104 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 



in both conversion and operating costs. The C1-M-AV1 hulls are of World 

 War II construction and have the potential implication of costly repairs and 

 limited life. 



4. The reduced scope conversion of AK-270 and Cl-M-AVl or new construc- 

 tion AGS as survey ships only may be an economical means of providing a single 

 purpose survey ship. However, it has been the strong position of the representa- 

 tive of DCNO (development) at working level meetings of the Ship Characteristics 

 Board considering the 1,200-ton surveying ship (AGS) in the fiscal year 1962 

 shipbuilding program that this ship should have those features eliminated in 

 paragraph 4 of enclosure (1) to permit flexibility of assignment to either research 

 or survey work to meet the changing requirements for such work. 



5. In view of the above, it is recommended that new construction ships be 

 built to perform oceanographic research and survey. Further, it is suggested that 

 AGOR and AGS types be built to the same hull and machinery design with only 

 the actual scientific working spaces adapted to perform the research or survey 

 functions, thereby achieving the economies accruing from elimination of design 

 and "lead ship" costs, as well as providing for flexibility of assignment to either 

 research or survey tasks with minimum cost for alteration. 



John Sylvestek, 

 Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics) . 



Department op the Navy, 



Bureau of Ships, 

 Washington, D.C., July 29, 1960. 

 To: Chief of Naval Operations (Chairman, Ship Characteristics Board). 

 From: Chief, Bureau of Ships. 

 Subject: New construction versus conversion of ships for ocean surveys and 



oceanographic research. 

 References: (a) Chairman, SCB ltr Ser 181P42 of April 29, 1960. 



(b) SCB Memorandum 72-60 Ser 0170P42 of April 25, 1960. 

 Enclosures: (1) Comparison of conversions to oceanographic research and survey 

 ships. 



(2) Comparison of new construction oceanographic research and sur- 



vey ships. 



(3) BUSHIPS member SCB ltr Ser 420-172 of July 13, 1960 



1. Reference (a) requested this Bureau to conduct a study to determine the 

 most feasible approach to providing the Navy with the oceanographic research 

 and survey ships required during the forthcoming years. As stated in reference 

 (a), an ad hoc meeting, with representatives from the Offices of the Assistant 

 Secretary of the Navy (R. & D.), Chief of Naval Operations, Bureau of Ships, 

 Office of Naval Research, Hydrographic Office, and MSTS attending, was held 

 to define the parameters of the study. The following guidelines were developed. 



(a) Four new construction types would be considered: SCB project 185 plus 

 the three types for which general characteristics were promulgated in reference 



(&). 



(b) Bureau of Ships would determine those reserve fleet ships considered most 

 suitable for conversion and would study those types. New construction require- 

 ments would be used for guidance in determining the extent of modifications 

 included in the conversions. 



(c) All ships would be MSTS civil service manned. 



(d) All armament and associated magazines would be removed. 



2. In investigating the conversions, the first effort by this Bureau entailed de- 

 termining the type ships to be considered. Ten types were chosen and studied of 

 which three, ATA-211, ATF-155 and APD-127 were discarded as unsuitable be- 

 cause of stability requirements. The remaining seven are listed in enclosure (1) 

 with pertinent information. Because of the widely varying sizes (from 785 tons 

 to 5,850 tons full load displacement) the actual capabilities to be built into the 

 conversions exhibit considerable variation. However, each conversion incor- 

 porates the following, in differeing degree: 



(a) Survey control center. 



(b) Library, drafting and office space. 



(c) Wet and dry laboratory space. 



(d) Photo laboratory. 



(e) Gravity meter room. 

 (/) Antirolling tank. 



(g) Storage batteries for ultraquiet operation. 



