Seemann opens bow dome facility

Seemann Composites celebrated an expansion of a new $4.6M submarine bow dome production facility Sept. 12 at the Bayou Bernard Industrial Park in Gulfport, Miss. The facility accommodates an additional 46 people (to a total of 160) for a contract with General Dynamics’ Electric Boat for the Navy. The 25,600-square-foot building is to produce bow domes for Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarines, which will replace the Ohio Class subs. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 09/12/18) Sonar bow domes are located on the hulls of submarines and surface ships. Their purpose is to house electronic equipment used for detection, navigation, and ranging. Sonar domes for submarines are made of steel or glass-reinforced plastic with a half-inch rubber boot covering the exterior.