VT Halter Marine, Northrop Grumman Team

VT Halter Marine Inc. has teamed with Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Electronic Systems sector to bid for the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command’s (TACOM) Theater Support Vessel (TSV) project. The TSV will support the Army’s transformation goal of deploying a combat-ready brigade anywhere in the world within 96 hours and will reduce support requirements for large-scale, onshore arrivals. The TSV will allow the Army to rapidly respond to crisis situations by arriving quickly and landing at ports that are too shallow or under-equipped for conventional vessels. With the capacity to transport more than 350 troops plus gear, and the capability to load and unload troops and equipment in as little as 20 minutes, the TSV will cost half of the price of airlifts and will be able to deliver crew and cargo four times faster than current systems. Onboard Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities will provide continuously updated information to the vessel and supported commander, allowing for mission and en route planning. Prime contractor VT Halter Marine will lead the TSV proposal development and perform hull, electrical and mechanical design and fabrication of the ships, while Northrop Grumman will serve as lead systems integrator. Boyd King, VT Halter Marine’s CEO said, “Our goal is to design and build a Theatre 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.” Martin Simoni, Northrop Grumman’s site director of Advanced Naval Platforms in Ocean Springs, Miss., said, "VT Halter Marine has a long-standing and successful relationship as a premier U.S. Army vessel supplier, and we are proud to team with them on this important program. Together, we aim to deliver the most capable and affordable TSV in the shortest time possible.”