ab139 for deepwater
Lockheed, Northrop to Revamp Coast Guard
Tue Jun 25, 4:18 PM ET
By Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard ( news - web sites) on Tuesday picked Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. to overhaul its aging ships, aircraft and communications gear in a deal worth up to $17 billion over 30 years.
The "Deepwater" project calls for the purchase of up to 91 ships, 35 fixed-wing aircraft, 34 helicopters and 76 pilot-less surveillance aircraft, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.
In addition, the contract calls for upgrading 49 cutters, 93 helicopters and communications systems that help the Coast Guard do everything from stopping illegal immigrants to catching drug runners, protecting the environment and performing search and rescue operations.
The project is designed to turn the self-described 37th oldest of 39 similar fleets worldwide into the world's most highly integrated, in line with the Coast Guard's growing role since the Sept. 11 attacks.
"The tragic events of September 11 changed the world as we know it. Homeland security, now more than ever, is a mission where we must succeed," said U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thomas Collins.
In March, the Coast Guard rejected proposals by two other bidders -- Boeing Co. and a team made up of Science Applications International Corp., Raytheon and Manitowoc Co.
Working with some cutters built as far back as the 1940s, the Coast Guard has been struggling to secure the nation's ports, enforce safety zones around Navy ships and board commercial ships in search of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
"As America's first line of defense for maritime homeland security, it is critical that the Coast Guard be able to identify and intercept targets of interest as far from U.S. shores as possible," said DOT Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson.
The "Deepwater" contract was to be awarded at a ceremony later Tuesday in Washington to Integrated Coast Guard Systems, the 50-50 partnership between Lockheed and Northrop.