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14 MTR October 2010 news U-Boat Worx Unveils Deep Sea Sub at Yacht Show Visitors to the Monaco Yacht Show had the opportunity to explore the new C-Explorer deep-sea submarine. This C-Explorer 2 can accommodate a trained pilot and one passenger, and was designed for a maxi- mum depth of 1,000 m. It comes equipped with modern lithium-ion batteries which allow it to remain submerged for up to 12 hours at a time. Its powerful air-conditioning sys- tem, iPod stereo installation and cham- pagne cooler are indicative of the luxuri- ous surroundings from where the underwater world can be observed. “Of course, submersibles have been around for years and come in all shapes and sizes, but these user-friendly pri- vate subs make the still undiscovered underwater world so much more accessi- ble,” said Bert Houtman, Director of U-Boat Worx. The submersibles are not only used for private purposes, but are also for oceanographic research and underwa- ter photography, among other things. www.uboatworx.nl Northrop Grumman Corporation hosted a tour and christening briefing for Mrs. Donna Willard, the sponsor of California (SSN 781) on Sept. 22. During the visit, she met with ship's crew, California shipbuilders and toured the christening site. Mrs. Willard is the wife of Adm. Robert F. Willard, the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. "This was a very exciting day for me," said Willard. "To be able to spend time with the crew of California and see a completed sub- marine ready to be put in the water was very special. The enthusiasm of the crew should make all of us as Americans very proud. I am very honored to be the sponsor of California and look forward to the christening." "California is 86 percent complete and approaching the construction milestone of launch this fall," said Bob Bolden, construc- tion director at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News. "Launching the ship signifies the boat is ready to go in the water and begin a series of waterborne tests. During this time, the ship's systems and compartments are transitioning over to Ship's Force in support of sea trials next year." California, the eighth ship of the Virginia class, is named after the "Golden State." It is being constructed at the compa- ny's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va. The ship's keel was laid in May 2009. Once delivered to the Navy in 2011, California will be the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, providing undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. US Navy SSN781 Sponsor Visits Sub Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding hosted a tour and christening briefing for Mrs. Donna Willard, the sponsor of California (SSN 781) on Sept. 22. During the visit she met with ship's crew, California shipbuilders and toured the christening site. (Photo by Chris Oxley)
