Ship Computing Environment News

Following the drawdown at the end of the Cold War, the Navy finds itself trying to build up again. The expansion of Russian and Chinese naval power has changed the calculus. While there will always be a debate about the final number of ships to build, we can all agree on one thing: the Navy must get bigger and the demand signal is to start building now,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, in testimony before Congress regarding the sea service’s 2019 budget request.

VISBY, ZUMWALT, INDEPENDENCE, FREEDOM, TORNIO, SAN ANTONIO, INCHEON, SIGMA, FREMM ... ... these ships are not only capable, tested and proven warships, they are extremely complex. ZUMWALT alone carries 16 Electronic Module Enclosures that contain 235 electronics cabinets each supporting a complex Total Ship Computing Environment. “Warships represent a significant investment for any country. It follows that, regardless of whether they are being used to defend national boundaries or project power…

Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the composite deckhouse for the destroyer Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) to the U.S. Navy. The 900-ton deckhouse provides an advanced structure that will house the ship's bridge, radars, antennae and intake/exhaust systems and is designed to provide a significantly smaller radar cross-section than any other ship in today's fleet. "This is a very unique structure for a very unique ship," said Kevin Amis, program director, DDG 1000 Program.

Ship construction programs move ahead, but it’s not smooth sailing. Navies and Coast Guards everywhere face budgetary pressure, even in the U.S. which has the largest Navy in the world. The balance between desire for capacity and capability and pressure for affordability has never been more acute with the precarious budgetary issues presented by declining defense budgets, sequestration, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns. Even so, there are ongoing major construction efforts to include large nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines…

The numerous cutters and craft of the U.S. Coast Guard —from the sail training ship Eagle to the large oceangoing patrol ships; from polar icebrakers to small utility boats — form a formidable fleet to meet the many challenging assignments undertaken by the service. In 2014 the Coast Guard continues its recapitalization program with its National Security Cutter (NSC), Fast Response Cutter (FPC) and Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). The service plans to procure 91 cutters (8 NSCs, 25 OPCs and 58 FRCs) to replace are 90 aging cutters and patrol boats. According to a Feb.

It is the newest and most transformational warship ever built, and yet it has also had the longest gestation period. Whether you call it new or old, you have to call it different. The pedigree for DDG 1000 is not from the Spruance or Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, but rather it comes from the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) concept from 1994. Like DDG 1000, SC-21 was not about anti-air warfare. It was all about strike. SC-21, along with the Maritime Fire Support Demonstrator (MFSD) “arsenal ship” concept…

It is the newest and most transformational warship ever built, and yet it has also had the longest gestation period. Whether you call it new or old, you have to call it different. The pedigree for DDG 1000 is not from the Spruance or Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, but rather it comes from the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) concept from 1994. Like DDG 1000, SC-21 was not about anti-air warfare. It was all about strike. SC-21, along with the Maritime Fire Support Demonstrator (MFSD) “arsenal ship” concept…

Raytheon Company deliver more than 6-million lines of software to the U.S. Navy for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program. Part of the Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) -- the integrated mission system for the DDG 1000 class -- the software delivery supports ship activation and combat system testing, set to commence this year. The magnitude of this software development program is recognized as one of the most complex in the history of the U.S. Navy. TSCE continues to achieve all critical readiness milestones on schedule…

Raytheon awarded US Navy contract to extend open architecture combat system deployment and fleet support. Raytheon Company has been awarded a $22.5 million U.S. Navy contract for the Ship Self-Defense System. With this award, Raytheon will continue system development, test and integration, as well as Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA) services and support for fleet-deployed systems. SSDS is an open, distributed combat management system in service on carriers and amphibious ships, including CVN, LSD dock landing ship, LPD, LHA and LHD classes. The LHA variant is nearing initial deployment, a technical refresh of the LSD-class is almost complete, and system development is underway for the new CVN 78-class of aircraft carriers.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding delivers the 900-ton deckhouse structure to house the ship's bridge, radars, antennas & intake/exhaust systems. The deckhouse is designed to provide a significantly smaller radar cross-section than any other ship in today's fleet. Ingalls is building the composite deckhouse and hangar for the DDG 1000 class at the company's Composite Center of Excellence in Gulfport. Made almost exclusively using cored composite construction processes, the deckhouse and hangar take full advantage of the properties of carbon fiber materials and balsa wood cores.

The U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a $38.9m modification to a previously awarded contract to perform class and engineering services associated with the detail design and construction of DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class ships. Bath Iron Works will continue to provide manufacturing support services such as engineering, design, production control, accuracy control and information technology. Other class-support efforts include program management, contract and financial management, procurement and configuration/data management. The original contract was awarded in September 2011. Work is expected to be completed by October 2013.

On November 17, 2011, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works celebrated the keel laying of Zumwalt (DDG 1000), the first ship in the planned three-ship Zumwalt class of guided-missile destroyers. The keel unit is the 4,000-ton, heavily outfitted mid-forebody section of the ship, which was moved from the shipyard’s Ultra Hall construction facility onto the building ways in late October. The ship is named for ADM Elmo Zumwalt (1920-2000), regarded as the father of the modern Navy. He…

On Saturday, October 22, the shipbuilders of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), completed the largest and most complex ship module movement ever executed at the shipyard. The mid-forebody section of Zumwalt, the lead ship of the DDG-1000 class of guided missile destroyers, was transported 900 feet from its assembly position inside the shipyard’s Ultra Hall construction facility to the largest of the company’s three shipbuilding ways. The heavily outfitted module is about 180 feet long, over 60 feet high and weighs more than 4,000 tons.

The U. S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), a $1.8 billion contract for the construction of DDG 1001 and DDG 1002, the next two ships in the Zumwalt-class program. DDG 1001 is scheduled to be delivered in December 2015 and DDG 1002 is scheduled to be delivered in February 2018. "This contract enables us to maintain a strong base of quality shipbuilding jobs in Maine and continue our contributions to sustaining the U.S. Navy fleet," said Jeff Geiger, president of Bath Iron Works.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Shipbuilding sector launched the company's newest amphibious transport dock ship Arlington (LPD 24) on Nov. 23. LPD 24 is the eighth ship of the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) class of ships being built at the Gulf Coast facilities. "This is a top-quality warship and our shipbuilding team has done an outstanding job of meeting their commitments to one of the most important milestones in the life of any ship," said Doug Lounsberry, LPD 17 program manager, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $27,828,683 not-to-exceed modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) for common display system (CDS) hardware and software integration with the Integrated Bridge Console and Distributed Control Workstation hardware in support of shipyard hull mechanical and electrical activation. The purpose of this modification is to incorporate the CDS hardware and software integration related changes in support of DDG 1000 program ship activation activities in the 2011 timeframe. These integration efforts represent changes to the current requirements of total ship computing environment software development.

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) achieved another in a series of milestones for the Zumwalt-class destroyer program with the successful Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) Release 6 software specifications review. Zumwalt’s TSCE is an advanced, open systems architecture that provides a scalable platform for cost-efficient delivery of new mission capability while capitalizing on the reuse of millions of lines of code from existing Navy programs. The system delivers a new level of Mission Systems Integration and automation. As such, it is a primary driver for the 60 percent reduction in manning for the Zumwalt-class destroyer versus the requirement for today’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury , Mass., is being awarded an $8,976,435 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) for the non-recurring engineering effort to update selected Zumwalt Class Destroyer Mission Systems Equipment for initial integration efforts at Wallops Island, Va., and follow-on installation on board Navy's Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) to mitigate production and integration risk and conduct at sea testing in support of the Zumwalt TEMP (test and evaluation master plan). The SDTS test will include the first missile firing with this advanced Mission System from a remote controlled shipagainst the most stressing targets available.

The U.S. Navy's revolutionary DD(X) destroyer program passed two critical milestones in the past month with the successful completion of Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs) by the U.S. Navy on two of the ship's subsystems: the Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) and the MK 57 Vertical Launching System (VLS). Under a three-year $1.3 billion contract, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems serves as the weapon and electronic systems integrator for DD(X) -- the next-generation destroyer for the U.S. Navy that will revolutionize naval technology for the 21st century. As part of this effort, Raytheon is completing design work on eight major subsystems, including the TSCE and the MK 57 VLS.

partnership with General Dynamics, BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, has completed the initial critical design review for the overall system design for the DD(X) multi-mission destroyer. The event demonstrated that the program is ready for the Flag level review in September and that the DD(X) Flight 1 system design is complete, stable and mature enough to enter detail design. "Absolutely magnificent," said U .S. Navy Capt. Chuck Goddard, PMS 500 DD(X) program manager. "The hard work and dedication of the DD(X) National Team and Navy program office to further mature the design and technologies since successfully carrying out the preliminary design review over a year ago should be applauded," said Brian Cuccias, Northrop Grumman vice president and DD(X) program manager.

Raytheon Systems Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a not to exceed $994,300,000 cost-type modification to previously awarded contract N00024-05-C-5346, for DDG 1000 and DDG 1001 mission system equipment (MSE) production and engineering support services. The MSE is being developed as part of the DDG 1000 ship systems detailed design and integration effort. The MSE includes the following: total ship's computing environment infrastructure; acoustic sensor suite element – including the bow array sensor suite; dual band radar; electro-optic/infrared sensor; ship control system; identification of friend or foe; common array power and cooling systems; electronic module enclosures; and Mark 57 vertical launcher system.

Northrop Grumman Corporation, leader of the DD(X) Gold Team, and Raytheon company said today that they were delighted by the decision of the General Accounting Office (GAO), which validates that an appropriate evaluation process was used when the U.S. Navy selected the Gold Team to complete the system design for the Navy's 21st century surface combatant, DD(X). "Now that this issue is behind us, we can move ahead on this transformational ship program, which is so critical to the Navy, the DoD and the nation," said Kent Kresa, Northrop Grumman chairman and chief executive officer. "We were confident in the Navy's selection process, and are grateful that the GAO so expeditiously acted in validating that the Gold Team's proposal provided the best value for the customer.

With resolution of the DD(X) bid protest, Northrop Grumman is on track to complete the DD(X) system design and associated engineering development models (EDM) by 2005. The scope and complexity of the design work, which includes development and integration of new hull and ship systems as well as advanced combat systems, is unprecedented for a U.S. Navy surface combatant. Northrop Grumman is responsible for the total ship system design, as well as development and testing of 11 EDMs. While the DD(X) system design work is proceeding, the EDMs will be built and tested in parallel for key systems such as the integrated power system (IPS), the advanced gun system (AGS) and an integrated radar suite.