is essentially the same for Fiscal Year 1973 as it was for 1972. Changing 

 priorities within the major program areas have required adjustments, how- 

 ever, particularly in the operations area. The changes in Navy's marine 

 sciences program are in consonance with the changes taking place in its 

 operating forces. There are fewer ships in the fleet, new types of ships, 

 and changes in tactical doctrine. As our forces are reduced, it becomes 

 imperative that the remaining units operate at peak efficiency and effec- 

 tiveness. This can only be done through maximum exploitation of their 

 operating environment. In the most urgent areas, the required knowledge 

 will come from the dedicated programs in the Navy and ARPA; the 

 total need can only be met by a strong national civil program and the 

 efforts of allied navies. 



Oceanographic Operations 



The operations program ranges from deep ocean and coastal surveys 

 to ocean environmental forecasts and the publication and distribution of 

 nautical charts, publications, and navigational warnings. It is this portion 

 of the program which responds directly to the fleet with operational products 

 and which responds to the statutory requirement to serv-e all mariners with 

 navigational information. 



Our Navy Strategic Forces require extensive information on deep-ocean 

 bathymetric and geophysical conditions. To meet these requirements, the 

 Navy has been utilizing a major portion of its survey fleet. More concen- 

 trated effort, however, is required. Although the President's request in the 

 Fiscal Year 1972 budget for conversion funds for an additional major survey 

 ship was denied and severe budget constraints were placed on the entire 

 mapping and charting program, it has been possible to strengthen the pro- 

 gram through the replacement of the USNS Keathley, a slow World War 

 II conversion assigned to gravity surveys, with the newly constructed 15-knot 

 USNS Wyman, originally designed for coastal surveys. In addition, the 

 USNS Harkness, one of two new large coastal survey ships which became 

 operational in 1971, has been assigned to gravity surveys for several months 

 en route to her initial assignment in the Mediterranean. 



Navy's coastal charting survey program will see a major increase in 1972 

 as two new large coastal survey ships, Harkness and Chauvenet, begin combat 

 chart surveys overseas. The new ships, shaken down in a series of surveys 

 responding to civil priorities off the Middle Atlantic Coastal States, have 

 proven to be excellent platforms. Their automated hydrographic acquisition 

 system, helicopter detachment, and modern field-chart reproduction equip- 

 ment combine into a highly effective survey force. 



Surveys will be conducted in the Mediterranean and western Pacific, with 

 continuing operations near South Korea. The USNS Kellar, a small coastal 

 survey ship which had been operating in the Pacific, was replaced in the 

 program by the Chauvenet and now serves a NATO ally as a joint oceano- 

 graphic-coastal survey ship. The deactivated Keathley has been transferred 

 to a Pacific ally. 



A second Navy charting program, based on local resources rather than 

 dedicated survey ships, is the Harbor Survey Assistance Program (HAR- 



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