Milwaukee DRS unit benefiting from $43 in Navy contracts

MILWAUKEE - The DRS Technologies Power & Control Technologies unit in Milwaukee is among two DRS sites benefiting from $43 million in U.S. Navy contracts the company has won.

The Navy contracts are to design and produce power conversion, distribution and control equipment for next-generation and existing classes of Navy combatant surface ships and submarines, the company announced on Monday.

The contracts were awarded to DRS by various U.S. Navy shipyards and prime defense contractors. DRS will design, manufacture and test advanced instrumentation and control equipment, power distribution components and power conversion equipment for low- and medium-voltage shipboard conventional and nuclear-powered electric plants supporting U.S. Navy combatant submarines and surface ships. Work for the contracts will be performed by the company's DRS Power & Control Technologies unit in Milwaukee and in Danbury, Conn. The contracted work will continue through March 2007.

"These new contracts support our strategic intent to become a full-line supplier of complete shipboard electric power plant systems, including control and distribution equipment and all associated integration and support services for new and updated legacy fleets," said Steven T. Schorer, president of DRS's C4I Group.

DRS said its equipment will facilitate realization of the U.S. Navy's vision of an electric warship utilizing a common ship power system architecture that can transfer electric power from propulsion and ship service systems to advanced electric weapons, sensors and countermeasures. DRS has installed equipment on every U.S. Navy combatant ship since World War II, including nuclear-powered and conventionally powered ships.

DRS Technologies is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. and employs 6,000 people worldwide.