Jeremy Alford

Lafayette's C&C gets govt. contract for unmanned sub research

by Leslie Turk

C&C Technologies of Lafayette has scored $800,000 from the federal defense appropriations bill to research the positioning of unmanned submarines. The deepwater surveying and mapping company has about 600 employees and operates worldwide. C&C ranked No. 14 on Acadiana Business' list of the top 50 privately held companies in the area for 2008.

This is not the first time the company has done government work. This past summer, C&C put to a sea trial its new Unmanned Semi-Submersible, also known as its USS, in the Gulf of Mexico. The 20-foot vehicle was designed and built over the last three years through a contract with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Powered by a 30-horsepower diesel engine, the vehicle will be ideal for large nautical charting surveys and mine defense efforts, company officials say.

In all, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, secured more than $62 million in provisions for military operations in Louisiana. This includes $20 million to expand the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and construct the museum’s United States Freedom Pavilion, an addition that will include an exhibit focused on the American home front during World War II.

There’s also $184 million to continue construction on the LPD-17 Class of Expeditionary Warfare Ships built by Northrop Grumman at Avondale Shipyard (this funding helps sustain the 4,400 shipbuilding jobs). Textron Marine in Slidell likewise got in on the action with $136 million to produce armored security vehicles that have proven to be more effective than up-armored Humvees for protecting U.S. forces from improvised explosive devices.

"The continued construction of the LPD-17 at Avondale and ASVs at Textron keeps our military strong, while providing good-paying jobs for thousands of Louisiana families,” Landrieu said in a press release. “The funds secured in this Defense bill re-affirm the indispensible role these highly-skilled workers in Southeast Louisiana play in enhancing our national defense."