Submarine Systems News

EllaLink, a planned submarine cable linking Brazil and Portugal, announced that Alcatel Submarine Networks has finalized the Cable Route Study and mobilized the marine survey vessel for the EllaLink submarine cable system.The survey will be performed over the coming months and permit acquisition continues in line with EllaLink’s plans to be Ready for Service by the end of 2020.EllaLink is a 4 fiber pair submarine cable system designed to satisfy the growing demand for traffic between Europe and Latin America. The low latency EllaLink route avoids the congestion of the North Atlantic by offering the first ever direct fiber pair between…

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has initiated a plan to upgrade navigation system hardware on a range of surface vessels and submarines.The supplier OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) said it has signed a deal with RCN to design, build, test, certify and deliver MIL-SPEC navigation system hardware upgrades to replace legacy systems that were originally provided by the company, some dating back to 2001. OSI will also provide spares and training support.The fleetwide upgrade includes 44 surface ship and five submarine systems.

Michael Ozegowski,52, has been appointed the new Speaker of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Elektronik GmbH with effect of May 1st, 2018. He succeeds Dr. Jens Bodo Koch who is to become CEO of Heckler & Koch Group. Ozegowski started his professional career in 1999. In the following 19 years, Ozegowski held various senior management positions, e.g. as Head of Product Management for submarine sonars and systems or as Head of Central Procurement. Since 2013, he has been the Executive Director of the business field Submarine Systems.

The Navy awarded a $5.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat for Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) of the Columbia Class submarine Sept. 21. The IPPD contract award is for the design, completion, component and technology development and prototyping efforts for the Columbia Class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs). This work will also include United Kingdom unique efforts related to the common missile compartment. "The Columbia class submarine is the most important acquisition program the Navy has today," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. The contract award follows a successful Milestone B (MS B) approval Jan. 4 2017. MS B formally initiated the Columbia Program entry into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase.

Northrop Grumman's Voyage Management System approved for use on U.S. The U.S. Navy has approved the use of Northrop Grumman Corporation's Voyage Management System (VMS), version 9.3, onboard SSN and SSGN nuclear powered submarines. The VMS software package will be installed on 55 SSNs and four SSGNs operating globally from all U.S. Navy submarine homeports. Installations have already begun and will be completed by the end of 2016. Version 9.3 which supports polar operations has significantly increased rendering speeds, integrates seamlessly with combat radar and mission planning submarine systems and allows for real-time checking of installed charts.

France Telecom-Orange announce abandonment of its cable ship 'Chamarel' off the coast of Namibia. A fire broke out on the cableship Chamarel while returning from a repair operation on the Sat3-Safe cable off the coast of Namibia in the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the crew's efforts to control the fire, the decision was made to abandon the ship and all 56 crew members were safely recovered by a Namibian fishing vessel without injury or incident. They are currently located at the Namibian port, Walvis Bay and will be repatriated in the coming days.

Volker Paltzo has been appointed to the Management Board of Atlas Elektronik. Effective October 1, Paltzo will succeed Kai Horten, who leaves after five years as Managing Director of ATLAS to become CEO and President of the aircraft manufacturing supplier Premium Aerotec GmbH. Dieter Rottsieper will remain Speaker of the Management Board. At present, Paltzo (46) is the COO of Eurofighter GmbH. Once he joins Atlas Elektronik, he will be responsible for Submarine Systems, Naval Weapons, Vessel Systems, Business Development and Marketing, as well as Services and Communications.

Program Executive Office (PEO) Submarines received the 2009 Defense Enterprise Architecture Achievement Award(DEAA) June 4 during the Department of Defense's (DoD) Enterprise Architecture Conference in St. Louis, Mo. PEO Submarines was recognized for its submarine warfare federated tactical systems (SWFTS) efforts. First awarded in 2008, the DEAA is given annually by the DoD in conjunction with the Association for Enterprise Information (AFEI) to one government and one industry individual and organization for excellence and innovation in developing and deploying enterprise architecture. The award also recognizes achievements which have profound effects on the improvement of operational performance and advancing information sharing capabilities in significant ways.

Kollmorgen Corp., (d.b.a. Kollmorgen Electro Optical, a Danaher Company), Northampton, Mass. is being awarded a $7,591,258 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity cost plus fixed fee contract for engineering services in support of reusable shipping containers, Special Support & Test Equipment (SS&TE), and the repair, overhaul, and restoration of the Type 2,8,14,15,18, and 22 periscope systems, Improved Non-Penetrating Periscopes (INPP), Naval Electronic Surveillance System Infrared Exploitation(NESSIE) and NESSIE GEN II Submarine Systems, along with new technology periscope imaging systems used on Los Angeles, Seawolf, and NSSN class submarines. Work will be performed in Northampton, Mass., and is expected to be completed by December 2013.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Kevin S. The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), Donald C. Winter, came aboard USS Virginia (SSN 774) and spent the day touring the ship and meeting the crew. This was Winter's first underway visit aboard a Virginia-class submarine. Winter's message to the ship's Sailors was one of thanks for their commitment and contribution to the nation's defense during his day-long visit. "First, I would like to thank all of you for your diligence and hard work. This is always a treat for me to come and visit the Sailors in the fleet," Winter said. Winter also awarded and pinned two Sailors for achieving their submarine warfare qualification.

The Ohio class guided missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729) rests pierside at Naval Station Norfolk. Georgia made a brief stop at NS Norfolk while conducting sea trials after leaving Norfolk Naval Shipyards November 29, 2007, following the ship's conversion from a ballistic missile to a guided missile submarine. Georgia is the last of four submarines to be converted to SSGN. U.S. submarines (SSGN), successfully completed sea trials Dec. 11. rejoined the fleet yesterday. (SSBNs). full set of sea trials," said SSGN Program Manager Capt. Mark Bock.

Global Marine Systems Limited (Global Marine), a subsidiary of Global Crossing Inc, and a provider of subsea engineering solutions, has been sold to Bridgehouse Marine Ltd. Bridgehouse Marine is a specialised business that acquires and manages companies providing marine services to the telecommunications and energy industries. Andy Ruhan, Bridgehouse Capital's Managing Director and an investor in Bridgehouse Marine, will become the Chairman of Global Marine. Peter Ford will take over as acting CEO, and both appointments are made with immediate effect. Phil Metcalf, Global Marine's outgoing CEO, said: "The investment represents a great deal both for Global Marine and Global Crossing.

The President is proposing a much needed, and long overdue increase of $49 billion in his fiscal year 2003 budget for National Defense. What is astonishing is that this larger budget proposes slashing the Navy's shipbuilding procurement account below that recommended by the previous Administration. Why is this astonishing? If it were not for ships of the Navy and Marine Corps, the U.S. would not have been able to defend America from additional attacks from the air and sea, or retaliate in Afghanistan after the September 11 attack on New York and Washington, D.C. Long before the terrorist attacks, the commanders-in-chief (CINCs) of the…

Keppel Hitachi Zosen has clinched a contract to build two cable laying and repair vessels for a total contract value of more than $74.6 million from C. S. Tycom Reliance, Inc., a subsidiary of Tyco Submarine Systems Ltd. The construction of the cable laying and repair ships will be performed by Hitachi Zosen Singapore, a division of Keppel Hitachi Zosen. Work on the two newbuildings has commenced, with the first vessel scheduled for delivery in the third quarter, and the second vessel in the fourth quarter of 2001. The cable laying and repair vessels, each 7,8000-dwt, are twinscrew, diesel electric-driven and dynamically positioned ships. Measuring 459 ft. (140 m), a breadth of 69 ft. (21 m), with a designed load draft of 25 ft. (7.8 m), the vessels have a speed of 13.9 knots.

Shipyards around the world are facing increasingly stringent environmental rules and regulations, adding additional expense to a business sector with an already reputed thin bottom line. Nonetheless, to stay in business shipyards must continuously enhance their capabilities and compliance, in order to successfully woo and complete lucrative jobs. U.S. shipyards have aggressively been augmenting traditional repair expertise with the tools and systems needed to prosper in 2000 and far beyond. The ensuing editorial updates significant activities and enhancements at U.S. ship repair yards. Detyens Shipyards based in North Charleston, S.C., is continuing its upbeat course of developing trusted relationships with customers along the U.S. East Coast — specifically with Hvide Marine, Inc.

Sonsub's newest cable burial and maintenance system, SEDNA, has successfully completed system tests and sea trials off the Louisiana coast at depths exceeding 9,900 ft. The system has been delivered to the CRABSS - Craft for Repair and Burial of Submarine Systems - Maintenance Authorities in Portland, Ore., where it will be on 24-hour callout service to perform cable survey, cable repairs, deburial/burial and maintenance for a period of six years. In-house designed and manufactured, the 500 shp free flying trenching system was built on INNOVATOR technology with ease of maintenance and high system reliability in mind. The ROV Trenching System is capable of constant operations in six knots of current and trenching at speeds of 800 m/hr. in soils with shear strength of up to 80kPa.

Two business units of General Dynamics - Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works - have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (CDNSWC). The MOA calls for the three organizations to explore more effective and affordable methods of research, development, testing and evaluation of surface and undersea systems. Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works are major suppliers of submarines and surface combatants for the U.S. Navy. Carderock Division is the Navy's principal maritime research center for surface ship and submarine systems.