Marine Science Affairs 



In FY 1969, the Sealab III results will be evaluated and development of 

 aquanaut equipment will continue. This man-in-the-sea capability should 

 have commercial application as oil, gas, and mineral extraction move into 

 deeper water on the Shelf and operations are conducted submerged. 



The Deep Ocean Engineering Vehicle Project will provide a research 

 submersible (NR-1 ) which combines the long endurance of a nuclear power 

 plant with the control and instrumentation developed for the DSRV rescue 

 submersible. This submersible will also provide the technical basis for future 

 development of nuclear-powered, oceanographic research submersibles 

 to operate at even greater range and depth. Congress authorized the 

 construction of NR-1 in the FY 1965 shipbuilding program. It is under 

 construction at Groton, Connecticut, and should be commissioned in 1968. 



Complementing this program for Undersea Search, Rescue, Recovery, 

 and Man-in-the-Sea is a Deep Submergence Biomedical Program to im- 

 prove decompression schedules for deep diving, diver nutrition, and study of 

 physiological and psychological factors affecting divers. A swimmer-support 

 program is closely integrated with the above efforts. 



Construction of Oceanographic Ships 



The Navy oceanographic fleet (including ships being used by private 

 institutions) consists of 15 research and 16 survey ships. Thirteen new ships 

 have been authorized in previous years and are under construction, including 

 building contracts awarded in FY 1967 and early FY 1968 for: 



— Two new AGOR-14 class research ships which incorporate cycloidal 

 propellers for use by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and 

 Scripps Institution of Oceanography and two others of the same 

 class for use by Navy laboratories ; 

 — two new catamaran Submarine Rescue Vehicles (ASR's) which 

 combine the support capabilities for the new rescue submersibles 

 and for operating the Navy's advanced diving systems. (Because 

 these ships have a much broader utilization potential than sup- 

 port of rescue submersibles and divers, the cost of the first proto- 

 type ship was included in the marine sciences program. ) ; 

 — one medium oceanographic and one coastal hydrographic survey 



ship to replace the aging USNS Maury and USNS Tanner; 

 — two improved ALviN-type submersibles with operating depths of 

 6,500 feet. 

 A contract for a catamaran-design AGOR is scheduled to be let later in 

 FY 1968, but no starts are funded in the FY 1969 budget. The ship con- 

 struction program is summarized in Table VII. 1. 



96 



