Maritime Reporter, May 2002

<BODY> <div> As this edition goes to press, news from Wash-ington, D.C., is good for companies involved in the design, construction and outfitting of U.S. Navy ships. The much anticipated contract to design the new family of warships — dubbed DD(x) — has been awarded to the Gold Team, headed by Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The nearly $3 billion deal will culminate in the design and eventual construction of a new family of ships that rely less on people and more on computers and communication integration technologies, literally changing the shape and face of the Navy to come. The announcement can be found on page 57, with expand- ed coverage to come in June. The awarding of the contract to Northrop Grumman's Gold Team over the Blue team, headed by General Dynamics, was con- sidered a mild upset by some industry insiders, but it appears that Northrop Grumman's addition of Litton Industries and Newport News Shipbuilding provided the edge. On the morning following the announcement an exhibition both for the Blue Team, on dis- play at the ASNE Day exhibition held at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City, Va., sat ominously dark, uninhabited and cloaked in a blue drape, while the Northrop Grumman side was buzzing with activity. According to an article in the April 30 edition of The Wash- ington Post, the contract to actually produce the ships, which is expected to be signed in 2005, could encompass 50 ships and rev- enue of $60 billion. While the DD(x) decision was expected, a surprise from Capi- tol Hill came in the form of the push by Congress for an addition- al billion dollars for the Navy, now, to build more ships. While a final decision on the matter will not be resolved before the presses for the May edition role, it can be assumed that the continued lobbying efforts by shipbuilders and naval leaders has finally paid dividend, as consensus now appears to feel the need to bolster the Navy shipbuilding program now, not later. On the Cover Maersk Geelong, a 4,300-TEU contain- ership built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, scheduled to be delivered to A.P. Moller on June 28, 2002. HHI recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with its 1,000th deliv- ery. Read about the company, and its close relationship to the Greek shipping market, starting on page 52. Subscriptions: One full year (12 issues) S18.00 in U.S.; outside of U.S. S96.00 including postage and handling. For subscription information, con- tact: Dale Burnett, fax: (212) 254-6271; e-mail: barnett@marinelink.com Other Printed, Internet & Electronic Products MarineNews Published 18 times per year, MarineNews is the leading provider of information and analysis for the North American inland/offshore shallow draft market. www.maritimetoday.com Customized e-mail news service delivered twice a day, includ- ing the latest contracts, casualties, people & company reports. www.maritimejobs.com The marine industry's recruiting & employment resource. www.marinelink.com The Internet's largest marine website, recording more than 270,000 "hits" per month. Daily news, data & statistics, industry directories. Also in this Issue 3 Cruise Ships in Limbo 4 USS Cole Returns to Fleet 7 Avondale Christens Tanker 14 Shell Welcomes Asprella 15 Can Incat Come Back? 24 Crowley Christens New ATB 38 Cascade General Stays Busy 40 Insulation, Pipes, Pumps 43 Fuel & Lube Report 46 Posidonia 2002/ Greece Report 49 Ship's Store 57 Duel Fuel Gets New Backers 54 Buyer's Directory 56 Advertisers Index 58 Classified Ads ww w.mari nelink.com trauth wein @ marinelink.com MARITIME REPORTER AND ENGINEERING NEWS ISSN-0025-3448 USPS-016-750 No. 5 Vol. 64 118 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 477-6700; fax: (212) 254-6271 Founder: John J. O'Malley 1905 - 1980 Charles P O'Malley 1928 - 2000 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News is published monthly by Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. Mailed at Peri- odicals Postage Rates at Waterbury, CT 06701 and addi- tional mailing offices. Postmaster send notification (Form 3579) regarding undeliverable magazines to Maritime Reporter/Engineer- ing News, 118 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 0970700. Printed in U.S.A. Publishers are not responsible for the safekeeping or return of editorial material. © 2002 Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means mechanical, photo- copying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers Member INTERNATIONAL ® Business Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc. Looking for service reliability, we deliver it. ABB Turbochargers An New York/NJ, Miami, Houston, Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles - email: turbochargers@us.abb.com 6 Circle 200 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com Maritime Reporter/Engineering News </div> <span id="lblContents"></span> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.digitalwavepublishing.com/" title="Digital Magazine">Digital Wave Publishing</a> </BODY>