ROSELAND, N.J., 21 Dec. 2005. Curtiss-Wright Corp.'s motion control segment has received the first of seven anticipated follow-on contracts from Northrop Grumman Corp. for the supply of Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse (ASIST) systems and Lightweight Track equipment.
These systems will be installed on-board the new, highly capable, Deepwater National Security Cutter (NSC) class platform for the U.S. Coast Guard. Northrop Grumman is building the ship at their Pascagoula, Miss. facility, under contract from Integrated Coast Guard Systems LLP (ICGS), a joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
The NSC will be a 418-foot vessel with a 4,300-ton displacement at full load when delivered and will be powered by a twin screw combined diesel and gas turbine power propulsion plant designed to travel at maximum speed of 29 knots. The NSC will include an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats, a flight deck to accommodate a range of rotary wing manned and unmanned aircraft and state of the art command and control electronics. The anticipated date of delivery for the first NSC will be in 2007.
The ASIST system is a state-of-the-art deck handling solution for shipboard helicopter operations. It provides the capability to support helicopter recovery, on-deck securing, maneuvering and deck traversing operations through a single system solution. The system performs safe helicopter securing in conditions up to and including lower sea state six without attaching external cables or requiring on-deck personnel. The ASIST is today's solution for effective support to shipboard helicopter operations in the most demanding of environmental conditions and contributes to the latest requirements for high sortie rates and optimized crew size.
ASIST was originally selected by Coast Guard personnel for installation on its new aviation capable cutters in June 2004. The system will operate primarily with the Coast Guard's new Multi-Mission Cutter Helicopter (MCH), which is based on the existing HH-65 aircraft. In addition, the system will also be operationally compatible with the U.S. Navy's MH-60R helicopter fleet, plus the new Bell Helicopter HV-911 VTOL Unmanned Air System (VUAS).
Production of ASIST will begin immediately and continue through March 2007. Manufacturing will take place at the Curtiss-Wright's facility in Mississauga, Ontario.
"The Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) Program is a crucial element in our nation's homeland security efforts and we are proud to be part of the program with Northrop Grumman Corp.," said Martin R. Benante, chairman and CEO of Curtiss-Wright.
Curtiss-Wright is a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, a partner in ICGS, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. In June 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Deepwater contract to ICGS. Deepwater is a critical multi-year, multi-billion dollar program to modernize and replace the Coast Guard's aging ships and aircraft, and improve command and control and logistics systems. It is the largest recapitalization effort in the history of the Coast Guard.
Curtiss-Wright Corp. is a diversified company headquartered in Roseland, N.J. The company designs, manufactures and overhauls products for motion control and flow control applications, and provides of metal treatment services. The firm employs approximately 5,900 people worldwide. For more information, see www.curtisswright.com.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Curtiss-Wright Controls is the motion control segment of Curtiss-Wright Corp. With manufacturing facilities around the world, Curtiss-Wright Controls is a leading technology-based organization providing niche motion control products, subsystems and services internationally for the aerospace and defense markets. For more information, see www.cwcontrols.com.
