Non-Subscriber Extract
Coast Guard Awards Deepwater
- Article Tools
| 25 June 2002 |
By Andrew Koch, JDW Washington Bureau Chief
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has formally selected a winner in its largest programme ever, called Deepwater, awarding a Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman partnership a $17 billion contract to replace or upgrade much of the service's ships and aircraft over the next 30 years.
The USCG could buy as many 91 ships, 35 fixed-wing aircraft, 34 helicopters and 76 unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) as part of the Deepwater effort, along with upgrading an additional 49 cutters and 93 helicopters.
Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thomas Collins said the winning team offered strong management, a superior technical approach and a low-risk solution. Two other teams led by Boeing/Northrop Grumman Avondale shipyard and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)/Raytheon were previously deemed 'not in compliance' with the competition criteria by the Coast Guard.
The Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman partnership, known as Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), will initially provide a robust command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capability to the Coast Guard's sea, air, and land assets, allowing them to have a 'network-centric capability'. Within the first five years it will also upgrade existing ships and aircraft until new platforms can be fielded. Finally, it will design, build, and deploy the first of the Coast Guard's new cutters called the National Security Cutter (NSC).
ICGS is offering the following new aircraft: a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV, up to four of which will be based on each NSC and Offshore Patrol Cutter; a VTOL recovery and surveillance aircraft to be based on all major cutters; a high-altitude endurance UAV to conduct wide-area search; and a land-based maritime patrol aircraft.
Lockheed will provide the information network and manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as conduct integration work; while Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector will design and build the cutters.
A full version of this article will appear in the 3 July issue of Jane's Defence Weekly and will be available on 28 June at jdw.janes.com.