Amron International
In 1999 Amron International was awarded a Prime Vendor contract with Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) to fulfill the requirements of diving, hyperbaric, search and rescue, and special operations commands.

Amron's Prime Vendor contract is a procurement vehicle that qualified organizations can use to efficiently acquire equipment in a timely manner at fair and reasonable prices. Their current customer base includes the US Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, FBI, NASA, NOAA, state counter-drug programs, and local law enforcement agencies.

The contract with DSCP was competed nationally among qualified sources and long-term DOD contracts were issued after an extensive source selection process and negotiations. The resultant contracts with Amron are best value, indefinite quantity contracts that cover a wide range of diving, hyperbaric, and special operational equipment currently being used by military commands, federal agencies and state and local governments. The program supports diving, lifesaving, hyperbarics, search and rescue, survival, personal protection, biohazard and tactical missions. DSCP reviews the applicability of all items covered by the contracts.

The contract is structured so that organizations can acquire equipment using the government requisition process or impact credit card. Requisitioning is linked directly to the DOD supply system so all billing occurs through normal DOD processes directly to the organization. Organization can requisition items covered under the program directly from Amron. The credit card process requires that a profile of the cardholder's information be built in the DOD system one time so that once set up, no credit card numbers are transmitted again.

The PV contract required the establishment of a web-based ordering system by Amron, allowing end-users to place orders and review product information such as technical data and pricing. Commands can also place orders via phone or fax. Additionally, DSCP has a Management Information System in place that collects all data on the Prime Vendor program. This sales data is readily available to the organization for the orders you place on the program. In terms of price and delivery, government organizations can enjoy the benefits of leveraged buying based on the volume of a large, long-term DOD contract.

To date, this program is being used by over 500 military commands, federal agencies, state and local governments and is very successful. It has been structured to streamline the acquisition of commercial off-the-shelf and commercially modified items for end-users. Amron has been extremely active supporting operational units in both Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Visit www.amronintl.com.

Benthos
Benthos has introduced a new, high-speed multi-ping sidescan sonar system that allows users to survey areas more quickly with a high ping repetition rate. The principle advantage of the MP4 system is its increased ability to detect a subsea target compared to a single ping sonar system at the same vehicle speed, making it ideal for military applications such as mine countermeasures.

The low-cost, portable, and versatile MP4 is hydrodynamically stable and housed in a small, rugged, one-man deployable tow vehicle. Transverse resolution of sidescan sonar is defined as the minimum resolvable distance between two objects parallel to the line of travel. Decreasing the horizontal beam width produces a proportional increase in the transverse resolution. However, increased transverse resolution comes at the expense of slower vehicle speeds to completely cover the sea floor.

Single ping sonar systems transmit every 133 milliseconds (7.5Hz) for complete seafloor coverage at a range of 100m. Given a 0.5-degree beam width, the corresponding transverse resolution is 0.875m. In order to ensonify a 1m target with three consecutive pings for a high probability of detection, the survey vessel is limited to a speed of 4.8 knots. Increasing the number of pings per 1m target to four decreases the maximum vessel speed to 3.6 knots for a single ping sonar system.

The MP4 processes four waveforms per sonar cycle, allowing an increase in vessel speed up to 14.6 knots at 100m range. The technical challenge of multi-ping sonar is to generate, detect, and process up to four waveforms on each side of a subsea vehicle simultaneously without interference. To achieve this goal, Benthos developed a multi-ping sidescan sonar that uses linear frequency modulated waveforms separated in frequency and time. Key developments have been improvement of the digital signal processing, implementation of high-throughput communications, and the design of narrow beam width broadband transducers.

The MP4 system digitally synthesizes and transmits a linearly swept, frequency-modulated (chirp) pulse with resolution proportional to transmitted bandwidth, not pulse length. The transmission of longer duration, wide bandwidth pulses results in higher resolution sonar images and, because more energy is projected into the water, a greater signal-to-noise ratio resulting in extended range. This extended range and resolution, combined with multi-ping technology, provides for optimum system efficiency and lower survey costs in even the most demanding military applications. Visit www.benthos.com.

Carmanah Technologies
Canada's Carmanah Technologies specializes in solar-powered, self-contained LED lighting solutions. The company's 700 series lights were designed under contract with the US Coast Guard, making them the first LED light source to be incorporated into the United States Navigational Aid System. Because the lights can be installed in minutes and are extremely durable, resisting shocks, vibrations, submersion and intense sunlight, they are ideal for military use. Carmanah solar LED lights are completely self-contained, making hazard and navigation marking possible where geographical limitations or lack of access to a power source previously made illumination impossible. Features include no battery, bulb replacement, nor maintenance for the lifespan of the product (usually five years). All components, including the battery, are recyclable.

The lights automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn. Light output performance is consistent over all battery voltage levels, producing an extremely accurate flash character. A low battery shut-down feature has been incorporated to prevent deep discharge and the lights automatically deactivate after 20 hours in full darkness for seasonal storage or transport.

The 700 series is available in five colors that meet international chromaticity requirements for marine lighting: green, red, amber, white and blue. Lights can be ordered with the required flash pattern. Using an optional infrared remote control, the user can activate and deactivate the unit, change the flash pattern, modify lux levels for automatic dusk/dawn operation, check battery voltage levels, or activate and deactivate the Automatic Light Control technology.

As a Federal Supply Contractor for the General Services Administration (GSA) under contract number GS-07F-0513M, Carmanah provides solar-powered LED lights to US federal government agencies. Carmanah lights are used to mark perimeter booms around navy ships as well as around military operations and exercises. Remote-controlled Carmanah lights are also installed at missile and ammunition testing sites in California. Carmanah has a Standing Offer Agreement with the Canadian Coast Guard and supplies marine lights to countries around the world.

The Draper Laboratory
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, a non-profit research and development laboratory located on the MIT campus, has a 40-year history of developing unique operational prototypes for military and space systems operating in extreme and harsh environments. The lab is developing relationships with commercial clients interested in the technology and experience developed largely under Department of Defense (DOD) and NASA funding.

Draper has a reputation for successful surface and undersea systems as well as information management and decision support systems, leveraging this experience base to provide customers with independent, unbiased engineering solutions to complex and dynamic problems. The lab's contributions to maritime and information systems encompass design, development, and testing at the component, subsystem, and system levels. Draper develops sensors, networks, and vehicles for autonomous and manned maritime applications, and has evolved its expertise to support autonomous and manned surface and undersea systems, large-scale decision systems, and information systems with customized, cost-effective solutions.

Draper's Maritime Reconnaissance mission features an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that is launched from a host platform, transits safely and clandestinely a distance of around 100 nautical miles, arrives precisely on station in a shallow water area, maintains station for several days acquiring local information, transmits some information to the user remotely over limited bandwidth links, and returns to the host platform.

Transits are to be across the continental shelf into coastal regimes with environmental variability and seagoing activities. Prior information about such variability and activities will be uncertain, requiring real-time, adaptive vehicle behavior and robust autonomy. Draper is currently developing the intelligent autonomy package, which will provide the 21-inch-diameter AUV with the logic to execute pre-planned mission profiles, support on-board mission and path replanning, tactical scene generation, threat and obstacle avoidance, and high level programming for dynamic retasking.

This system, still under development, recently participated via distributed simulation as a virtual player in FBE-K, the eleventh in the series of Fleet Battle Experiments, which examined command and control objectives and innovative warfighting concepts in an at-sea environment.

Italy's OMG
OMG di Chericoni Dario & C. Snc is a manufacturer of underwater breathing apparatus located in Sul Stefano Magra, La Spezia, Italy. The company has provided professional and military diving equipment for almost 40 years, specializing in closed circuit oxygen, nitrox and heliox self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, and related equipment.

OMG is the sole supplier for the Italian Navy Combat Diving Commandos and supplies many other armed forces and special forces (navy raiders, combat divers, army commandos, paratroopers, military and police divers) worldwide. The company's rugged equipment is built with the latest technology under the direct supervision of the Italian Navy Raiders, which are similar to the US Navy SEALs in America.

Versatility and quick response are the main features of this company. On a customer's request, OMG is able to design and mass produce any gear to suit the demanding military and commercial markets. The Equipment is built according to specs by STANAG-NATO standards. OMG's Azimuth, a semi-closed circuit rebreather for Nitrox mixtures, is promoted by San-o-Sub Italia (Milan), another company with many years of diving industry experience. San-o-Sub also manufactures valves and regulators for scuba, commercial, and military applications for famous brand names in Europe and the US.

All products from both OMG and San-o-Sub are now distributed in the Americas by Divesafe.net, located in Miami, Florida. At the request of the US Navy, Divesafe.net and OMG worked closely with scientists from NOAA to develop a replacement for old and outdated rebreathers. Together they teamed up with Micropore (Extend Air), another American company responsible for CO2 filtration systems for submarines, rebreathers, hyperbaric chambers, and home-shelters.

This group has developed an independent, fully-closed circuit electronic rebreather for use with heliox, nitrox, or pure oxygen and capable of reaching depths of 660 feet (220m) with up to 12 hours of gas duration. The design, called the Nemesis-I CCR, uses small cylinders, solid cartridges, and an integrated computer that includes decompression and high-graphics with many features and dive tables. The Nemesis-I CCR will be used by both agencies for research and military applications in the future. Visit www.divesafe.net for more information.

Desert Star Systems
Desert Star Systems' new FrogEye is a hand-held amphibious digital camera designed for special forces. The first of its kind, FrogEye is a durable digital camera that can record high-speed streaming-JPEG images anywhere from high altitude to water depths of 300 feet (91m). Its unique innovations make it an extremely versatile tool for getting any job done.

The FrogEye is sealed and armored to military specifications. It requires no maintenance, so special forces can travel light and get more work done. It is sleek, lightweight, tough, and doesn't require a separate waterproof housing (six pounds with lens).

The camera features push-button night vision. This is accomplished by using a Texas Instruments Single Photon Detector chip next to the color daytime sensor chip on the sensor module.

The FrogEye offers high-resolution motion imagery, using streaming JPEG (rather than MPEG) to retain the quality of each frame. Frame speed is 30 frames per second.

Special lenses are available. The FrogEye can use all Canon lenses, including the EF series. For situations that call for special equipment to reduce weight and damage there is the FL-400. Extremely lightweight, the FL-400 lens is collapsible for storage and transport and floods while transported underwater. The water drains within seconds of emerging from the sea, allowing immediate recording of surveillance.

The camera works with nearly any source of commercial electricity, from 9V DC to 220V AC. If necessary, a car battery or COTS solar panel can be used to power it and charge its internal battery. It also takes the BA-5590 military battery and a Desert Star waterproof external battery pack.

It can be remotely operated through any twisted wire pair (phone cable, etc.) from a distance of up to 1.3km. In Autonomous Mode it also captures images in intervals. There is massive data storage space (more than 40 GB) making it a practical option for long-term observation missions.

Safe and reliable delivery of image data from hazardous environments is the reason FrogEye was created. It has multiple redundant methods of data storage, protection, and retrieval to suit the varied and demanding needs of military agencies. The camera's architecture is modular and all components can be replaced at the factory or in the field.

Perhaps FrogEye's greatest strength is its ability to adapt to a specific mission. The camera offers the capability to perform advanced and specialized operations on the image data in real time, and to associate other sensor data with the images. FrogEye is, essentially, an imaging super computer for all military applications. Visit www.desertstar.com.

Southern Oceanics
The Royal New Zealand Navy recently took delivery of an ultra-lightweight and transportable Type LMS 1500/6 Recompression Chamber from South African diving system manufacturer, Southern Oceanics. A unique feature of the LMS 1500/6 is its ability to provide surface decompression treatment or transport under pressure to larger shore-based treatment chambers for six seated divers, two recumbent diving casualties plus two attendants, or up to nine submariners following a submarine accident.

The system is fabricated from a high-tensile non-magnetic duplex stainless steel. The addition of four bolt-on mobilization wheel mechanisms, two 10m3 HP air cylinders, and a 3m3 HP oxygen cylinder brings its gross unmanned weight to 4,420 pounds. The wheel mechanisms are height-adjustable and allow the chamber to be manhandled on a smooth surface by two personnel.

The chamber was designed for deployment on weather decks of small dive support and mine hunting vessels and all control panels are therefore fully weatherproof. The system's fit-out specification includes a rotating NATO transfer under pressure bayonet flange, the choice of three pressurization systems, one main and one controlled depressurization system, chamber atmosphere oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring systems, carbon dioxide scrubbers and hyperbaric fire extinguishers in both locks, an onboard 70 Amp-hour power supply, bio-medical monitoring facilities, a call alarm, hyperbaric lighting, and high quality communications. For more, email david@oceaniconline.net.

Hunter
The German armed forces recently received its first sets of the SLT 60 surface-supplied diving apparatus from the British company, SLT Systems, a distributor for Hunter vulcanized rubber drysuits. Phil Sayers of SLT Systems, in cooperation with the German Test Centre for Ships and Marine Weapons, developed the new SLT 60 military diving system. Development began in 1996 and the first sets are being used by the German Navy's Ship Safety Divers based in Neustadt on the Baltic coast, and with the German Army Pioneer Divers. The SLT 60 replaces their aging fleet of DrŠger DM 220 standard diving apparatus, in service with the German armed forces divers since 1984.

The SLT 60 is a complete surface-supplied diving system designed to support a pair of divers to a depth of 197 feet (60m) on air. It is the only surface-supplied diving system available in Europe that has been tested and CE certified by Germanischer Lloyd as in accordance with the European directive for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Accordingly, the SLT 60 can be purchased off-the-shelf by military customers in the knowledge that it has been built and tested to the most rigorous specifications and is already in service with one of Europe's most discerning military customers.

The SLT 60 was originally purchased in 1998 by Germany for contaminated water diving operations in shallow waters. The dry neck-yoke version was preferred to a simple neck-dam to avoid all contact with the surrounding water and aggressive chemicals. Further units were used for the construction of the fourth road tunnel under the river Elbe in Hamburg, which involved prolonged diving operations in dense and contaminated Bentonite slurries.

The SLT 60 consists of a two-diver control panel with depth measuring and comms, umbilicals, safety harnesses, bail-out systems, helmets and video cameras.

RD Instruments
Since 1982, RD Instruments (RDI) has offered a wide range of acoustic Doppler solutions for the measurement of water currents and precision navigation in US military applications.

RDI's Workhorse Navigator Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) is a multi-function acoustic sensor that provides precise velocity and altitude updates. The unit can be used as a stand-alone velocity sensor or integrated with existing navigation systems, including LBL, USBL and inertial systems. The Workhorse Navigator DVL currently provides precision navigation capability to a variety of advanced military surface and underwater platforms including mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels, swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs), towed bodies, AUVs, and diver navigation systems.

Patented bottom detection algorithms, combined with single ping bottom location, relocate the ocean floor on a ping-by-ping basis, allowing robust and reliable bottom-tracking even in changing seabed conditions and uneven terrain. With more than 10 years of BroadBand bottom-tracking experience over a wide variety of conditions, the Workhorse Navigator can reliably track in a variety of seabed materials and compositions even when the acoustic "brightness" of the reflected signal may vary. The unit automatically adjusts for scenarios where high volume backscatter is generated, such as disturbed sediment and low visibility conditions.

Military uses for RDI's DVL include navigation of manned and unmanned submersibles, MCM vessel navigation and positioning of deployed assets, diver navigation and reconnaissance systems, special forces insertion and extraction operations, hydrographic survey operations in the littoral zone. and battle space environmental data acquisition. For more info, visit www.rdinstruments.com or www.dvlnav.com.

Eca
France's Eca is well-known for its PAP mine disposal system, which is used by more than 20 navies around the world. Over 500 units of these combat-proven systems have carried out over 45,000 successful missions.

Today, navies are facing new challenges due to an evolving international environment and new constraints leading to new requirements such as organic capability, flexibility and modularity, improved efficiency, lower through-life costs, and increased security for personnel. These factors, combined with the constant threat of underwater mines, led Eca to devise a new generation of modular and innovative underwater mine warfare systems.

Among these is Olister, which can be configured as an ROV using either an umbilical or a battery and fiber optic cable, or can be easily converted into an AUV called Alister.

Another unique system is the K-ster minekiller, an inexpensive and easily launched one-shot system for rapid mine clearance. It is designed to operate from any platform, at short or long range, and in shallow or deep water.

K-ster is guided towards the target using auto-heading, auto-depth, or even full auto-homing function when interfaced with the command and control system of the ship giving the position of the target. Thanks to its tiltable warhead and sensor package (variable frequency sonar and automatic low light video camera), K-ster provides easy mine identification prior to accurate and powerful fire.

The K-ster is 56 inches long, nine inches in diameter, and weighs just 88 pounds, achieving a speed of over 5 knots at a range of more than 3,300 feet. It is depth-rated to 1,000 feet (300m).

The K-ster is equipped with a color video camera with automatic day/night function, which automatically switches from color to low light black and white. This function, along with variable intensity searchlights, provides maximum efficiency in poor visibility conditions.

A variable frequency sonar (from 500 to 1,200kHz) provides long range detection of the target and high frequency imaging capacity at short range, which is necessary when visibility conditions do not permit the use of video.

K-ster is linked to the mothership using a bare fiber optic cable and comes with a user-friendly hand-carry type control console. Visit www.eca.fr for more information.

VideoRay
The VideoRay ROV was recently tested by divers, criminologists, scientists, and engineers for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The Florida State University-Panama City Underwater Crime Scene Investigation (UCSI) Program used a VideoRay ROV to test Florida's terrorism response systems on February 4, 2003, in Niceville, FL. The VideoRay is part of "a new paradigm for scientific underwater investigations," said Tom Kelley, head of the UCSI program.

Joerg Hess, expert in remote sensing and underwater robotics for UCSI, introduced local, state, and federal officials to the VideoRay as a first response tool to aid in underwater terrorists attacks and crime scene investigations.

The new UCSI program also trains and educates local authorities on different methods used to look for evidence and search underwater areas and targets. "We are in the business of educating people and sharing with them the best technology that is affordable," said Kelley. "We needed a small system that is portable and cost effective, a tool that can fit within a sheriff department's budget." The VideoRay ROV is used by the UCSI team as an alternate to divers to get a first look at an underwater crime scene. The eight-pound submersible is equipped with a video camera and can be operated by one person from land or boat. It is attached to a 500-foot-long tether and control box.

To locate possible targets for investigation, Hess also uses a scanning sonar mounted on the VideoRay, which can pick up the presence of a gun underwater, for example. The VideoRay is then launched to capture video footage of the area and even retrieve the gun with its manipulator claw. When divers are sent in, the VideoRay acts as a third eye, giving staff on the shore a close look at underwater operations. Using the VideoRay also frees divers from carrying videography equipment.

"We showed that the video we get from the VideoRay is as good or better than what we were able to get with more expensive ROVs," said Hess. "Everyone was flabbergasted. The VideoRay may look like a toy but it proved itself as a serious piece of equipment." Visit www.videoray.com or www.fsupc.com.

Marine Magnetics
The Royal Dutch Navy has outfitted two new vessels with Marine Magnetics SeaSpy Overhauser marine magnetometers, with integrated Sonardyne USBL transponder, for accurate positioning of the SeaSpy towfish.

The Royal Navy, a long time cesium magnetometer user, chose SeaSpy for its rugged tow body, reliability, sturdy terminations and for the benefit of its Overhauser technology. SeaSpy has high sensitivity, absolute accuracy, no heading error, and no orientation restrictions that would limit its ability to survey accurately worldwide.

SeaSpy marine magnetometers are in use by navies, research institutes, archaeologists, geophysicists and survey companies around the world. For information, contact Melissa Marlowe at mm@marinemagnetics.com.

Stenmar Sonavision
Research and development funded by the UK's Defence Evaluation Research Agency and the Office of Naval Research in Washington, DC, have now reached commercial fruition with the availability of a cost-effective wide band sonar for ROV deployment.

The new Mercury sonar, available from Stenmar Sonavision, is fully tuneable by the operator while in water, in one KHz steps. This valuable new capability results from the use of 1:3 piezo composite transducers, which create a wide bandwidth transducer and suppress side lobes significantly. The resulting beam has extraordinary definition and, as a result, the classification of objects has become more reliable. The in-water frequency changing capability also permits the operator to seek targets which have a specific resonant frequency.

In recent trials in Scotland by the Swedish Navy, the Mercury located mine-like objects at two to three times normal detection ranges when the objects resonant frequency had been identified. The Swedish Navy operate 17 of the Mercury sonars on the Double Eagle MCM ROV. Similar testing by Eca (France) has lead to the installation of Mercury sonars on some of their ROVs.

Another advantage of the new Mercury sonar technology is the compact size. The wide band transducer allows frequency ranges of 300 to 600KHz or 400KHz to 1.2MHz to be used from a singe housing. The scanning sonars produced for the Eca ROVs was only 67mm diameter by 79mm high while communication was via an RS485 bi-directional data link.

The next step in the use of wide band sonars is the production of a chirp-based scanning sonar. The results to date of this research have shown the near reality of doubling of range, with a dramatic increase in resolution - 3mm resolution has been achieved by a processor based on field programmable gate array technology at ranges out to 400m. A single beam mechanical scanning version of this technology is now undergoing tests. However, it is anticipated that an electronically scanned version will be available within two years.

Mar-Vel Underwater Equipment
I can recall a Mar-Vel catalog at every Navy Dive Locker, or "head," at any diving command I was ever attached to. Little did I know that I would have the opportunity to one day work for the company. My name is Chris Johnson and I am a former US Navy Diver. My previous commands included the USS Recovery (ARS 43), USS Grasp (ARS 51), and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two.

As the new Director of Government Affairs for Mar-Vel, I have the unique opportunity as a civilian to maintain a link with the world I once enjoyed. Mar-Vel Underwater Equipment has offered a thoroughly complete selection of equipment for various needs for over 56 years, and strives to seek out the best equipment and the best manufacturers to offer our customers.

The company is proud to be a Prime Vendor for the US government regarding diving and marine lifesaving equipment, representing well over 300 manufacturers. The Prime Vendor Contract is part of a Department of Defense initiative that began in 1998. In addition to diving and marine lifesaving, Mar-Vel provides high quality personal protection products as well.

This spring, Mar-Vel hosted New Jersey congressman Robert Andrews and Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) commander, Major General Gary Border, to recognize the efforts of both DSCP and Mar-Vel in supporting our nation's troops. Through the DSCP Prime Vendor program, Mar-Vel supplies over 30,000 items to military and government customers worldwide.

The Prime Vendor contract is managed by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) under the DSCP, and is known as a "best value" type contract, primarily serving the war-fighter and other critical members of the military. The concept is to allow strategic military departments to order many similar items of the same class from one vendor's warehouse, as opposed to seeking individual pricing from many sources. This one-stop-shopping concept saves the taxpayers money and allows the all-important end-user the ability to order what they really want and truly need.

In addition, the military customer receives round-the-clock access to Mar-Vel's key personnel for customer service and technical issues. The purpose is to minimize or replace vast government stocking warehouses and place the duty of product distribution onto the private sector.

Prime Vendors are required to make a variety of products available in their specific product specialty. DSCP constantly requests that our company add additional items into our inventory to better serve our customers. Some of these items may not be directly related to diving and marine lifesaving, but may be integral to the performance of the end user's duties.

Mar-Vel's customers include all branches of the US armed services, Department of Homeland Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, Central Intelligence Agency, counter drug programs, friendly foreign militaries, and numerous state and local law enforcement entities.

With these changing times, and Mar-Vel's expansion of products and manufacturers, we will soon be known by a new name. Mar-Vel International, Inc. "Equipment for Extreme Environments."

One of the popular products the company provides for commercial and military customers is the MK I Vest, the widely seen color-coded vest worn by flight deck personnel on all US Navy aircraft carriers. New products include chemical/biological defense suits, body armor, and tactical gear. Mar-Vel is the world's largest Viking dealer and one of the largest Stearns dealers. The company is an authorized Kirby Morgan Dive Systems Helmet Repair and Certification Facility, with factory-certified technicians on-hand to expertly service helmets, umbilicals, and dive control systems. Mar-Vel offers full helmet rebuilds, threaded insert repair, minor fiberglass repair, umbilical pressure and fitting pull tests, communication tests, gauge calibration and more.

One of the more popular items for commercial and military divers is the famous Monkey Heater, an innovative hot water heater with many advantages over its predecessors. The new Monkey Heater unit is smaller and lighter than previous models, incorporating a number of features, including detachable fuel tanks, that make fuel transfer a breeze. Standard on every system is a small, submersible water pump (eliminating pump-priming difficulties) that moves up to eleven gallons of water per minute. The pump comes with a 25-foot umbilical, while the heater unit includes an LED digital read-out for monitoring water temperature, with a range of up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat is supplied by a diesel-fired burner capable of 350,000 BTU. Mar-Vel has also incorporated a manual fuel pressure adjustment that enables divers to maintain a constant water temperature when the system is in use. The variation in temperature is maintained at plus or minus one degree, a great improvement over older systems. The Monkey Heater system uses an adjustable high temperature shut-off to shut down automatically should the water temperature become too warm. In addition, it has a special flow switch that will shut the system down should the water supply be accidentally cut off. The entire electrical system is sealed and can be operated outdoors in moist environments.

The new Euro Monkey Heater is set up for international contractors. The unit delivers the same quality and performance of the standard heater and is delivered pre-wired and set for 220v/50 Hz. Also new for the heater is a field service kit that includes a replacement pump, burner motor, fuel regulator, flow switch, filters, and tool kit, all pre-packed in a Pelican case.

Mar-Vel is a one-stop umbilical shop, offering custom umbilicals to suit any system need. They stock three-part umbilical in lengths of 2,000 feet, and also manufacture traditional taped umbilicals that can include a hot water hose, communication line, video cable, as well as air hose, pnuemo hose and strength member.

There are two new and exclusive Mar-Vel items. First is the custom helmet bag to hold your helmet, spares, and even tools. The padded bag is manufactured with tough ballistic nylon and features two external mesh pockets (for storage and air-drying), an internal zipper pouch and four drain grommets.

The other Mar-Vel exclusive are the collectable challenge coins. The 2002 coin featured the familiar MK V diving helmet. The 2003 coin is currently being minted, and is perfect for adding to your current collection or for beginning one. For more, visit www.mar-vel.com.

Amrel
Amrel's new Rocky Patriot IV tablet computer designed specifically for military applications. The 3.7-pound Rocky Patriot IV is the lightest tablet computer to employ a Windows XP Platform on the market.

"Weight is a critical factor that must be considered when assessing the overall functionality of a tablet system," said Tom Lewis, Director of Federal Computer Sales for the California-based company.

The Rocky Patriot IV features ruggedization certification to both Military Standard 810F and Industrial Standard IP 54 for water, dust, shock, vibration and temperature resistance, as well as Military Standard 461D for electromagnetic emissions shielding. Also included as standard is a military-green magnesium casing, military AC connector (DC optional), resistive touchscreen for navigation with stylus or finger, internal vehicle adapter, precautionary port covers, hot swappable batteries, programmable function keys, Intel Pentium III 500MHz CPU, 256MB SDRAM, and a 40GB removable hard drive. Options include an external dust and water-resistant backlit keyboard for fast and easy data entry anywhere, a suite of wireless networking options, and docking options including an adjustable locking stand with an optional docklight for port expansion.

Deep Ocean Engineering
New challenges facing homeland security require a complete integration of different underwater equipment, including ROV systems that carry sophisticated sensor suites. As a vehicle manufacturer, Deep Ocean Engineering (DOE) concentrates on the underwater role of the ROV and its mission requirements, including ships hull inspection, port security, and intruder observation and identification.

Numerous interviews and demonstrations to military organizations indicate that a mjilitary ROV should be lightweight, powerful, versatile, fully portable, and very easy to operate. The vehicle should also have adequate on-board power and telemetry to expand its mission capabilities over time.

DOE's new Triggerfish ROV was designed to perform a complete range of underwater security services and has proved both successful and popular with users. Weighing in at only 68 pounds, the unit is light, powerful, and highly maneuverable, with an effective payload of 25 pounds and complete interfacing capabilities for multiple sensor suites.

During security operations, a large volume of real-time data must be analyzed in order to maintain a safe and protected perimeter. The key is to quickly locate, identify and neutralize the potential threat. Identification and classification of a potential threat underwater, especially in areas of poor visibility, is difficult. It requires the use of less intuitive technologies such as sonar, tracking, and positioning systems. All of these parameters must be integrated with the resulting data and scanned in real time, while the ROV is still going about its business monitoring and inspecting suspicious objects and detecting swimmers.

The constant in the underwater environment is variance, especially in harbors and estuaries. Currents, turbulence and visibility all can change rapidly. These tend to be acoustically noisy due to ship propellers and their acoustic signatures, ferry and pleasure craft traffic, construction work, and general harbor operations. In addition, the harbor layout and manmade structures may also add to a multi-path acoustical effect, which may further complicate matters. Thus, acoustic systems have to be extremely intelligent and accurate to produce meaningful information.

Conventional tracking of an ROV's position is achieved acoustically, either by ultra short baseline (USBL) or long baseline (LBL) tracking systems. The challenge with tracking and positioning systems is maintaining the 100 percent coverage required.

There are several tradeoffs. USBL systems are easier to deploy, but will have blind areas on the opposite side of a ship's hull. LBL systems claim better ROV tracking resolution and may be less subject to multi-path returns, but are more complicated to deploy.

There are some interesting alternatives in development, one of them being video mosaics. This would generate a real-time video mosaic at the ROV surface control station from the ROV video image data gathered subsea. This technology has potential on ship hulls and harbor bottoms as a navigation tool. The advantage is that it is easily and quickly setup and does not have shadowing or multi-return anomalies associated with acoustic sensor systems.

Underwater homeland security is a challenging task. A rapidly deployable ROV, such as DOE's Triggerfish, plays a vital role in object classification and identification using its sensor suite to quickly gather essential surveillance data. The key to successful underwater missions will depend on a combination of operator-level training, ROV user-friendliness, and vehicle capabilities.

Inuktun Services
Inuktun Services, of Nanaimo, BC, Canada, has developed an ROV for the US Navy that detects and evaluates corrosion on ships' fluid tanks. Dubbed the Remotely Operated Paint Inspector, or ROPI, the vehicle saves money, provides consistent and objective tank inspection methods, reduces the number of each Navy ship's scheduled manned inspections, and decreases the need for structural repair and rehabilitation.

ROPI complements the trained human certified inspectors who inspect the tanks on Navy ships. Notwithstanding the investigators' diligence, human inspection is difficult and inconsistent. Although it is essential to discern small differences in the degree of corrosion, it is difficult to pick up those differences using just the human eye. Also, at between $8,000 and $15,000 for a tank inspection, human inspection is expensive.

Tanks in the US Navy fleet come in all shapes, sizes, and types. They include seawater tanks for ballast and damage control, compensated fuel tanks, fuel and potable water tanks, and combined holding tanks. Some of the smaller tanks measure only three feet square; others are as large as 100 feet by 30 feet.

The current Navy practice is to inspect 4,000 tanks per year. The inspection process is systematic and thorough. Hatches are opened, tanks are cleaned and emptied of all gasses, and trained personnel are sent in to visually inspect and evaluate the tanks.

Several years ago, the Navy began to look at complementing humans with technology. After considering and rejecting such techniques as infrared tomography and ultrasound, it went looking for a supplier to build a remote-controlled device that could inspect the tanks.

Enter the ROPI. Weighing just eight pounds and measuring only 14 inches long, nine inches wide, and eight inches high, ROPI is so compact and light that one average-sized man can carry it easily through the standard 13-inch by 21-inch Navy tank hatches.

It comes equipped with an auto-depth and auto hover systems for smooth horizontal and vertical evaluation of tank surfaces, 340 Watts of lighting with intensity control for adequate lighting in a variety of conditions, zoom-operable CCD camera, and dual reference electrodes that measure tank corrosion.

Inuktun president Colin Dobell calls ROPI a submarine on a cable with a video camera, sensors and a small screen, and likens it to playing a video game. "It's very simple. You use a joystick, buttons, and controls. It takes only about an hour to learn how to operate."

ROPI's partner on tank inspections is a Navy-developed image analysis software package that functions as a corrosion detection algorithm, which provides an accurate analytical assessment of damage to the tank's coating from imagery provided by ROPI's video camera. The software is more consistent than the human eye at finding tank corrosion and damage.

Inuktun has also applied ROPI's technology to Seamor, an easy-to-use, lightweight commercial ROV with a wide range of applications. The Navy and Inuktun are working on the next generation ROPI 2, an industrial unit featuring a modular design with easily replaceable parts. It will be PC-controlled and powered by four thrusters for greater stability while it hovers. Most importantly, the materials used in its construction will allow ROPI 2 to be used safely inside fuel tanks.

USIA
USIA was established in 1987 as a manufacturing firm mainly involved in defense contracting. In 1989, the company offered its first recreational diving suits to a select few diving retailers due to an increased demand for quality recreational drysuits.

The Oregon-based company's drysuits and thermal wear protective undergarments are the result of years of extensive design and development. The USIA dive team has conducted hundreds of dives in every kind of environment and under extreme conditions. Almost every branch of the US military has purchased USIA dry suits.

The USIA Ballistic Dry Suit is a combat diver's dress with leg inflator and patent pending internal ballistics fabrics. It has outer pockets and panels are included.

The standard Combat Divers Dress is made of 400 series denier pac cloth. It features hard-soled boots, military grade latex seals, two pockets, 100 denier Cordura-reinforced arms, butt, wrist and boot protectors and full frontal (top and pant) protection. The suit comes with a variable volume valve, suit bag, and LP hose.

Subsalve
Subsalve USA has been providing underwater lift bags to US and foreign military agencies for more than 25 years. The company's standard underwater lift bags are used regularly by navies for salvage, harbor clearance, construction, and recovery operations. Subsalve has also supplied the US Navy and 12 foreign navies with its Mark V underwater ordnance disposal system. The Mark V is the result of a 15-year process that started when Subsalve supplied the US Navy EOD Tech Center with 170 Mark 2 Mod 1 systems (predecessor to the Mark V).

The Mark V system is non-magnetic and includes a one-metric-ton enclosed lift bag, integrated inflation cylinders, attachment hardware, and storage valise, and can be actuated remotely via hard wire, airline, or completely autonomously via acoustic actuation up to one mile away.

In addition to supplying military markets, Subsalve also supplies standard and specialized systems for homeland security to law enforcement agencies, including ATF, FBI, US Customs, and Secret Service. Product applications include vehicle recovery and evidence retreival.

Subsalve has developed a remotely-actuated underwater bomb retreival system in use by the ATF, FBI, and approximately 25 law enforcement agencies. Since the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, Subsalve President Richard Fryburg has taken part with the ATF, FBI, and the Edmond, Oklahoma Police Department in a training class for more than 40 police department bomb squads.

Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector has successfully redelivered the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), to the US Navy after an Extended Drydock Selected Restricted Availability. The redelivery took place May 7, 2003, after successful sea trials.

"This accomplishment is the result of a lot of hard work by the shipbuilders of Northrop Grumman Newport News and by the Navy," said Bob Gunter, Senior Vice President, Aircraft Carrier Programs, Northrop Grumman Newport News. "We've pulled together as a team to get this ship back into the fleet, where it will continue to protect and serve our nation."

Work included routine dry dock work, tank blasting and coating, hull preservation, propulsion and ship system repairs, and limited enhancements to various hull, mechanical and electrical systems. The work took place at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. Newport News coordinated this availability with Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which was responsible for a portion of the work performed.

"Everyone serving aboard Enterprise is thrilled to be back at sea," said Capt. Eric Neidlinger. "Sixteen months of long, hard work by the dedicated professionals of Northrop Grumman Newport News, Norfolk Naval Shipyard and ship's force personnel find Enterprise in her best condition in decades. Thanks to all those who put in the long hours during this shipyard period, she heads to sea ready to take its place at the vanguard of America's defense."

The USS Enterprise was launched at Newport News in 1960 and has been defending the United States for more than 42 years. The ship and its battle group were most recently deployed in the Middle East as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. She is 1,101 feet long, with a flight deck width of 252 feet and a displacement of 89,600 tons, and can reach speeds in excess of 30 knots.

Northrop Grumman Newport News, headquartered in Newport News, Va., is the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two companies capable of designing and building nuclear powered submarines.

Oceaneering Technologies
Oceaneering Technologies, or OTECH, develops and operates specialized marine systems for both government and commercial customers. Its products and services include development of the next generation submarine rescue system for the US Navy, ROVs for deep ocean operations, automated hull cleaning and painting systems, and special purpose software and data analysis products for marine military applications.

Duncan McLean was recently named Vice-President and General Manager of Oceaneering Technologies. He was Manager of Marine Systems for OTECH, and also served as Oceaneering's Program Manager for the US Navy's Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System.

Prior to joining Oceaneering, McLean served in the US Navy for over 20 years, retiring as a Commander.

John Kreider, Senior Vice-President of Oceaneering Advanced Technologies, said, "OTECH is critical to the long-term growth and strategy of Advanced Technologies. Duncan has done an outstanding job in his previous management role at Oceaneering and in effectively coordinating with other groups to bring the best possible product to our customers in a cost-effective manner. His broad experience with design, build, and operation of marine systems provides a solid background to lead OTECH for future growth." Visit www.oceaneering.com.

Mazin Submersible Technology
Mazin Submersible Technology (MST) produces small, lightweight, extremely high-energy electric propulsion systems for commercial and military divers. The company's primary product, Jetboots, use twin leg-mounted propulsion units to provide powerful hands-free propulsion for a diver. A variable speed controller is attached near the diver's waist, and a battery pack can replace a weight belt.

The fourth generation of this system was developed in conjunction with active combat divers focusing on their unique needs. Jetboots can save time and money in a wide variety of marine applications including inspections, construction, photography, recreation, search and rescue, and many more.

With a dry weight of 20 pounds and over 40 pounds of available thrust, Jetboots equal the performance of tow-behind scooters weighing two to three times more. A 200-pound diver in a drysuit can easily achieved speeds exceeding 2.5 knots. Battery options can be tailored to individual needs and equipment configurations. MST offers nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion, and lithium primary cell packs that provide run times between one and three hours at full throttle. Standard Jetboots are rated to depths of 300 feet (91m), and greater depth ranges are available with custom models.

Conventional tow behind or ride on diver propulsion vehicles use lead acid batteries. Popular examples of these vehicles include the Oceanic Mako, Aeris Voyager, Gavin, Silent Submersion UV-18, and Farallon 7. Many divers wish to get more life than these batteries provide. When possible, it is common to add more batteries in parallel to achieve this. Additional batteries greatly increase the weight and size of the system.

To solve the problem, MST's offers NiMH battery packs for 24 Volt scooters that provide two to three times the battery life of the lead acid batteries in a package the same size and weight as conventional batteries. NiMH batteries have a much higher energy density and better performance at high discharge rates. They are drop-in replacements that include control circuitry to monitor remaining battery life and protect the pack from excessive discharge.

Two models are available, the Standard Pack with a one hour discharge capacity of 22 Amp-hours at 24 Volts, and a Super Pack with a capacity of 28 Amp-hours at 24 Volts. Retail prices are $800 for the Standard Pack and $1,150 for the Super Pack. The lifetime of these batteries is over 500 cycles, making their cost per hour of thrust considerably less than lead acid batteries.