Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.



VSE Awarded Follow-on Work Supporting Foreign Military Sales Program for Egyptian Navy
Source: VSE Corporation

MANASSAS, Va. --- The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued at almost $93 million for engineering services and support of the AN/BVY-1 Integrated Submarine Imaging System (ISIS) and for production of related hardware.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. --- VSE Corporation reported today that its International Group’s GLOBAL Division has received an award to continue work being conducted in Alexandria, Egypt.

The $32.8M In-Country Technical Assist award will enable GLOBAL Division to provide Management, Engineering, Technical, Training and Logistics support for the Egyptian Navy FMS programs and ex-United States Navy transferred ships either in port or at sea, as necessary to support ship operations, training and maintenance.

Additionally, the contract provides continuing funding to support an Industrial Training School, a Damage Control and Fire Fighting School, and provides continuing support to assist the Egyptian Navy in improving their shipyard infrastructure.

Mike Hamerly, President of International Group, says, “We are excited to continue our productive working relationship with the Egyptian Navy that has allowed for successful training and implementation of various functions and services essential to effective fleet development and sustainment.”

Exclusive of the award for the Egyptian Navy, VSE GLOBAL Division’s FMS program has received over $15 million worth of task orders for additional work within the past ninety days.


Converteam Secures $31 Million in Additional U.S. Navy Funding for the DDG-1000 Program
Source: Converteam Inc.

PITTSBURGH --- The United States Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., awarded Converteam Inc. $31 million to provide the long lead materials -- for the DDG-1000 Baseline Tactical High Voltage Power Subsystem (HVPS) -- for use in the Navy's integrated power system Land Based Test Site (LBTS) located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and to supply hardware and provide technical leadership on the HVPS.

With Converteam's Integrated Power Systems (IPS) role they will be providing technical leadership to the U.S. Navy to assist in the integration of the HVPS, Low Voltage Power Subsystem (LVPS) and Electric Control Systems (ECS). The entire HVPS project scope includes an Advanced Induction Motor, VDM25000 drive, switchboards, harmonic filters and resistors for dynamic braking and neutral grounding, and LBTS commissioning and engineering to support integration. The HVPS distributes electrical power from the ship's turbine-generators to the various electrical loads and also provides for electric propulsion.

Xavier Goy, Converteam Project Manager said, "The project team is highly motivated to start this new phase of the DDG program and demonstrate the operation of the integrated system. It is our commitment to deliver excellent services to the Navy by focusing on technical expertise and reactivity to our client's requests."

Paul Thompson, Director, Navy for Converteam adds, "For the Navy team, our people add significant experience from the DDG-1000 design phase and other initiatives such as T-AKE, LHD-8, full scale testing at the LBTS and international programs. Converteam's leadership at the LBTS will ensure the successful activation of the integrated power system for Zumwalt, the DDG-1000 lead ship."

"This contract showcases Converteam's high level range of capabilities and how affordable integrated power system solutions are for U.S. Navy vessels," Goy concluded.

Work will be performed at the Converteam manufacturing facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and at the LBTS in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Scheduled completion is set for March 2011.


Converteam Group is a world leader in power conversion engineering. Serving specialized sectors as well as its core markets in Marine, Oil & Gas and Offshore, Energy and Industry, its 5,300 staff members provide power conversion solutions worldwide. At year-end 2008, the Converteam sales totaled $1,538,600,000




L-3’s Mobius Makes First Public Flight At the U.S. Navy’s PEO Unmanned Systems Demonstration
Source: L-3 Communications

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- L-3’s Mobius, an optionally piloted aircraft system built by L-3 Communications, made its first public flight today at the 5th Biennial Unmanned Systems Demonstration hosted by the U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation in coordination with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) at Patuxent River Naval Air Station’s Webster Field Annex. Mobius is also on display at L-3 Booth #1000 at the AUVSI symposium in Washington D.C.

The Mobius, which can support low through medium-altitude long endurance operations in both manned and unmanned configurations, is based upon a proven, Federal Aviation Administration-certificated design. Its aerodynamic design and carbon composite construction supports in-flight missions lasting up to 24 hours while carrying a payload of 1,000 pounds, in addition to fuel.

“Through the introduction of Mobius we are offering a platform that delivers operational performance at a significantly greater value than other aircraft in its class,” said Todd Gautier, senior vice president of business development for L-3’s Sensors and Simulation Group. “The speed, endurance, range and payload capacity of this proven platform enables it to meet a wide range of critical unmanned aircraft intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and expanded mission requirements.”

Mobius has been configured with L-3 Wescam’s high-performance MX-15 EO/IR turret in a retractable configuration, L-3 Geneva’s flightTEK™ fully autonomous flight control system and L-3 Communications Systems West’s mini-TCDL datalink to provide secure, anti-jam, anti-spoof encrypted communications. Mobius also is fully interoperable with the L-3 Rover and VideoScout systems.

“L-3 has long been known as a trusted component and product supplier to the UAS market. With Mobius and our Viking family of unmanned aircraft systems L-3 now is providing fully integrated, complete unmanned air systems solutions,” continued Mr. Gautier.




Maritime Museum of British Columbia

Today’s website is the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. Bastion Square in Victoria, B.C., is the old courts building, now the maritime museums with a wide variety of exhibits and displays about the maritime history of Canada in the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy.
Website


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1814 - British invasion of Maryland and Washington, D.C.; Washington Navy Yard and ships burned to prevent capture by the British.
1912 - Launching of USS Jupiter (AC 3), first electrically-propelled Navy ship.
1942 - U.S. carrier aircraft begin two-day Battle of Eastern Solomons where a Japanese task force is defeated and one Japanese carrier sunk. Japanese recall expedition to recapture Guadalcanal.
1960 - USS Bexar (APA 237) deploys to Pangahan Province in response to emergency request for aid from the Province's governor.


Photo of the Day



The guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS McCampbell (DDG 85) maneuver with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) destroyer Guangzhou off the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, following an international fleet review that commemorated the 64th anniversary of Indonesian independence.

Gator