laststandonzombieisland

Seems the Panama City commercial shipbuilder who is crafting up to 25 new mil-spec OPVs (light frigates) for the USCG is getting some serious subcontractors.

Announced Monday:

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) for the design of C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers and intelligence] and machinery control systems (MCS) for the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs). The systems being supplied include integrated bridge systems, command and control consoles, navigation and combat data distribution systems, ship-wide computer network systems, machinery control systems and propulsion control systems

“Our suite of integrated C4ISR and machinery control systems will provide the Coast Guard the long-term offshore capability needed to perform Coast Guard missions,” said Todd Leavitt, vice president, maritime systems business unit, Northrop Grumman. “This high priority investment will allow the Coast Guard to affordably and efficiently modernize the fleet, while extending their existing capabilities and effectively addressing the changing needs of their missions.”

In other OPC related news, I already talked about how the design is based on Norwegian-owned/Singapore stock exchange registered VARD’s series of OPVs in use around the globe (Ireland, Mauritania, Canada, and New Zealand,), and now it looks like Italian naval shipmaker heavyweight Fincantieri  is moving to take full control of the company which has ten strategically located shipbuilding facilities, including five in Norway, two in Romania, two in Brazil and one in Vietnam. Fincantieri already owns 55.63 percent of the company’s public stock and now wants the rest.