DREDGING OF MARE ISLAND STRAIT

The preliminary engineering report for this item was prepared by the district public works officer, and is complete.

The final plans and specifications have been authorized and are being prepared by the district public works officer.

Admiral JOHNSON. The final unclassified project in this class, on page 14 of the program book, is at the Naval Shipyard, Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif., for dredging Mare Island Strait at the estimated cost of $417,000. The mission of the yard is comparable in many respects to the yard at Portsmouth, N.H. It now has capabilities for construction and overhaul of nuclear-powered submarines and is the principal shipyard on the west coast for overhaul of such ships. The current depth of the channel and turning basin is 30 feet below mean lower low water. Average tides are 5 feet. The minimum depth required for operating the nuclear-powered submarines now under construction at the shipyard is 32 feet. Consequently, we propose by means of this project, to dredge the 30-foot-deep channel to 32-foot depth, 400 feet wide, a distance of 7,800 feet; and to dredge the 600-foot-wide turning basin also to 32-foot depth, for a distance of 7,500 feet. This increased depth will reduce possibilities of grounding while these submarines are underway.

Mr. SHEPPARD. What dredging, if any, is done in this area by the Corps of Engineers?

Admiral JOHNSON. None, sir. The maintenance dredging we are speaking of is done by the Navy.

Mr. SHEPPARD. Done completely by the Navy and not under the Army Engineers or by advertising and contract?

Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir. It is maintenance dredging by the Navy. Mr. SHEPPARD. Do you plan to use one of their dredges to do this work, or do you have your own equipment?

Admiral PELTIER. The Army is scheduled to do this dredging starting in late September 1961, simultaneously with the maintenance dredging, to restore the channel to the 30-foot depth.

Mr. SHEPPARD. What is the status of the A. & E. on both of these projects to which we are presently addressing ourselves, the first having to do with the shipyard at Norfolk and the same question pertaining to the shipyard at Mare Island. Is it preliminary or is it finalized?

Admiral PELTIER. The final plans and specifications have been started on the dredging by our district office at San Francisco. They should be completed by the September date that the Army will go in on this. At Norfolk the firm of Wiley & Wilson are accomplishing the nuclear-ship overhaul facilities. They started in March of 1961 and should be completed by August or September of 1961.

Mr. SHEPPARD. Is there any specialized requirement in A. & E. for the development and the use that you are making this appropriation request for in either instance? I mean by that, it is my understanding this is a nuclear-phase development. First, am I right there? Admiral PELTIER. It is a nuclear-ship overhaul facility, yes, sir. Mr. SHEPPARD. Is any special technique required to accomplish the end result so far as the issuance of your contract is concerned in these instances wherein your A. & E. people are inexperienced or experienced?

Admiral PELTIER. When you look at the items for accomplishment, you have a periscope tower, a crane, pure water facilities, and berthing camels. They in themselves are something that are capable of being accomplished by several people.

Mr. SHEPPARD. In other words, they are standard requirements, generally speaking?

Admiral PELTIER. That is correct. But in the periscope tower, for instance, he will probably have to do some coordinating with the shipyard personnel to see just what is required there.

WEAPONS FACILITIES

Mr. SHEPPARD. We shall take up next "Weapons facilities." Admiral Shinn, will you give us a short statement on this subject? Admiral SHINN. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, it is a pleasure to appear before this committee to present the Bureau of Naval Weapons portion of the Navy's fiscal year 1962 military construction appropriation request. This request totals $41,224,000. Of this, $33,161,000 is for development of U.S. continental facilities and $8,063,000 for oversea facilities. Included in the $33,161,000 is $11,633,000 for classified items.

Prior to proceeding with a detailed review of the various line items, I should like to outline briefly the objectives we hope to achieve with this portion of the Navy's program.

The request for the air training command provides primarily for improved combat information training facilities at the Naval Air Station, Glynco, Ga.

At our fleet support stations, our principal objectives are to improve aircraft maintenance and support facilities, modernize utilities systems, and provide precise control of air traffic offshore in the San Diego area.

For Marine Corps air stations, our principal objectives are to improve safety of flight conditions for high performance aircraft, improve maintenance facilities, and provide needed utilities support. Fleet readiness stations' objectives are primarily in support of classified facilities for POLARIS and other missile support missions. For our research and development stations, the two most significant items are the expansion of the water system at China Lake, Calif., and extension of a runway at Lakehurst, N.J.

The Navy's mission to provide range support for the Department of Defense and other Government agencies at the Pacific Missile Range requires continued development of this important defense facility.

The oversea program provides for correction of inadequate support and maintenance facilities. Significant items include aircraft maintenance and operational facilities at Naha, Okinawa, and Rota, Spain, and parking apron at Iwakuni, Japan.

(The following was submitted for the record:)

This facilities class in our program, naval weapons facilities, combines the former aviation facilities and ordnance facilities. It is composed of five groups of activities inside the United States, naval air training stations, field support stations, Marine Corps air stations, fleet readiness stations, and research, development, test, and evaluation stations. These 5 groups include 38 unclassified line items at 20 separate locations for $21,528,000 and 8 classified line items at 4 locations for $11,633,000. This class also includes an oversea group of six stations with nine unclassified line items for $8,063,000. The grand total for this class is $41,224,000. All line items in this class are in this year's authorization program.

The proposed projects provide for urgently required training of personnel; for improving the Naval and Marine Corps air striking power of our operating forces; for improving fleet readiness in the field of naval ordnance; and for continuing progress in urgent aeronautical and ordnance research, development, test, and evaluation programs.

TRAINING STATIONS

Mr. SHEPPARD. The first general area under weapons facilities is training stations.

Please insert page 4 of the justifications in the record at this point. (The page follows:)

Weapons facilities, air training stations-inside the United States

Installation and line item

Proposed
funding

Fiscal year authorization

Naval Air Station, Glynco, Ga.: Addition to Combat Information Center
School.

Naval Air Station, Memphis, Tenn.: Alteration for brig..

Subtotal, weapons facilities, air training stations-inside the United
States..

733,000

Admiral JOHNSON. The first group of stations in this facilities class, naval air training stations, starts on page 27 of the program book. It includes two line items at two locations for a total of $733,000.

NAVAL AIR STATION, GLYNCO, Ga.

Mr. SHEPPARD. The first item is the naval air station at Glynco, Ga. Also insert in the record page 27 of the justifications.

The preliminary engineering for this item was prepared by Robert & Co. Associates, Atlanta, Ga., and is complete. Fee amount, $7,900.

Final plans and specifications are being prepared by the same A. & E. Will be completed in June 1961. Fee amount, $29,336.

(The following was submitted for the record :)

The first project is for construction of an addition to the Combat Information Center (CIC) School for $639,000 at the Naval Air Station, Glynco, Ga. It is required for training personnel in all aspects of surface and airborne CIC. New concepts and doctrines are being introduced into the fleet as a result of the development of the naval tactical data system (NTDS) and the air tactical data system (ATDS). These systems provide a greatly increased capability for simultaneous tracking of multiple targets, with the related problems of intercept. air traffic control, threat evaluation, and weapon assignment on a programed computer basis. They provide a complete data display to command areas. The project will provide additional training space to accommodate these new systems. It will also increase areas in the school for modernization of existing equipment which will introduce into the training program relative motion and high speed tracking simulation. These facilities are required now in order that training of personnel may keep abreast of the installation and use of the tactical data systems in fleet surface and air units.

Mr. SHEPPARD. What additional facilities, new or replacement, will be required to meet the mission of this station, including the expanded CIC program?

Admiral SHINN. Mr. Hanabury?

Mr. HANABURY. Mr. Chairman, $150,000 to modify an existing building down there to accommodate the school coming over from Olathe, sir.

Mr. SHEPPARD. On these particular projects that I am referring to, gentlemen, you do have a generalized statement in your justifications. You will place them in the record and then respond to the special questions the committee may see fit to ask over and above what you have inserted in the record.

What was your basic reason for the transfer?

Admiral JOHNSON. The reason basically, Mr. Chairman, was that there was duplication of the use of very expensive aircraft and radar and associated type equipment at the two facilities. They could be combined into one activity at a great savings of space, expensive equipment, aircraft, including the operational use of the aircraft and pilots. In addition, we have a new type of automatic computing system which is called the naval tactical data system which is going into our ships. Its purpose is a program computer type of automatic acquisition of air targets, the tracking of them, the determination of the proper counterweapons to use, and certain command response. This new equipment has to be put into the shore facility. It would be necessary to duplicate it if we were to get the final trained personnel product. Since it would be a duplication and quite expensive, this is another supporting reason why it was determined it would be better to move to Glynco, Ga.

Mr. SHEPPARD. Aside from mechanical techniques to which you have referred as being advantageous in promoting the move, how much money will you save by making the move?

Admiral JOHNSON. Admiral Shinn, are you prepared to indicate the continuing savings?