Northrop Grumman Corporation's Sperry Marine business unit has been selected to supply the Machinery Control System (MCS) for LHA 6, the first of a new generation of large-deck amphibious assault ships for the U.S. Navy.

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding awarded Sperry Marine a contract valued at approximately $47.6 million. LHA 6 is being built at the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facility in Pascagoula, Miss. The MCS for LHA 6 will be a completely integrated network for monitoring and controlling the ship's main propulsion plant and

auxiliary systems. The network will include more than 50 data acquisition units at strategic locations around the ship, as well as 25 operating consoles, 10 electric plant and propulsion plant controllers, and multiple redundant local-area network switches. It is based on a similar system being supplied by Sperry Marine for Makin Island (LHD 8), which has the same gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and electric auxiliary systems.

The contract work includes hardware, software, design, engineering, logistics, training, testing and shipboard integration support. It also includes an option for continuing logistics support of the MCS and its land-based test facility through the end of the LHA 6

ship guaranty period. The work will be performed at Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine facility in Charlottesville, Va., and at the company's Pascagoula shipyard.

"This is one of the largest U.S. Navy programs to be awarded to Sperry Marine," said J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of Sperry Marine. "We have built a successful relationship with the Navy's MCS program management team through our work on LHD 8, and we look forward to enhancing our support for the LHA 6 MCS program."