South Shields based Solar Solve Marine recently supplied another 2 shipsets of their Brand Leading SOLASOLV solar shades to the US Military Sealift Command through their World Wide Distributor in the USA.
The solar shades have been installed in two more of the Lewis and Clark class of underway replenishment ships that are traditionally named to honour legendary US pioneers and explorers.
The USNS Wally Schirra (pictured left), was built at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California and is dedicated to the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronaut and former Navy test pilot who served in both World War II and the Korean War.
It is a 689-foot cargo ship designed to provide up to 10,000 tons at a time of ammunition, food, fuel and supplies to other vessels in the fleet and allied ships at sea. Delivered in September of this year, it was christened by Schirra’s widow Josephine at a naming ceremony in March.
USNS Wally Schirra is vessel number 8 in a series of 14 and the seventh USNS Carl Brashear was delivered in February of this year and named in honour of Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate (Master Diver) Carl M. Brashear who served in the US Navy for 31 years. It too was fitted out with SOLASOLV solar shades at the wheelhouse windows to reject the glare, heat and uv light from the sun, creating a safer and more comfortable working environment for the ships crew.
Company Chairman John Lightfoot commented, “It is always good to get this kind of high profile work. Having been awarded an initial contract some time ago from the US Navy we continue to impress them with the quality of our products and service. The relationship has been built up gradually and I fully expect that as long as we work hard to meet all of their requirements we will go on winning orders.”
