VT Halter teams with Northrop Grumman on TSV

VT Halter Marine, Inc., Gulfport, Miss., is teaming with Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Systems sector to bid for the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank Automotive and Armament Command) Theater Support Vessel project.

Prime contractor VT Halter Marine will lead the TSV proposal development and perform hull, electrical and mechanical design and fabrication of the vessel

VT Halter Marine CEO Boyd King said: "Our goal is to design and build a Theater Support Vessel specifically tailored to the U.S> Army's mission requirements by integrating commercial and military technologies, combining our experience and leveraging our resources in a way that effectively supports the Army's transformation strategy."

With the capacity to transport more than 350 troops with their gear--and load/unload them in 20 minutes--the TSV will cost half as much as airlifts. It will deliver crew and cargo four times faster than current systems. On board C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaisance) capabilities will provide continuously updated information to the vessel and support commander, allowing for mission and en route planning.

The TSV will support the Army's transformational gaol of deploying a combat ready brigade anywhere in the world within 96 hours. It will reduce support requirements for large scale, on shore arrivals.

The TSV will allow the Army to respond rapidly to crises, by arriving quickly and landing at ports that are too shallow or under-equipped for conventional vessels.