By EDWARD J. WALSH

Edward J. Walsh is the editor of Naval Systems Update.

 
The Navy League's annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition (SAS), to be held 18­20 April at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., will, as in past years, feature major addresses by senior Navy leaders, key warfare requirements sponsors and acquisition officials, and fleet operators.

The SAS, the largest maritime exposition in the world, will attract thousands of visitors, including top officials of all of the U.S. armed services, key members of Congress and defense-committee staffers, and numerous foreign delegations. More than 100 Navy League corporate members are expected to brief SAS visitors on a wide range of technologies and systems now in service or planned for introduction by the Navy and Marine Corps.

Many of the exhibitors this year will focus on their work in support of the Navy's most exciting future programs, especially the Navy's DD 21 land-attack destroyer, the next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVNX), and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. These and other high-priority major new programs, industry and Navy officials say, place special emphasis on new systems-integration and technology-management approaches. Two industry teams are developing DD 21 designs, one led by Bath Iron Works and Lockheed Martin, the "Blue" team, and a "Gold" team led by Raytheon and
Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding.

The DD 21 teaming approach was set up by the Navy under Sec. 845 of the 1994 Defense Authorization Act, which permits such arrangements when mandated by the government.

SAS exhibitors will highlight work on two major fleet programs that have started production, the Virginia-class (SSN 774) nuclear-powered attack submarine, and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strikefighter aircraft.

Exhibitors and speakers also are expected to discuss Navy achievements in introducing new information-management technologies and practices to support the Navy's vision of command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) for "network-centric" fleet operations. Many of the advanced technology companies at the show are supporting the fleet's IT-21 (Information Technology for the 21st Century) strategy, which calls for greater use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software for both tactical and nontactical information systems.

This year's SAS also will feature displays by many Navy acquisition organizations, laboratories, and research facilities. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Space Command, Naval Warfare Assessment Station, and the Atlantic Undersea Test & Evaluation Center will be among the principal Navy exhibitors.

Shipbuilding, Ship Machinery

Newport News Shipbuilding's booth will feature displays of its work on Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, its role in building the new Virginia-class SSNs, and its extensive ship-overhaul work. The company currently is building the Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and is developing the design for CVN 77, the last of the Nimitz-class carriers. At the GD booth, the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division will highlight its work on the Virginia, which now is under construction at Electric Boat's Groton, Conn., shipyard.

GDEB and NNS both are expected to brief SAS visitors on their integrated-electric-drive concepts, which are aimed initially at the DD 21 land-attack destroyer.

Secretary of the Navy Richard J. Danzig announced in January that the DD 21 will be an electric-drive ship. Both shipyards have built electric motors that would be the heart of an electric-drive system, and have established teams for further work on their concepts, which they will offer to the Blue and Gold DD 21 teams.

The DD 21 Gold team will man a special booth to acquaint SAS visitors with the ship-design and systems-integration capabilities of the team members supporting the program. Boeing and several other team members will help man the booth.

The two Blue- and Gold-team shipbuilders, Bath Iron Works and Litton Ingalls, also will highlight their current work in building Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided-missile destroyers in the Navy's only current surface-combatant construction program. Bath will support the General Dynamics booth and Litton-Ingalls will be at the Litton booth. The Ingalls yard, now part of Litton Ship Systems, also builds the Wasp-class big-deck amphibious assault ships, and currently is working on the Iwo Jima. Litton Avondale, acquired by Litton last year, is prime contractor for the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships.

Blohm + Voss GMBH, a longtime SAS exhibitor, has built more than 500 naval vessels of various types. The company plans to discuss its MEKO
modular-design concept for naval ships, which permits a wide range of weapon, sensor, and other systems to be easily integrated with the ship's hull and deckhouse. Blohm + Voss has built more than 40 MEKO frigates and corvettes, many of which accommodate systems originally built for the U.S. Navy.

At the Textron booth, Textron Marine & Land Systems, which built the Navy's landing craft air cushion (LCAC) high-speed landing craft, will discuss its plans for an upcoming service-life extension plan for the LCACs. Halter Marine, the world's largest builder of small- through medium-sized Navy and commercial ships, will discuss its work on Navy research, fast-patrol, and special-operations craft.

The General Electric Marine Engines exhibit will feature the LM2500 gas-turbine engine, currently at sea in Navy surface combatants and those of many international navies. The LM2500 also has been integrated into "hybrid" electrical- and mechanical-drive systems for several cruise ships.

Rolls-Royce, builder of many large-scale propulsion systems for naval vessels and military and commercial aircraft, will discuss its aircraft and marine engine projects--especially its work with Northrop Grumman on an inter-cooled recuperative gas-turbine aimed at the DD 21. Westinghouse's Electro-Mechanical Division, a member of the Electric Boat electric-drive team, will showcase a range of electro-mechanical components and systems, including ship-service motor-generator sets and secondary propulsion systems.

BWX Technologies, a major unit of McDermott International, will feature displays that illustrate its role in providing nuclear fuel and nuclear reactor components for the Navy's submarines and carriers, and discuss the McDermott concept for a joint mobile offshore base. The Power Systems Group (PSG), a unit of the SPD Technologies Division of L3 Communications, will highlight its work on static automated bus transfer switches, power-conversion modules (PCMs), and other power-management systems. PSG built prototype PCMs for the Navy's IED (integrated electric drive) testbed in Philadelphia. General Atomics will show its advanced shipboard power systems and discuss its R&D work on ship electrical systems, including an electromagnetic aircraft launch system that it hopes to build for the CVNX.

Eaton Navy Controls, a division of Eaton Corp., is expected to exhibit its flat-panel displays, bridge controls, speed drives, and power-conversion designs. Eaton is participating in a Navy-funded demonstration of power-conversion modules for the DD 21 electric-drive program. Cincinnati Gear will display its line of shipboard gearboxes and power transmission components, and discuss its systems engineering capabilities. Litton Guidance and Controls--the prime contractor for the Ticonderoga-class Aegis guided-missile cruiser machinery control "Smart Ship" upgrade--will display its multicontrol console, which is being installed on the ships as part of that program.

CSC Marine will highlight its role in marine engineering and management support for Navy projects. Indal Technologies of Toronto will show its shipboard handling systems, such as helicopter landing winches, as well as mine-countermeasures equipment. Litton Marine will display its WSN-7 ring laser gyroscope, now being fielded to most Navy ships and submarines, and its integrated bridge system, installed on the Navy's Smart Ship demonstrator and planned for all of the CG 47s.

Diab Inc. will discuss its work in building structural-core materials for marine and aerospace applications, including stealthy components for Navy use. Dayton T. Brown will highlight its work in providing engineering support to the Navy for shipboard systems. Metric Systems expects to display its robust electronics control, distribution, and signals-management systems, designed for use in high-stress environments.

Shipboard Weapons And Sensor Systems

The program executive office for theater surface combatants will sponsor an exhibit of the Navy's theater ballistic missile defense (TBMD) systems--which are supported by, among other companies, Raytheon, builder of both the lower- and upper-tier TBMD missiles, and Lockheed Martin, the Aegis combat system integrator.

Raytheon, a major integrator of Navy ship-systems, will brief SAS visitors on its many shipboard weapons, including the SM-2 missile family, the rolling airframe missile (RAM), and the Phalanx terminal-defense Gatling gun. United Defense and Lockheed Martin, which are teamed for production of the Mk41 vertical-launch system, will provide information on that program, now installed on the Ticonderogas and Arleigh Burkes.

United Defense also will display a full-scale prototype of the 155mm advanced gun system that the company is developing for the DD 21--one of the few government-specified systems for the ship--and will discuss its upgrade of the shipboard five-inch gun for naval surface fire support.

Atlantic Research is expected to highlight its work on propulsion systems for Navy missiles, including the SM-2 Standard, Tomahawk, RAM, and Trident. Wallop Defence Systems, a U.K.-based company, will brief show visitors on its 102 super-barricade ship-launched electronic-countermeasures system for ship self-defense. The EDO booth will feature displays and information on the company's helicopter-towed mine countermeasures and antisubmarine warfare systems. BAE Systems will discuss its extensive programs in mission planning, command and control, and naval ordnance.

Naval Aircraft And Airborne Systems

Boeing Company personnel are expected to brief visitors on the company's extensive work in support of Navy aviation, including the F/A-18 Hornet, as well as the Harpoon antiship and standoff land-attack missiles. Boeing's Marine Systems unit also builds the data multiplex system (DMS) and an upgraded fiber-optic DMS that is being installed on the Arleigh Burkes, and is developing, with Strategic Systems Program Office funding, a next-generation navigation device for the Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarines and ballistic-missile submarines. Northrop Grumman will discuss its teaming role with Boeing on the F/A-18 program, as well as its extensive work in airborne sensor systems.

Kaman plans to showcase its "K-MAX" heavy-lift helicopter, which has been demonstrated successfully in several underway replenishment exercises. It also will provide information on its airborne laser mine-detection system (ALMDS--formerly known as Magic Lantern).

Bell Helicopter Textron will highlight the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft it is building for the Marine Corps, the USMC's UH-1 helicopter upgrade, and the Bell Eagle Eye unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), set for testing as a candidate for a shipboard vertical-launch UAV. E.H. Industries, a joint venture of Agusta of Italy and the U.K.'s GKN Westland Helicopters Ltd., is expected to feature a display of its EH-101 transport helicopter, now in service with the Italian and British armed forces.

Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies, plans to exhibit its F119 turbofan high-performance engine, selected for the JSF program. Martin-Baker North America will show its US16B aircraft ejection seat, already qualified for Boeing's JSF candidate. Irvin Aerospace--which developed the IDS-300 ship-deployed rapid-response passive countermeasures decoy for use in ship defense--will brief visitors on its work in building decoys for the Navy.

FLIR Systems will discuss COTS-based infrared imaging systems, which are employed both by the military and by commercial users. Recon/Optical plans to exhibit its camera and scanning systems, reconnaissance systems, and electro-optical sights, many of which have been developed for tactical aircraft use. Rockwell Collins will emphasize its longtime support for naval aviation with its global positioning system receivers, VHF/UHF airborne radios, and tactical datalinks. Hamilton Standard, a unit of United Technologies, plans to feature its design and manufacturing work for military aerospace programs.

Smiths Industries Aerospace will discuss its naval and marine flight management systems, its color tactical displays, its charting systems, and other advanced navigation systems. Dowty plans to showcase its extensive line of aircraft hydraulic and actuation devices, which are installed on the F/A-18, V-22, AV-8B Harrier, and other Navy aircraft. Honeywell, which builds a range of highly accurate gyroscopes for surface and airborne navigation, will discuss its latest versions of those systems.

Command and Control, Data Processing Systems

Litton Data Systems will brief SAS visitors on its advanced ship integrated combat system (ASICS)--a COTS-based information-management system designed for shipboard use--and on its programmable integrated communications terminal used aboard large-deck amphibious assault ships.

DRS Technologies, a member of the Lockheed Martin team for production of the Navy's new UYQ-70 display processor, will discuss with show visitors its work on rugged digital displays and flat panels as well as airborne flight recorders, data-storage systems, and other recording devices.

IBM is expected to feature information on its CATIA computer-aided design (CAD) process developed for ship design. Deneb Robotics, a principal developer of CAD programs and advanced simulation software, will discuss its programs and other technology-development efforts in support of the Navy. Barco Displays will showcase its extensive line of advanced displays, including displays for the UYQ-70. Intergraph, prime contractor for the Navy's CAD-2 program, will provide information on its many CAD and simulation-based design capabilities.

Motorola will highlight its work in C4I and its Iridium voice and paging systems, designed for commercial as well as defense use. Titan Linkabit will emphasize its work in satellite communications and its other C4I systems. Cogent Defence Systems plans to feature its sensor and data-processing systems developed for use in demanding shipboard operational environments. AIL Systems plans to discuss its role in the development of electronic-warfare and other advanced sensor systems. 

Registration form and additional information about the 2000 Sea-Air-Space Exposition.