Posted by John Keller
PANAMA CITY, Fla., 11 Dec. 2009. U.S. Navy leaders needed custom-designed electronic packaging for upgraded navigation equipment and other electronics upgrades on the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) service life extension program. They found their solution from Tracewell Systems in Westerville, Ohio.
The Navy is preparing to award a sole-source rackmount chassis contract to Tracewell for four navigational chassis, four universal keyboard chassis, and four CDR replace chassis as part of the LCAC life-extension effort to keep LCACs in service through 2027.
Tracewell Systems, which specializes in electronic packaging and thermal management for rugged systems, originally developed these items to meet Navy requirements for the LCAC life extension, and Tracewell is the only company that makes the these parts that will meet the form, fit, function, and interchangeability requirements for the LCAC command, control, communications, computer and navigation (C4N) systems, Navy officials say.
LCAC life extension involves C4N upgrades, replacing the LCAC's LN-66 radars with the more powerful Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine P-80 radar, and installing an open-systems architecture for future upgrades.
Future life-extension upgrades to the LCAC will include engine upgrades, new buoyancy box, and new deep skirt.
The LCAC is a fast amphibious landing craft that hovers on an air cushion as high as four feet over oceans and beaches that moves infantry, weapons, and cargo from surface ships to landing areas ashore. Their 60-to-75-ton payloads enable them to land heavy equipment like M-1 main battle tanks.
Awarding the electronics packaging contract to Tracewell Systems are officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, Fla. The contract amount has not yet been specified.
More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/notices/d375ad0b969711dd35ad6af4f87a948f. Contract Tracewell Systems online at www.tracewellsystems.com.
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