Undersea Surveillance Systems News

The UK defense ministry has acquired a subsea construction vessel that used to work in the offshore energy industry. The vessel, Topaz Tangaroa, will undergo a period of military modification and will be used to protect subsea cables and oil and gas pipelines.The Topaz Tangaora, to be renamed as it joins the Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet, is the first of two future undersea surveillance ships, and it arrived at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. Thursday.Once operational, the ship will be used to protect seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines. "The 98-meter-long, adaptable offshore patrol vessel – the length of Big Ben – will act as a ‘mother ship’…

MAR Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a maximum amount $30,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, Port Hueneme, for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the M/V Independence, including providing research, development, testing, and evaluation of undersea surveillance systems, load handling systems, acoustic array systems, cable system components, cable and system survivability studies, installation methods, test vessel support, and training range establishment and maintenance. Work will be performed in Port Hueneme, Calif. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of April 2015.

Friede Goldman Halter (FGH) held the christening ceremony of USNS Impeccable on November 1 at its Pascagoula, MS shipyard. The vessel's mission will involve the collection, processing and transmission of acoustic data in support of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance Systems (IUSS) mission requirements. Boasting a unique hull form, the 282-ft. (85.9 m) vessel will be operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) - utilizing both civilian and naval personnel. It is touted as the quietest vessel that the government operates, outside of submarines.