soundings

Sea Technology, Feb 2008

* Coast Guard Centralizes Mariner Licensing Program. The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) reached a milestone recently in a major restructuring and centralizing project. This December, NMC moved into a new, specially designed credential-production facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Since 2005, NMC has been managing a project to consolidate the functions of 17 independently operating regional exam centers (REC) into one credential-processing facility. The goal of this effort is to improve customer service, decrease credential processing time and improve the consistency of Coast Guard products and services, officials said. Mariners will continue to use the existing RECs in various ports across the nation for face-to-face customer service and to ensure their applications are ready for evaluation by the NMC, according to officials. Once an application is accepted at a REC, it will be sent to NMC for processing. NMC sends issued credentials directly to mariners. Centralizing has already made it possible for mariners to check the status of their credential application online via a Coast Guard Web site. A new toll-free call center is also available to answer questions and provide information.

* Navy League Swears in National President. J. Michael "Mike" McGrath, a Navy League life member, was recently sworn in as the 43rd national president of the Navy League of the United States, a civilian organization dedicated to supporting the U.S. sea services-the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and U.S. Flag Merchant Marine. McGrath changed the watch with his predecessor, John Panneton, at the Navy League's 105th annual national convention in Palm Desert, California. McGrath, a member of the Mayport Council, retired from the Navy in 1985 after completing more than 30 years of active duty service as a sailor and naval officer, commanding both at sea and ashore. McGrath has earned many distinguished awards throughout his military career, including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. After retiring from the Navy, McGrath became the director of business development for CDI Marine Co. (Washington, D.C.), a naval architecture and marine engineering firm. Now retired from CDI, McGrath remains active with other military-related organizations. As a Navy League member for 23 years, McGrath has served at every leadership level. He was national director for 10 years and, while serving as the vice president of strategic planning, he assisted in the development of the current Navy League strategic plan.

* Advanced Déployable System Completes At-Sea Test. The U.S. Navy recently conducted a system integration test of the advanced déployable system (ADS) at sea. The purpose of the test was to demonstrate rapid installation of acoustic arrays and a gateway processing/radio frequency (RF) communication buoy and demonstrate robust and stable RF communications to a receiving platform. The test was conducted approximately 110 nautical miles west of San Diego, California, in the vicinity of Tanner Bank. Unique underwater vehicles were developed to store and deploy the arrays along precise headings. The integration testing was successfully completed with a majority of test objectives and test events achieved, which included the feasibility of aircraft detection from the arrays. Installation of the in-water hardware was conducted using the USNS Navajo arrays and the USCGC Aspen buoy and anchor. Operation of the system was conducted on the USNS Sioux, which held the temporary RF antennae and a processing van. The ADS program is scheduled to terminate operations following completion of the final test report for this system test. Final actions involving data archive and hardware disposition are scheduled to be completed by March.

* Pre-Commissioning Unit NoHh Carolina Completes Sea Trials. The U.S. Navy's newest Vîrginia-c\ass submarine, Pre-Commissioning Unit North Carolina (SSN 777), successfully completed its Alpha and Bravo sea trials on December 22, clearing another milestone towards its final delivery this month. Alpha sea trials include diving to test depth, executing an emergency surfacing and testing the propulsion plant performance. Bravo sea trials include tests of combat systems and mission capabilities. North Carolina is the third submarine to complete sea trials in 2007, following the Navy's newly converted guided missile submarines USS Michigan (SSGN 727) and USS Georgia (SSGN 729). Virginia-class submarines are capable of conducting operations throughout the full spectrum of warfare, as well as special missions in support of the Global War on Terror, officials said, and North Carolina is designed to operate extensively in the coastal littorals, while still maintaining blue water superiority.

* MMS Finalizes Chukchi Sea Lease Sale. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) held its first federal Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sale in the Chukchi Sea since 1991 on February 6. Early in January, the agency issued the Final Notice of Sale for Chukchi Sea Sale 193, which outlines the sale area, terms and conditions for the sale and requirements for protecting the environment and natural resources of the area. Leases issued from the sale will include protective stipulations to address environmental effects that may occur because of exploration and development of the area's oil and gas resources. These stipulations call for protection of biological resources, including protected marine mammals and birds, and methods to minimize interference with subsistence hunting and other subsistence harvesting activities. MMS estimates that the Chukchi Sea area could contain 15 billion barrels of oil (a mean estimate of conventionally recoverable resources), although exploration is needed to assess what may be commercially available. The final notice also includes proposed royalty suspensions on production subject to price thresholds. The Chukchi Sea Sale 193 area contains about 29.7 million acres offshore Alaska from north of Point Barrow to northwest of Cape Lisburne. The sale area extends from about 25 or 50 to 200 miles offshore.