UNOLS FLEET IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING
National Science Foundation
Stafford II Building, Room 555
A copy of these minutes can be downloaded as a pdf at <200410ficmi.pdf>
Executive
Summary
The UNOLS Fleet Improvement Committee met on Wednesday, October 13,
2004. A major focus of the meeting was
on Academic Fleet Renewal activities and plans. A brief summary of these items and other issues addressed by FIC
are provided in this Executive Summary:
FOFC Long-Range Fleet Plan Update - Bob Winokur, Federal Oceanographic Facilities
Committee (FOFC) Chair, discussed the Committee’s efforts to update their
Long-Range Fleet Plan. The FOFC update
will consist of one integrated Federal Fleet Plan that addresses the needs of
each member agency (not just the Academic Fleet). The FOFC plan will be drafted to be consistent with budgetary
limitations. They hope to have a draft
report available by March 2005. The
planned release date for the report is 30 September 2005. Bob emphasized that a UNOLS fleet plan
should be in “lock step” with the FOFC plan.
There is a need for consistency in the report recommendations.
EWING Replacement – LDEO has purchased a modern seismic vessel to replace EWING. Plans are being developed to convert the
ship into an oceanographic research vessel.
The converted ship is scheduled to go into service in 2006. EWING’s last cruise will take place in early
2005. LDEO has requested that the ship
be named MARCUS LANGSETH.
Regional Class Ships – Regional Class Operational Capabilities have been
drafted and are based on the UNOLS prioritization of the Regional Class
SMRs. The draft document is being
circulated for UNOLS review and comment.
The performance specification for the Regional Class will be drafted
over the next few months. NSF is
developing a request for proposals for design/build teams, which should be
advertised in mid 2005. NSF plans to
advertise the Regional Class operator solicitation in mid summer 2005.
Ocean Class Planning –Phase II of the ONR sponsored Ocean Class study
was completed in the summer. The study
looked at various hull forms including monohulls, SWATHs and X-Crafts.
Revised
Vessel Retirement Dates and SLEP Estimates - UNOLS vessel
operators were polled to determine if vessel retirement dates should be
extended. If so, they were asked to
provide a SLEP cost estimate for a 5-year extension and for a 10-year
extension. There are eleven UNOLS ships >40 m that have
retirement dates prior to 2020 and are potential candidates for SLEPs
(excluding ALPHA HELIX and EWING).
Preliminary findings indicate that most of the ships (>40m) can have
their lifetimes extended 5 and possibly 10 years for an estimated cost of
$1.025M-$5M per ship for a 5-year life extension. Extension of retirement dates for most vessels <40m is not
recommended. It is important to recognize
that the SLEP estimates focus
on maintaining the ship in an operational condition without enhancing the
scientific capabilities of the platform.
Existing Intermediate Class vessels do not meet most
of the desired Ocean Class SMRs and the Regional Class ships fall short of the
Regional Class SMRs in many areas.
Ship Design and Construction Efforts - The ARRV project is on track and the design will
be complete soon. Construction of the
CAPE HENLOPEN Replacement Vessel is well underway at Dakota Shipyard in
Anacortes, WA. Delivery is scheduled
for October 2005.
Fleet Improvement Plan (FIP) Update – FIC agreed that the UNOLS 1995 Fleet Improvement Plan should be
updated. An outline for an updated FIP
document was drafted. They hope to have
a first
draft by the March 2005 Council Meeting with a final draft by September 30,
2005
KILO MOANA Debriefs - A letter was sent to University of Hawaii in
April 2004 listing some of the problem areas that have been reported during the
KILO MOANA debrief interviews.
University of Hawaii has addressed some of these issues. FIC has decided to continue the KILO MOANA
debrief interviews but with a more focused, selective set of questions and
cruises.
ADA Design considerations – Terry Whitledge and Glosten Associates have reviewed the draft report,
“Construction Requirements for Passenger Vessels to Include the Americans with Disabilities Act” to determine how its recommendations could be adopted to the ARRV. Terry has offered to draft a white paper summarizing the ADA design considerations.
Other topics addressed by FIC included identification of
FIC projects/goals/priorities for 2005, membership changes, and winter meeting plans.
Recommendations
The FIC recommends that the 1995 Fleet Improvement Plan be updated. They have established an outline for the
updated document and an associated timeline.
Actions/Tasks
|
Task Description |
Action |
|
Regional Class Actions: |
|
|
·
Review
Regional Operational Capabilities and send to NSF by the end of October 04 |
FIC/RCAC - COMPLETE |
|
·
UNOLS Regional
Class Rep - Recommend a community representative to be the UNOLS rep to the
IPT. [Note – Agency input is needed to complete] |
Dave, Wilf, RCAC,
Office |
|
· Stay engaged in acquisition process § Provide feedback to NSF §
Insure community input |
FIC, RCAC |
|
KILO MOANA Actions: |
|
|
·
Continue Debrief Interviews – focused and more selective |
FIC - Ongoing |
|
·
Obtain feedback from WESTERN FLYER and KILO MOANA
Captains |
Mike Prince |
|
·
Compile Debriefs for posting on the
UNOLS website |
Office -Ongoing |
|
·
Draft Summary document |
Annette & Dave |
|
FOFC Fleet Plan Update - ·
Provide the Working Group information when requested. |
FIC |
|
Amend
SMRs: ·
Amend
Regional and Ocean Class SMR to include ADA requirements (Terry’s white
paper) ·
Carefully review the “Lessons Learned” and PCA
comments. Incorporate as appropriate
into the SMR documents |
RC and OC Steering
Committees - ongoing |
|
PCAR Comments -
Review PCAR comments with regard to facility improvements. |
FIC - Ongoing |
|
Design and Constructions Efforts
- Stay engaged in ongoing design and construction efforts (ARRV, EWING
replacement, CHRV, etc.) |
FIC - Ongoing |
|
Updated Vessel Retirement Dates and SLEP Estimates: ·
Address
report inconsistencies (by Oct 26) and provide draft report to FOFC Working
Group. - COMPLETE Finalize Report |
FIC |
|
Ocean Class Planning – Provided input as requested |
FIC and OCSC – ongoing |
|
Global Class: Update SMRs |
Global Class Steering Committee – ongoing |
|
ADA Guidelines draft White Paper |
Terry Whitledge – ongoing |
|
Update Fleet Improvement Plan: · First draft – March 2005 · Final draft – 30 September 2005 |
FIC – ongoing |
|
Ocean Observatories – Stay in contact with ORION Office. |
Dave Hebert – ongoing |
Appendices
II.
Participant
List
III.
FIC
Meeting Slides
IV.
ORION
Report – Ken Brink’s Slides
V.
ADA
Requirements – Report from Terry Whitledge
Meeting Report:
Welcome and Introduction – The UNOLS Fleet Improvement Committee met at the
National Science Foundation (NSF), Stafford II, Room 555, Arlington, VA on
Wednesday, October 13, 2004. Dave Hebert, FIC Chair, opened the FIC meeting at 0830. Agenda items
were followed in the order as reported below except as noted. Meeting participants introduced themselves.
The agenda and meeting participants are included as Appendix
I and Appendix II.
Accept Minutes - A motion was made and approved to accept the minutes from the March 9-10, 2004 FIC Meeting.
Review FIC Action/Task List from March meeting – Dave Hebert reviewed the status of the action items
from the March FIC meeting. All of
the slides presented by Dave during the FIC meeting are included as Appendix III.
|
Task Description |
Action |
|
|
Regional Class Actions: |
||
|
·
UNOLS Regional
Class Rep - By summer 2004, UNOLS needs to recommend a community
representative to be the UNOLS rep to the IPT. [Note – Agency input is needed
to complete] |
Dave, Wilf, Tim, Office – ongoing |
|
|
·
Prioritize Regional Class SMRs by July
2004 |
COMPLETE |
|
|
·
Form Regional Class Advisory Committee
(RCAC) |
COMPLETE |
|
|
Ocean Class Phase II
Study – Held FIC and JJMA phone/web conferences |
COMPLETE |
|
|
Ocean Commission
Report – Drafted a unified Council response by
5/20/04. |
COMPLETE |
|
|
KILO MOANA Actions: |
|
|
|
·
Continue Debrief Interviews |
Ongoing |
|
|
·
Obtain feedback from WESTERN FLYER and KILO MOANA
Captains |
Ongoing |
|
|
·
Send Letter to UH with list of problems |
COMPLETE |
|
|
·
Compile Debriefs for posting on the
UNOLS website |
Ongoing |
|
|
FOFC Fleet Plan Update - ·
Encourage the Agencies to update the FOFC plan and
provide the Working Group information: ·
Update the projected
retirement dates and provide SLEP estimates (first draft complete, addressing
inconsistencies) |
Ongoing |
|
|
·
Update ship utilization projections to
include ocean observatory facility needs (presented by P. Wiebe to FOFC) |
COMPLETE |
|
|
Amend
SMRs: ·
Amend
Regional and Ocean Class SMR to include ADA requirements ·
Carefully review the “Lessons Learned” and PCA
comments. Incorporate as appropriate
into the SMR documents |
RC and OC Steering
Committees - ongoing |
|
|
FIC Membership – Nominations are needed to replace Chris Measures |
Ongoing |
|
|
PCAR Comments -
Review PCAR comments with regard to facility improvements. |
Ongoing |
|
|
Design and Constructions Efforts
- Stay engaged in ongoing design and construction efforts (ARRV, EWING
replacement, CHRV, etc.) |
Ongoing |
|
Academic Fleet Renewal Activities and
Plans:
FOFC
Plans for Update of their Academic Fleet Long-Range Renewal Plan –
Bob Winokur, Federal Oceanographic Facilities Committee (FOFC) Chair, discussed
the Committee’s efforts to update their Long-Range Fleet Plan. FOFC members have agreed that the update
will consist of one integrated Federal Fleet Plan that addresses the needs of
each member agency (not just the Academic Fleet). The National Oceanographic Research Leadership Council (NORLC)
has been briefed and they endorse FOFC’s plan.
Bob reported that FOFC has moved forward slowly with the update. In spring 2004 a questionnaire was sent to
each FOFC agency about their respective fleet renewal plans. A retreat was held in the summer. They hope to accelerate their progress and
will meet again at the end of October.
They hope to have a draft report available by March 2005. The planned release date for the report is
30 September 2005.
At
the summer retreat FOFC drafted the report’s outline. NSF, NOAA, ONR and the USCG have indicated that they each have
fleet renewal plans. The coordinated
Fleet Renewal Plan is expected to include eight or nine chapters. The writing assignments will be made during
their October 28th meeting.
Some
of the issues that FOFC will address while drafting the update include:
·
Academic Renewal Plan – lessons learned since
the first draft.
·
They will try to identify which agencies have
money to support renewal and which do not.
·
The length of time it takes to build a ship and
how this factors into the plan’s timeline for renewal.
·
Is it possible to partner between agencies?
·
Lease versus ship ownership – Although it
doesn’t seem to make economic sense to lease general-purpose oceanographic
ships, leasing of special purpose ships will be evaluated.
·
They will also discuss strategies for marketing
the plan.
Bob
emphasized that FOFC would like to work with UNOLS. If UNOLS drafts their own fleet plan, he emphasized that it
should be in “lock step” with the FOFC plan.
There is a need for consistency in the report recommendations. There will be a lot of competing interests
for Federal funds. FOFC and UNOLS must
be able to sell the plan. The two plans
should be unified.
Discussion
followed:
Bob
Knox suggested linking the renewal plan to the Ocean Commission report as a
possible marketing strategy. Bob
Winokur commented that the Ocean Commission report recommendations are still
being reviewed. This is still a work in
progress. The report includes a couple
hundred recommendations, many of which require funding. There will be a lot of competition in a very
tough funding climate.
Bob
Knox also emphasized that the Service Life Extension Program estimates that
were compiled by UNOLS (and will be reviewed later in the meeting) were put
together because they were requested by the agencies. UNOLS does not view the SLEPs as a good option. Instead plans should move forward for
renewal.
Dan
Schwartz asked if the FOFC agencies with non-academic research ships have
generated their Fleet renewal plans.
Bob Winokur replied that he plans to discuss this at the UNOLS Annual
Meeting. The Navy ships are relatively
new, but if you factor in the 10-year process for construction, planning for
renewal will need to be addressed soon.
NOAA’s fleet is old, but they have been building some new ships and they
have been successful in obtaining ships through Navy transfers. Beth White added that NOAA has now
transferred seven Navy ships into their fleet.
They have removed all of the T-AGOS ships from service.
Peter
Wiebe remarked that UNOLS has compiled utilization projections to 2020. Is FOFC planning to do this same thing? Bob Winokur replied that the agencies will try
to do this and they have gotten some of the numbers together.
Peter
asked how new initiatives will be factored into the renewal plan. Many of the ships that were built ten years
ago did not anticipate the needs and directions that we are now learning about,
such as, ocean observatories. There has also been Navy’s shift in research
interest from deep water to the littoral zone.
Tim
Cowles remarked that a year ago UNOLS and some FOFC members were concerned that
the academic renewal plan would be consumed by an integrated agency renewal
plan. As FOFC now moves forward with an
integrated plan, how can we ensure that the Academic Fleet renewal will stay on
track and will not be overtaken? Over
the last five years a lot of effort has gone into defining future science
directions and requirements, how will the other agencies do this in the next
six months? The other major concern is
that the academic plan will be constrained by budget limitations. By presenting an integrated plan the
competition for funds will be more evident.
A separate academic fleet plan would be more focused and would clearly
identify the community’s facility needs.
Bob
Winokur explained that Navy research ships would have to compete for AGOR
funds, with or without an integrated renewal plan. The interagency plans should not be in competition with each
other. Each agency will be required to
articulate their real needs as well as address fiscal realities. One of the first steps for FOFC is to
identify their budget. The facilities
that are identified by the updated FOFC plan would need to be able to be
supported. Beth White added that NOAA’s
renewal plans haven’t impacted the academic fleet plans. NOAA has been able to get new fisheries
vessels and Navy ship transfers. A
unified plan has a better chance of succeeding. In fact, it might strengthen the academic renewal plans.
There
was discussion on how the FOFC plan and UNOLS plan could be in
“lock-step.” The FOFC plan will be
drafted to be consistent with budgetary limitations. However, if budgets expand and additional research can be
supported, the facilities needed to support the research must be
articulated. A UNOLS Fleet plan could
project facility needs based on future research directions and demand. In order for FOFC and UNOLS to be in
“lock-step,” the FOFC plan can be viewed as the high priority facility
needs. The UNOLS Plan could reinforce
the facility requirements outlined by the FOFC plan, but also articulate the
facility requirements in an expanded budget scenario.
Bob
Knox commented that earlier in the year a few UNOLS representatives met with
agency representatives and discussed the topic of the Fleet Plan update. At that time there was indications from the
agencies that it would be good for UNOLS to create its own document. Before UNOLS begins to draft their plan, we
would like to get agency feedback. Bob
Winokur replied that if it is drafted in such a way so that it is not contradictory
it could be useful.
Peter
Wiebe commented that UNOLS has been trying to project what the ship use will be
for the future. Even if there is level
funding, a fleet larger that thank indicated in the FOFC Plan, figure 17 is
needed. If FOFC plans to reduce the
fleet, we need to alert the community.
They need to be able to think about how they can accomplish their
science in the future. Bob Winokur
replied that we shouldn’t have to think small, however, we just need to think
realistically. As research needs and
directions change, the fleet composition must be re-evaluated. The FOFC plan is
only addressing ship needs. The NORLC
has questioned FOFC as to when the other facilities will be addressed.
Niall
Slowey commented that UNOLS isn’t putting together a wish list of fleet
needs. The future Fleet identified in
the FOFC plan cannot meet current research needs. The oceanographic community will not be able to accomplish all of
today’s research programs with the future FOFC fleet.
NSF
Fleet and Facility Renewal Activities - Mike Reeve reported on
renewal activities at the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV)
was approved for inclusion the Major Research Equipment (MRE) account and is
listed for funding in FY06. In February 2005 NSF will have a better idea of the
budget status.
EWING
Replacement – Earlier in the year Lamont Doherty Earth
Observatory (LDEO) proposed that EWING be replaced with a modern seismic vessel
rather than undergo a mid-life refit.
After review, NSF agreed and the seismic vessel, WESTERN LEGEND, was
purchased by LDEO. NSF will purchase
the ship from LDEO over the next five years.
Plans are being developed to convert the ship into an oceanographic
research vessel. These plans will be
put out to bid to shipyards. Selection
of a yard is expected in spring 2005.
LEGEND will go into service in 2006.
EWING’s last cruise will take place in early 2005. NSF has received a letter from LDEO
requesting that the ship be named MARCUS LANGSETH.
Replacement
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) – Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) submitted a proposal to NSF to replace ALVIN
with a deeper diving HOV. NSF reviewed
the proposal favorably and they have entered into a four-year cooperative
agreement with WHOI. Funding will be in
a phased approach, based on successful outcomes of the early phases.