NORSHIPCO Proceeds with USNS Shasta Contract

Military Sealift Command (MSC) has canceled its stop-work order and given NORSHIPCO permission to proceed with repair and conversion work on USNS Shasta. With options, the total value of the contract is between approximately $20 million and $25 million. The work is scheduled to begin around the end of February 1999 and continue until January 2000. Work was originally stopped due to a protest by National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) about the award of the contract to NORSHIPCO. The work package includes major structural modifications to the accommodation areas, including reconfiguration of existing compartments and additions of new ones; installation of automated shipboard systems to reduce the amount of crew necessary to operate them; and repair and maintenance of the propulsion and auxiliary machinery. High-pressure AC systems and remote alarms will also be installed.