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14 MTR July/August 2005 Northrop Grumman, The Mariners' Museum, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Navy have teamed to construct a full-scale replica of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor. The replica will be the cen- terpiece of the $30 million USS Monitor Center at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Va. More than 100 employ- ees of Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector will build the replica in 22 steel sec- tions inside the shipyard's steel production facility from Navy-donated materials. Construction of the ship's hull is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2005. The sec- tor's Apprentice School recently completed the first section, the keel unit. Weighing approximately 18 tons and about the size of a rail car, the keel unit was transported to the USS Monitor Center earlier this years for a public keel-laying ceremony. "We are proud to be a part of this special project and to have the opportunity to rebuild a piece of history that our employ- ees, their families and the entire Hampton Roads community can visit and learn about for many years to come," said Mike Petters, president, Northrop Grumman Newport News. Nancy Petters, Petters' wife, served as keel authenticator for the ceremony by chalking her initials onto a metal plate. Her initials will then be welded onto the plate and permanently affixed to the Monitor replica. Since 2000, Northrop Grumman Newport News employees have volunteered their help and expertise to the Monitor recovery project by off-loading artifacts at shipyard piers and docks, constructing con- servation tanks at The Mariners' Museum and performing topographical ultrasonic inspections and X-rays of the recovered items. The sector also made a $250,000 contribution to the USS Monitor Center Capital Campaign in 2004. The first AUV Users' Conference spon- sored by C&C Technologies attracted worldwide participants from the oil & gas industry, as well as government agencies. Held April 12 - 14, 2005 at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Mo., it was intended as an opportunity for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) manufacturers, integrators, and customers to explore opportunities for the advancement of AUV technology. The forum included technical papers and panel discussions interspersed with social activities that promoted an exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences between a diverse group of AUV advocates. Presentation top- ics included advances in AUV sensor tech- nology, seismic data collection with an AUV, military applications for AUVs, HSE risk assessment, and the use of AUV data for exploration. Capabilities and sensor per- formance parameters of C & C's new C- Surveyor II AUV were also presented. USS Monitor Replica Under Construction Northrop Grumman Newport News employ- ee Josh Cantrell welds the keel section of the USS Monitor replica in preparation for a Mar. 6 keel laying ceremony. news C&C Hosts AUV Users' Conference MTR#1 (1-16).qxd 7/19/2005 9:32 AM Page 16
