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Marinette Marine Wins $600m USCG Contract The U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Response Boat- Medium production contract valued at approximately $600 million to Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wis. Delivery of the first boat is expected in late 2007 and the Coast Guard expects to eventually purchase up to 180 boats over a period of up to eight years. The Response Boat-Medium will replace the aging fleet of 41-ft. utility boats and assorted non-standard boats. The new boats will have increased maneuver- ability, the ability to mount light machine guns, and be capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots (46 mph) with twin high output inboard diesel engines. A full cabin will provide crew protection from the elements and be equipped with a robust navigation system, heating and air conditioning, shock mitigating seats and a commu- nication system capable of communicating with other federal, state and local homeland security partners. Aker Yards to Build DSVs Aker Yards has entered into a contract with DOF ASA for the building of one Diving Support Vessel (DSV), and a contract with DOFCON and Technip for a second DSV. Aker Yards is to build a 106 m Diving Support Vessel for DOF, based on an Aker Yards design; Aker DSV06. The Vessel is scheduled for delivery from Aker Yards, Søviknes in the spring of 2007. The vessel will be equipped with a 150-ton crane and all equipment necessary to support both IRM and subsea construction projects in the most challenging environments of the North Sea. Aker Yards also will build and deliver a 502 ft. (153 m) Diving Support Vessel to a company owned by DOFCON and Technip, based on the Aker Yards design; Aker OSCV-06L DSV. The Vessel will be delivered from Aker Yards, Søviknes, and serve an eight-year Charter Contract with Technip. It will be equipped with a diving system, a 300-ton crane, and a 24 man dive system. Qatar Orders LNG Carriers Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and two other South Korean shipbuilders said they won orders for 10 LNG carriers from Qatar Gas Transport totaling $2.5b. Hyundai Heavy will build three ships, which can each carry 216,000 cu. m. of LNG. Daewoo Shipbuilding, the world's second-largest shipbuilder, will build three vessels which can each move 210,100 cu. m. of LNG. Samsung Heavy will build three of the world's biggest ships, which can each carry 266,000 cu. m. of LNG, and one 217,000 cu. m. vessel. ABS Issues New Ice-Class Tanker Guidance In response to a rising interest in ice-class tankers, driven in part by rising oil exports from Russia's Northern regions, and partly by a regulatory-driven accelerated phase-out of older ships will result in the ice class tanker fleet growing by 18 million dwt by 2008, ABS has developed a new comprehensive guide for vessels operating in the Arctic and comparable harsh environments. The ABS Guide for Vessels Operating in Low Temperature Environments addresses the unique demands imposed on vessels operating in these regions. "The presence of first year and multi year ice imposes additional loads on the hull, propulsion sys- tem and appendages," said ABS' Vice President of Special Projects Kirsi Tikka. "However, low tempera- tures impact the ship in a multitude of other ways and the cold, lack of light and visibility affect the crew." The new guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the previously issued ABS Guidance Notes on Ice Class. 10 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News News General Dynamics NASSCO deliv- ered the USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1) to the U.S. Navy. The ship is named after Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who led a legendary exploration of the American West from 1804 to 1806. USNS Lewis and Clark is the first of an expected class of 11 dry cargo-ammunition ships. With modular cargo holding and handling systems, the Lewis and Clark can replenish combat ships at sea with ammunition, food or fuel in one mission and then be quickly reconfigured for an alternate mission, such as a humanitarian sealift of sup- plies. The ship incorporates internation- al marine technologies and commercial ship-design features, including an inte- grated electric-drive propulsion system, to minimize operating costs over its pro- jected 40-year service life. Construction of the ship began in September 2003. NASSCO also last month launched the USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2). Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was the principal speaker for the cere- mony. Two of Sacagawea's descendents, Lucy Diaz and Rachel Ariwite, both of Bingham County, Idaho, are the ship's sponsors and christened the ship during the twilight ceremony. Circle 4 on Reader Service Card Lewis and Clark's Main Particulars Length 689 ft. (210 m) Displacement 40,945 metric tons Speed 20 knots Propulsion system Diesel-Electric (35 MW) Cargo capacity 6,675 mt of dry goods, 23,450 barrels of fuel 52,800 gal. of water Crew 172 Lead Ship of T-AKE Class Delivered, Second Launched Senate to Rumsfeld: The Navy Needs More Ships On Friday, June 23, 2006, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME); Jack Reed (D-RI); Trent Lott (R-MS); Jim Talent (R-MO); Olympia Snowe (R-ME); Christopher Dodd (D-CT); Lincoln Chafee (R-RI); Mike Dewine (R-OH); Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Daniel Akaka (D-HI), David Vitter (R-LA); Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Bill Nelson (D-FL); Joe Leiberman (D-CT); Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and; Mary Landrieu (D-LA) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumseld, asking him to increase the Navy's top line budget for the purpose of increas- ing the ship procurement budget in fiscal year 2008. The request comes on the heels of a letter sent by members of the House of Representatives Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus urging support for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Michael C. Mullen, stated budget need of $14.1 Billion for shipbuilding in FY '08. The letter asked the Secretary of Defense to increase the Navy's budget from $8.9 billion to $14.1 billion to meet national security requirements that must be met by the Navy. Citing an overall Department of Defense (DOD) budget increase of over 50 percent since 2001, the Senators explicitly note that the ship procurement account has shrunk approximately 17 percent over the same time frame, resulting in a contraction of the Navy from 341 ships in 2001 to 280 today. The Senators emphasize the necessity for a large blue water Navy capable of power projection to pro- tect United States security interests across the globe. This emphasis on power projection follows the release of DOD reports quantifying the rapid expan- sion of China's Navy and estimates that China's Navy will be larger than the U.S. Navy by 2015. MR JULY2006 #2 (9-16).qxd 7/5/2006 11:31 AM Page 10
