Ingalls delivers Coast Guard Integrated Deepwater Proposal

May 15, 1998 -- Ingalls Shipbuilding and Lockheed Martin have now delivered a written proposal to participate in the United States Coast Guard’s Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) program, for replacement of their ships, aircraft and command and control network. An oral presentation is scheduled to be made to the Coast Guard by the Ingalls team in late May. Ingalls is also teamed with M. Rosenblatt & Son, Inc., Bell Helicopter Textron and several Litton Divisions, including PRC, Data Systems and Sperry Marine.

"The Coast Guard’s unique approach to this type of major upgrade will increase their overall mission effectiveness while providing significant long term reductions in life cycle costs," said Doug Lounsberry, Ingalls Coast Guard IDS Program Manager. "The Coast Guard is utilizing an acquisition approach that is familiar to Ingalls. This approach includes teaming and early industry involvement and will allow Ingalls to demonstrate our expertise in ship design, production and life cycle support to a new customer."

The Coast Guard’s current deepwater fleet of Cutters and Patrol Boats is facing retirement in the near future. In the first two phases of the IDS program, in-depth trade studies will be performed by industry teams that will assist the Coast Guard in making decisions on how many, and what type of, new ships and aircraft are to be built and what type of Command and Control network will be used to replace these retiring assets. Starting in 2002, the Coast Guard plans on implementing these decisions by awarding a contract to build new ships, modernize some of their existing assets, and provide a fully integrated "System of Systems."

Awards to three industry teams for initial study efforts are expected to be made later this summer.