soundings

Sea Technology, May 2008

* Coast Guard Responds to Sinking Vessel. In late March, the U.S. Coast Guard and fishing vessel Alaska Warrior recovered crew members from the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger, 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Four crew members were reported deceased and one missing. "Saving 42 people in Bering Sea in the winter is an incredible accomplishment," said Cmdr. Todd Trimpert, chief of incident management for the 17th Coast Guard District and experienced Alaskan rescue pilot. "We were very fortunate to have the Alaska Warrior in the area." Crews from an H-60 Jayhawk helicopter from St. Paul, Alaska; Coast Guard cutter Munro from Kodiak, Alaska; a H-65 Dolphin helicopter deployed aboard Munro; and a C-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Kodiak rescued 20 crew members in 10-foot seas and 25-knot winds, while the fishing vessel Alaska Warrior rescued 22. "When we got on scene, there was a spread at least a mile long of 13 survivors in gumby suits with strobe lights," said aviation survival technician, 2nd class, O'Brien Hollow from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. "I went down without disconnecting from the helicopter and picked them up one at a time." A second C-130 from Kodiak, the Munro and the H-60 from St. Paul continued to search for the missing crew member. The Alaska Ranger crew members were taken to Dutch Harbor.

* NOAA Ship Rude to Be Retired. A 90-foot ship that helped bring closure to a grieving nation after two aircraft tragedies-the loss of TWA Flight 800 in July 1996 and John F. Kennedy Jr/s plane crash, resulting in his death, in July 1999-was decommissioned on March 25 after 41 years of service, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials. NOAA ship Rude (pronounced "Rudy") is best known for its round-the-clock efforts to find the wreckage from these two aircraft with technology typically used to identify navigational hazards, obstructions and water depths for nautical charts. The ship scanned hundreds of square miles of the seafloor where the aircraft went down, sending its data to an onshore team of NOAA cartographers, who made charts of the wreckage sites for Navy divers. "It is a sad occasion to say goodbye to this very special ship after such important contributions to the nation," said RAdm. Jonathan W. Bailey, director of the NOAA Corps, one of the nation's seven uniformed services, and NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, which operates and manages the NOAA fleet of ships and aircraft. "However, it's time to replace Rude with a new, technologically advanced hydrographic vessel. NOAA currently has a coastal mapping vessel under construction, which will become operational next year."

* NSWC PCD Partners with Schools to Promote Science and Technology. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC, PCD), in partnership with Florida State University (FSU), Gulf Coast Community College (GCCC) and local school districts (Bay, Gulf and Holmes Counties), announced in March a grant meant to enhance educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for middle and high school students. FSU assistant teaching professor, Dr. David Skinner (former NSWC, PCD technical director), said America's defense industry was facing a near-future hiring crisis due to a shortage of college professionals graduating with degrees specializing in STEM disciplines. Skinner announced that a National Defense Education Program STEM Learning Module pilot project would bring local school teachers together with civilian scientists and engineers at a summer institute hosted at GCCC.

* Coast Guard Reminds Boaters of Cruise Ship, Ferry security Rules. The U.S. Coast Guard sector Seattle is reminding mariners and recreational boaters to avoid approaching large passenger vessels (LPVs), such as cruise ships and ferries, whether these vessels are underway, moored or at anchor. An LPV is defined as any cruise ship, auto ferry or passenger ferry more than 100 feet in length, carrying paying passengers. This includes Washington State and Alaskan Marine Highway ferries. The security zone enforced by the Coast Guard is a 500-yard radius around all LPVs and is necessary to enhance public and maritime safety, officials said. These safety and security zones are in effect at all times, whether or not the Coast Guard is present. Specifically, the Code of Federal Regulations states that, when within an LPV safety and security zone, all vessels must operate at the minimum speed necessary to maintain a safe course and must proceed as directed by the on-scene official patrol or LPV master. No vessel or person is allowed within 10O yards of an LPV that is underway or at anchor unless authorized by the on-scene official patrol or LPV master. No vessel or person is allowed within 25 yards of an LPV that is moored,

* 1,000th CVRJ to be Installed on MRAPs. The 1,000th manufactured CREW Vehicle Receiver/jammer (CVRJ) device was installed in early April on a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, South Carolina. The CVRJ-equipped vehicles will provide U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan with protection from radio-controlled improvised explosive device (RC-IED) attacks. CREW is an acronym for an electronic warfare system that counters RC-IEDs. "CVRJ will provide unprecedented protection against ground-based electronic threats," said Capt Mark Kavanaugh, Explosive Ordnance Dtsposal/CREW program manager. Vehicle-mounted CREW systems are one element of the Department of Defense's Joint Counter RC-IED Electronic Warfare program. Typically, these types of systems consist of a series of components that are installed on military vehicles. The jammers can be programmed to address different threats, depending upon where the systems are being operated, officials said.