Integrated Unit News

Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) provided assistance to 25 mariners in the early hours of March 19, after receiving a distress call from a civilian ship taking on water. Lake Erie deployed a rescue and assistance team aboard its rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), and after embarking the distressed vessel, the eight-member team began dewatering the ship and searching for the source of the flooding. "After making sure everyone was alright, we noticed water was coming in at about 1,200 gallons a minute," said Lt. Ruben Maldonado, Lake Erie's damage control assistant, of Junction City, Kansas. The team found two cracks in the hull of the wooden vessel and used wooden shoring to reduce the flow of water.

Drydocks World informs it has completed a refurbishment project on the National Drilling Company’s (NDC) offshore drilling Rig Beynouna. Drydocks World’s rig services and offshore project management methodology turned around the major repair on Rig Beynouna ahead of schedule in 28 days. Drydocks World has previously completed numerous projects for NDC, progressively increasing its strategic alliance over the years. For Rig Beynouna Drydocks World carried out drydocking, hull treatment, crane repairs, HP piping, SW lines cleaning, accommodation repairs and treatment works.

Trojan Marinex today announced that Laurin Maritime has selected the Trojan Marinex Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) system for its 11-vessel tanker fleet. “Laurin Maritime and Trojan Marinex is an outstanding partnership,” said Dr. Christian Williamson, vice president, Trojan Technologies. “Our vessels sail in waters in the United States, and we are convinced that the Trojan Marinex system offers Laurin Maritime the ability to meet emerging regulatory requirements, especially requirements for U.S. Coast Guard Type approval,” explained Capt.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar unveiled an Action Plan to improve Maritime Safety and Marine Emergency Response Services, including an overhaul of operations within the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The Action Plan will set up a new, over-arching maritime safety section inside the Department - the Irish Maritime Administration - which will bring together the Irish Coast Guard and the Marine Survey Office. Speaking after Cabinet approved the Action Plan…

FLAGSHIP, the pan-European maritime transport project part funded by the EU, has improved Integrated Bridge Systems with advanced functions for further integration of nautical information. Called FLAGSHIP-Bridge Support these functions provide the officer of the watch with improved navigation information. They integrate NAVTEX messages, radar and AIS targets into a single coherent display, speeding up hazard analysis, improving tracking accuracy and reducing the load on the Duty Officer.

Lockheed Martin announced today that Japan has purchased a seventh lot of Vertical Launch Antisubmarine (VLA) rockets valued at $59.8 million. Lockheed Martin will deliver the VLAs to Mitsubishi Corporation, Tokyo, in 2005 for transfer to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force for use on Kongo- and Murasame-class ships. "The consecutive contracts awarded to us by Mitsubishi signify the important defense capability that VLAs provide the Japanese Maritime Self- Defense Force," said Al Barber, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems & Sensors business in Akron, OH. "Since 1997, we have been entrusted with providing a key system in Japan's antisubmarine warfare arsenal.

Young Brothers, Ltd.'s tug, the Hoku Ke'a, has returned to service after being fitted with Nautican Research and Development Ltd.'s new Integrated Nozzle and Rudder Units at Foss Shipyards in Seattle. Mark Houghton, Vice-President, Maritime Operations, of Hawaiian Tug & Barge, Young Brothers reports that on the return trip to Hawaii, "the Hoku Ke'a was able to run at reduced r.p.m. and still averaged between 9.5 and 10 knots for the Pacific transit, towing a 340 x 78 ft. barge." This is the first installation of the Nautican Integrated Units on an ocean-going tug. Prior to the conversion, the Hoku Ke'a was fitted with conventional open propellers and rudders. The 108 x 34 ft., 3,900 hp tug's bollard pull went from 88,853 lbs with open propellers to 132,810 lbs with the Nautican Nozzles.

For the maritime industry, the advent of the personal computer and related control systems has been a boon. Bridge, propulsion and a host of other onboard controls, formerly a hodgepodge of nonstandard analog and digital systems, now are beginning to benefit from the compactness and standardization of the PC and related control architectures. "Open" systems (PC industry terminology for a variety of compatibility standards) and the familiar Windows user interface makes PC-based systems relatively easy to integrate, install, maintain and use. From bridge and deck stations to the engine room and the hold, the PC is here to stay. But between the familiar "pizza box" or "tower" design of commercial PCs and the rugged models that can stand up to the rigors of onboard operation lies a wide gulf.

Leica Geosystems has added a new product to its line - a "smart" DGPS antenna - providing accurate position and velocity inputs to a laptop, or other system. A single integrated unit, apMK31 is comprised of a 12-channel GPS receiver and two-channel beacon DGPS receiver - all sealed in low profile weatherproof fiberglass radome. Automatically receiving signals from GPS satellites and differential error correction data from marine radiobeacon broadcasts, apMK31 calculates the vessel's position within 3- 10 ft. (1-3 m) and outputs data once per second in the standard NMEA-0183 format.