US Coast Guard Chooses SPRS for MK 92 FCS Upgrade

YORBA LINDA, CA, June 3, 2010 – Sabtech Industries announced today that the US Coast Guard has chosen the Shipboard Peripheral Replacement System (SPRS^TM) to upgrade the Mk 92 Fire Control System (FCS) on its medium and high endurance cutters. 

The United States Coast Guard's motto is "Semper Paratus", Latin for "Always Ready". Given its wide-ranging mission, those simple words present a daunting challenge to the Coast Guard. Maintaining a high state of readiness requires a continuous search for ways to reap the maximum operational improvement out of every dollar that is spent. In some cases, completely new systems are needed. In other cases, the answer lies in extending the life of assets that are already deployed. Taking their cue from the US Navy, the Coast Guard chose the Shipboard Peripheral Replacement System from Sabtech Industries to replace a key but obsolescent component of the combat system aboard their current fleet of cutters.

The Coast Guard's fleet of medium and high endurance cutters includes the 270' Famous class (WMEC 901-913) and 378' Hamilton class (WHEC 715-726). These cutters are deep water-capable and are used for a variety of missions including homeland security, law enforcement, search and rescue, and military defense. The 12 cutters in the Hamilton class were built between 1965 and 1972. The 13 Famous class cutters were built between 1983 and 1991. All are equipped with the Mk 92 Mod 1 Fire Control System (FCS), which is used to control the Mk 75 Gun Mount.

An aging but critical component of the Mk 92 FCS is the OJ-172 Data Exchange Auxiliary Console (DEAC). The DEAC is the only load device for the Weapons Control Processor (WCP) computer that runs the Mk 92 system. If the DEAC is not operational, the computer cannot be loaded and the ship's ability to detect, track, and engage air and surface targets is down. Because it is unreliable and expensive to maintain, the Coast Guard sought a replacement for the vintage 1960's DEAC to ensure that the Mk 92 is always ready to support the mission.

After years of review by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Mk 92 In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA), Sabtech's SPRS^TM was selected over other options based on economy, reliability, user friendliness, and overall best value. SPRS^TM is a plug-in replacement for the DEAC that is virtually maintenance-free. It replaces the DEAC's magnetic tape drives with removable hard drives, completely eliminating dependence on unreliable and increasingly scarce tape media. The DEAC's teletype I/O console is replaced with a modern display and keyboard.

By replacing the DEAC with SPRS^TM, Sabtech is proud to help to modernize the Coast Guard's fleet and extend the service life of these valuable assets. Installations are scheduled to begin in mid-2010.

SPRS^TM Product Details
SPRS^TM is a high performance, low cost replacement for legacy navy peripheral equipment. Using up-to-date technology, SPRS^TM replaces aging devices that are often difficult and expensive to maintain. With its intuitive graphical interface, SPRS^TM is easy-to-use while at the same time adding powerful capabilities not possible with the original equipment.

Because SPRS^TM performs exactly like the equipment being replaced, no program changes are needed on the host. It is configured with military connectors that mate with existing cables to further simplify the transition and save costs. Conversion of existing media to SPRS^TM is done using standard navy utility programs or with Sabtech's tape conversion utility (included). Once converted, SPRS^TM completely eliminates dependence on unsupportable hardware and obsolescent tape and disk media.

Replace Multiple Devices with One SPRS^TM
Both the US and foreign navies are using SPRS^TM to replace a number of different legacy peripherals. A single SPRS^TM unit can replace multiple devices which multiplies the cost and performance benefit. Each device is independent and operates concurrently with other devices. Any combination of the same device or different devices is possible.

For example, a single SPRS^TM unit can replace the OL-267, RD-358 and UYH-16 or it can replace three UYH-16s. Device combinations are limited only by the number of installed NTDS I/O channels and the amount of memory. The Coast Guard joins the US Navy as well as the navies of Canada, Taiwan, Turkey, Spain, and Poland in benefiting from the increased performance and cost savings associated with the SPRS^TM system. SPRS^TM replaces the following legacy equipment:

• OJ-172 Data Exchange Auxiliary Console (DEAC)
• USH-19 Magnetic Tape Subsystem (MTS) 
• RD-358 Magnetic Tape Subsystem (MTS)
• USH-26 Cartridge Magnetic Tape Unit (CMTU) 
• UYH-2 Disk Memory Set (DMS) 
• BYH-1 Submarine Random Access Storage Set (SUBRASS) 
• UYH-3 Magnetic Disk Set (Basic and FMFS) 
• UYH-16 Magnetic Disk Set (FMFS) 
• Canadian MU-5028 Magnetic Disk Set 
• Canadian UYH-504 Magnetic Disk Set 
• OL-267 Data Terminal Group (DTG) 
• Canadian TD-1332 Multiplexer 
• OA-7984 I/O Console (MK 77, UNIVAC 1532) 
• USQ-69 Data Terminal Set (DTS) 
• Canadian U2049 Data Terminal Set (DTS) 
• LP2470 NTDS Line Printer 
• UGC-136 Teleprinter 
• Canadian UGC-504 Teleprinter 
• TT-624 Teleprinter 
• LP1015 NTDS Line Printer

About Sabtech Industries
Headquartered in Yorba Linda, California, Sabtech Industries has excelled in the design, manufacture, marketing and support of specialty data communications solutions for military and government agencies for over two decades. Sabtech fulfills a significant role in the defense of the United States and its allies by supplying innovative, highly reliable COTS products - including specialized interface boards, rugged computer systems, test equipment, and professional services - for major combat and C4ISR systems worldwide. Sabtech's comprehensive selection of MIL-STD boards, systems and software enable governments to maximize their resources as they work with today's complex systems. For more information visit www.sabtech.com or call 714-692-3800.

Contact:
Glenn Darrow
Sabtech Industries
(714) 692-3800
darrowg@sabtech.com