August 2005 17
Rickmers-Linie Orders
Four Ships
Rickmers-Linie, the Hamburg based
global breakbulk, heavy lift and project
specialist, has ordered four 24,000-ton,
175 x 26.5 m multipurpose heavy lift
vessels from the SADRA Shipyard in
Busheher. They are scheduled for deliv-
ery between July 2007 and July 2008.
The newbuildings have been purpose-
designed to carry breakbulk, heavy lift
and project cargo.
Once delivered, the new vessels will
be deployed in Rickmers-Linie's project
and heavy lift liner service between the
US/Europe and the Middle East/India.
Tidewater to Sell Six
KMAR 404 Vessels
Tidewater intends to sell six of its
KMAR 404 class of Anchor Handling
Towing Supply vessels to Deep Sea
Supply ASA for a total cash price of
$188 million. The transaction will result
in an approximate $112 million taxable
gain, but no cash taxes will be due
because of the availability of net operat-
ing loss carryforwards.
Multraship buys Bulgarian
Towage Company
Multraship Towage & Salvage pur-
chased Bulgarian towage and salvage
operator Bourgas Tug Services. BTS
provides harbor towage, local salvage
and line handling services in and around
the Bulgarian port of Bourgas. It has a
fleet of four tugboats ranging from
1,500 - 4,300 bhp and 50 employees.
Multraship is a leading independent
Dutch towage and salvage company. It
operates and manages a fleet of 26 tugs,
salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and
other craft.
DD(X) Ready for Detail
Design and Production
The DD(X) National Team, led by
Northrop Grumman Corporation and
Raytheon Company, in partnership with
General Dynamics, BAE Systems and
Lockheed Martin, has completed the ini-
tial 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 ready to enter
detail design.
Conducted June 28 and 29, the initial
critical design review was a DD(X)
Phase III program event that addressed
the total system's design maturity and
overall progress made to date on DD(X)
engineering-development models.
Representing the full spectrum of
advanced technologies to be integrated
into the ship, the engineering develop-
ment models are elements of the Navy's
risk-reduction strategy for the Flight 1
ship design.
"The critical design review addressed
an unprecedented level of total-system
physical and function design, including
ship, shore and mission systems," said
Navy Cmdr. Jim Syring, PMS 500
DD(X) technical director.
The DD(X) engineering-development
models comprise hardware and software
components, which have already been
built, tested and reviewed by the
National Team and the Navy. Examples
include the integrated deckhouse and
apertures, total ship computing environ-
ment, dual-band radar system, integrat-
ed under-sea warfare system, MK 57
advanced, vertical launching system,
automated gun system and wave-pierc-
ing tumblehome hull.
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