The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a high speed, 127 metre aluminium trimaran that will provide the US Navy with multi-mission capability and superior aviation operations. It is the first of a new family of surface ships planned for the US Navy, and is a key element in the Navy’s plan to address the threats posed by asymmetric warfare.
Intended to operate in coastal areas across the globe, the ship will be fast, highly maneuverable and geared to supporting mine detection/elimination, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare, particularly against small surface craft.
The United States Navy has nominated the Littoral Combat Ship project as its number one priority and has identified a need for nearly 60 vessels, with a total value of around US $14 Billion to be spent on the project, over a 15 year period. Mobicon Systems were contacted by the Navy when they were identified as a possible manufacturer who could provide a container handling solution on board of the LCS.
After much discussion and design development, Mobicon won the contract to the Navy with a purpose-built Mobicon designed and patented specifically for the project. This model is designed to be more maneuverable and lighter than other container handlers, in order for it to be able to move around the hull of the LCS, efficiently and effectively.
An ongoing relationship was established between Mobicon and the US Navy, and the first delivery of a Mobicon to the USA was completed in 2008 with deliveries continuing to date.
This was proving to be increasingly cumbersome, as space was restricted, and expensive, as every time the container had to be moved, a SLT had to be ordered and paid for.
This practice also limited the number of containers that could be placed inside a building, as a SLT needs a lot of space to manoeuver and place containers on the ground.
This is where Mobicon Systems came in. After initial meetings Mobicon presented their recommended solution and possible improvements their product could provide at the Customs facility. The biggest benefit a Mobicon Straddle Carrier provided, was its manoeuvrability, and its ability to move within smaller spaces including inside warehouses and under awnings.
The purchase of a Mobicon 2T resulted in Customs doubling their container turnover, awhilst halving their container handling costs as the need for Self Loading Trailers was removed. Now, Australian Customs uses Mobicon 2T’s in five of their container x-ray facilities with much success.
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