strumented for oceanographic work, and manned by Military Sea Trans- 

 portation Service civilian crews. In fiscal year 1971, 11 Naw ships will 

 be dedicated to the collection of operational oceanographic data, which 

 total includes the hydrographic mapping and charting effort described in 

 chapter IX. 



During fiscal year 1970, two hydrographic: survey ships, the USNS Kellar 

 and USNS Lee, became operational, and the USNS Chauvenet is soon to 

 be delivered. In fiscal year 1971, the USNS Harkness and USNS Wyman, 

 and one oceanographic survey ship, the USNS Wilkes, will be delivered. 

 Fiscal year 1970, however, will see one oceanographic and four hydrographic 

 survey ships permanently retired from service. Though the total number of 

 ships to be applied to operational surveys is less in fiscal year 1971 than in 

 fiscal year 1968, the increase in efficiency achieved by the new platforms 

 should actually enhance the Navy's survey capability. 



In addition to the survey fleet acquisitions, in fiscal year 1970 two new 

 oceanographic research ships supporting on-going Navy programs, the 

 USNS DeSteiguer and USNS Bartlett, became operational. They replaced 

 two older research ships which have been temporarily placed in reduced 

 readiness status. A new design oceanographic research ship, the USNS 

 Melville was delivered to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and a sister 

 ship will be delivered to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution by the end 

 of fiscal year 1970. The new catamaran-hulled research ship which will sup- 

 port Navy's on-going underwater acoustic program is scheduled for delivery 

 in fiscal year 1971. 



The fiscal year 1971 budget includes funds for two ships of a new, small 

 class (under 300 gross tons) to provide an economical, versatile platform 

 for the shorter cruises which make up a large proportion of oceanographic 

 ship research schedules. These vessels will replace ships of World War II 

 and older vintage now used by universities in carrying out Navy's programs. 



The Advanced Research Projects Agency 



To improve the ability to detect, locate, and identify underground and 

 underwater nuclear explosions, the Advanced Research Projects Agency 

 (ARPA) of the Department of Defense has for several years conducted 

 Project VELA. The portion of this research and development program in- 

 volving detection, location and identification of explosions in the ocean was 

 successful and has been discontinued. 



Related study of the properties of the ocean that are relevant to onsite 

 inspection techniques for underwater nuclear explosions will be completed 

 by the end of fiscal year 1970. As part of the study a computer program 

 has been developed to simulate and predict the oceanographic evolution 

 of deep subsurface pools of contaminated water which might follow an 

 underwater nuclear explosion. A 250-ton detonation off the Aleutians on 

 September 6, 1970, concluded development eflfort on a prototype vessel 

 for large cargoes, and provided additional guidelines for the application 

 of calibration explosions to improve our ability to locate events taking 

 place in island arc structures. 



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