YORBA LINDA, Calif., 8 July 2010. U.S. Coast Guard officials have chosen the Shipboard Peripheral Replacement System (SPRS) from Sabtech Industries in Yorba Linda, Calif., to upgrade the Mk 92 Fire Control System (FCS) on its medium- and high-endurance cutters. Coast Guard engineers will employ the Shipboard Peripheral Replacement System to replace a key, but obsolescent component of the combat system aboard the current fleet of cutters.
An aging but critical component of the Mk 92 FCS is the OJ-172 Data Exchange Auxiliary Console (DEAC). The DEAC is the only load device for the Weapons Control Processor (WCP) computer that runs the Mk 92 system, reveals a Sabtech spokesperson. If the DEAC is not operational, the computer cannot be loaded and the ship's ability to detect, track, and engage air and surface targets is down. Because it is unreliable and expensive to maintain, the Coast Guard sought a replacement for the vintage 1960s DEAC to ensure that the Mk 92 is always ready to support the mission.
After years of review by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Mk 92 In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA), Sabtech's SPRS was selected over other options based on economy, reliability, user friendliness, and overall best value, adds a company official. SPRS is a plug-in replacement for the DEAC that is virtually maintenance-free. It replaces the DEAC's magnetic tape drives with removable hard drives, completely eliminating dependence on unreliable and increasingly scarce tape media. The DEAC's teletype I/O console is replaced with a modern display and keyboard.
By replacing the DEAC with SPRS, Sabtech is proud to help to modernize the Coast Guard's fleet and extend the service life of these valuable assets. Installations are scheduled to begin in 2010.
