses and monitors sensors in the Navy’s ASW (anti-submarine warfare) effort, and the oceanography community analyzes and predicts acoustic ranges for the Navy’s ASW effort.” “We too agree that this partnership under the umbrella of NMOC is a good fit and will benefit both communities,” said Capt. David Kern, who commands the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System. “NMOC is the Navy’s recognized leader in multidimensional battlespace awareness and we are very pleased to be part of it

Air-independent Underwater System Demonstration

ONR selects Hamilton Sundstrand for demonstration of energy-dense PEMFC based air-independent propulsion system. UTC Aerospace Systems' legacy Hamilton Sundstrand business was recently awarded a contract by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) to demonstrate an energy-dense air independent power system for an undersea vehicle as part of ONR's Long-Endurance Undersea Vehicle Propulsion (LEUVP) Program. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp.

Subcom Successfully Demonstrates New 4-Port Branching Unit

New Technology Enables Multilayered Subsea Telecommunications Networks   MORRISTOWN, NJ, USA – May 2, 2011 –TE SubCom (SubCom), an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, today announced it has successfully completed testing of its new 4-port branching unit, making it the first undersea communications supplier to offer the solution and paving the way for the deployment of multilayered undersea telecommunication networks.

China Shipbuilders Ready to Foray into Offshore Engineering

Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Co Ltd began building CNOOC 201, a deepwater pipe laying and lifting vessel for China National Offshore Oil Corporation in Rugao Port of Nantong City in Jiangsu Province on September 16th 2008. CNOOC Engineering plans to input CNY 15 billion(USD2bn) in construction of a series of deepwater equipment including deep sea drilling vessels, ready to focus on deepwater prospecting, since most of the country's newly discovered oilfields are deep undersea.

Pacific Tugboat Service Awarded Contract

Pacific Tugboat Service, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $8,052,763 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for maintenance, upkeep and repair of government owned vessels. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funding in the amount of $50,000, will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured and advertised

SEA Wins $5.4m Contract

Systems Engineering Associates Corp. (SEA CORP) has won a $5.4m contract to help replace traditional periscopes on Navy submarines with electro-optical technology. The contract calls for SEA CORP to provide support for Photonics Imaging Systems programs at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport. The work will include program management, administrative support, engineering analysis, problem reporting and correction and integrated logistics support for systems using

Making Noise

While shipboard noise is an obvious concern to personnel operating or luxuriating onboard, increasing attention is being paid to the effects of ship-generated noise on the ocean environment. Consequently, this should catch the attention of ship designers, builders, owners and outfitters as the topic inevitably starts making the conference and legislative rounds. Headlining efforts in the U.S. is the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

New Navy Contracts

Lockheed Martin MS2 Division, Syracuse, N.Y., is being awarded a $25,795,680 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-5201) to exercise an option for upgrade kits for the Navy's AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Undersea Warfare System. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is a surface ship combat system with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts; and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects, and torpedo threats

Navy to Base First Four LCS in San Diego

The Navy announced today that the first four Littoral Combat Ships LCS) will be homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif. Key in the success of implementing these new concepts is the ability to collocate these ships to achieve readiness alignment and economy of scale. This collocation is especially important for the first ships in the class as waterfront facilities, infrastructure, training and maintenance

Calypso LNG Deepwater Port Application Deemed Complete By Coast Guard

Suez Energy North America's subsidiary, Calypso LNG, LLC has received a letter from the United States Coast Guard deeming complete Calypso's application for a Deepwater Port License. A Notice of Application will be published in the Federal Register which will start a statutory review period for approval of a license to build and operate Calypso's proposed offshore liquefied natural gas facility. On March 1, 2006, Calypso filed a Deepwater Port License Application with the U.S