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www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 13 Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition John J. Young, Jr., approved for produc- tion the AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) on Jul 1. RMS is one of several next-generation organic mine countermeasure systems being developed by the Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare (PEO LMW). "Under the leadership of Secretary Young, the Chief of Naval Operations, and in close partnership with the Fleet, the Naval Sea Systems Command Warfare Centers and our industry partners, we are now in a position to deliver real capability to the war fighters," said Rear Adm. William E. Landay, III, program executive officer for LMW. "The approval of RMS for production is another success story in our ongoing effort to claim ownership of the littoral. RMS and the other systems we are acquiring will help assure access for U.S. and joint forces. As the CNO has noted, our naval and military success depends upon access, speed and persist- ence." Recent at-sea system qualification testing, witnessed by Commander, Operational Test Force personnel demon- strated acceptable RMS performance to warrant the low-rate production decision. PEO LMW's Mine Warfare Program Office (PMS-495) is extremely pleased with the RMS's capability and demon- strated performance, according to Gary Humes, program manager. "During at-sea testing, the system met or exceeded all its critical performance parameters and demonstrated the ability to provide a sig- nificant operational advantage to our current minehunting capability," said Humes. Operating from DDG 51-class Flight IIA destroyers and the new Littoral Combat Ship, the RMS will provide con- tinuous, unmanned, over-the-horizon capability to determine the presence or absence of mines. The RMS uses a diesel powered semi-submersible vehicle, 23 ft.(7 m) long, 4 ft. (1.2 m) diameter, and weigh- Stena Drilling ordered a $600 million drillship at Samsung Shipyard in Korea, bringing its fleet to six. Of its current fleet of five semisubmersibles, two are active offshore Norway, one offshore Great Britain, one offshore Mauritania and, in the near future, one offshore Australia. Stena Drill Max will be dynamically positioned with six propellers and will have a total displacement of 105,822 tons. "Believing in a sustainable high oil price and demand for both oil and gas, we feel confident this vessel will find a profitable contract and productive employment on delivery," says Tom Welo, Managing Director of Stena Drilling in Aberdeen. Visit www.maritimeequipment.com/mt & Click No. 6 Stena Drilling Orders New Drillship Did You Know? Concerns are being expressed over the receding levels of water in Lake Victoria that could affect marine activities. Marine experts and trans- porters are describing the recent recession of water levels as abnor- mal and alarming. (Source: The East African Standard (Nairobi)) news Remote Minehunting System Approved for Production MTR#2 (1-16).qxd 8/30/2005 4:47 PM Page 15
