Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City News

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has been awarded a $1.25 million grant by the United States Office of Naval Research (ONR) to undertake research in support of autonomous unmanned marine vehicle platforms for coastal surveillance, coastal surveys, target tracking and protection of at-sea assets. The five-year project will entail developing unmanned surface vehicles that serve as “motherships” for unmanned underwater vehicles and aerial drones…

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered the first of three lots of mine hunting sonar upgrade kits to the U.S. Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division. The ultimate end users will be the HM-12, -14 and -15 Mine Countermeasures Squadrons. The production contracts from the Navy’s PMS-495 are for upgrading 27 AQS-24A mine hunting systems into the more advanced AQS-24B system. The kits contain all the components necessary to upgrade the existing 27 AQS-24A mine hunting systems into the more advanced AQS-24B system. Work is being done in three production lots.

Scientists at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWC PC) have developed a prototype for a new life support system for divers, the U.S. Navy announced. According to the Navy, the goal of the new system is to accelerate the deployment of Navy divers, increase safety and also conserve helium, a valuable natural resource. "This new, semi-closed system was conceived to drastically reduce helium requirements," said NSWC PC Principal Investigator Dr. John Camperman. Currently, U.S.

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) engineers are developing tools to enable U.S. Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs) to more accurately predict energy consumption needs in theater. NSWC PCD Expeditionary Systems Division (Code E30) engineers were asked by Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYCOM) to reduce the energy consumption of Marine Corps Combat Operations Centers (COCs). MARCORSYCOM acquires and provides life-cycle support of ground weapon and information technology (IT) systems for U.S. Marines.

Edinburgh, Scotland - SeeByte, the global leader in creating smart software technology for unmanned systems, has been selected by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense, Comparative Test Office, to participate in a Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program in support of a U.S. Navy Program of Record managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command, EOD Program Office. The FCT is designed to test selected foreign technologies, as evaluated by U.S. Military Operators, with a view to future procurement. SeeByte will integrate existing autonomy software into the Common Operator Interface for Navy EOD (COIN). These autonomy modules constitute an adaptive mission planner for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).

The U.S. Navy successfully concluded its final alternative fuel demonstration for the year today with the Dec. 7-9 operational tests of the 50/50 algae-derived, hydro-processed algal oil and petroleum F-76 blend in a Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) amphibious transport vehicle at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. The tests also marked the fastest speed achieved to date by a U.S. Navy surface craft using alternative fuel blends, as LCAC 91 reached speeds the crafts maximum speed of 50 knots, Dec.

Navy to conduct final alternative fuel demonstration of the year with Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC). WHAT: The U.S. Navy is conducting its final alternative fuel demonstration for the year with a maritime alternative fuel test in a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) stationed at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), Panama City, Fla., Dec. 9. WHEN: Media availability will be held Dec. 9, 9 a.m. (CST). WHERE: LCAC ramp at Bldg. 319, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division.

U.S. Navy's Self Defense Test Ship successfully transits on alternative fuel blend. The U.S. Navy successfully has concluded its largest demonstration of shipboard alternative fuel use with the successful arrival of the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) to Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme. The SDTS is a decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer ex-Paul F. Foster (EDD 964) reconfigured to provide the Navy an at-sea, remotely controlled, engineering test and evaluation platform without the risk to personnel or operational assets.

LPI Technical Services, Chesapeake, Va., is being awarded a $7.3m cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the alteration installation team support. This contract provides for enginee-ring and technical services for shipboard systems and equipment associated with firefighting, damage control, and personnel protection. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., (30 percent), San Diego, Calif., (30 percent), various unspecified locations (14 percent), Mayport, Fla., (10 percent), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, (10 percent), Ingleside, Texas, (3 percent), Pascagoula, Miss., (3 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Mar. 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $200,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Navy completed technical evaluation and training of the Remote Minehunting System (RMS) aboard USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) in Panama City on July 28. The evaluation enables the Navy to continue training on the system, designed as part of the mine warfare mission package for the littoral combat ship. "This is all in preparation for the operational evaluation (OPEVAL) to be conducted in the South Florida Test Facility this September," said Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City RMS Project Engineer Keith Hartless. Senior Chief Mineman Paul King of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Detachment 1 praised RMS as cutting-edge technology during his pierside preparations. "This is the future in the making," said King.

The Navy completed technical evaluation and training of the remote minehunting system (RMS) aboard USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) in July 28. The evaluation enables the Navy to continue training on the system, designed as part of the mine warfare mission package for the Littoral Combat Ship. "This is all in preparation for the operational evaluation (OPEVAL) to be conducted in the South Florida Test Facility this September," said Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City RMS Project Engineer Keith Hartless.

Western Branch Diesel, Inc., , is being awarded a $10m firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract for the procurement of maintenance services (engine overhaul) and repair of the MK V Special Operations Craft MTU 12V396TE94 diesel engines. Work will be performed in , , (80 percent) and , (20 percent), and is expected to be completed by Mar. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, , is the contracting activity.

Invisible to approximately 5,000 people witnessing the USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) commissioning ceremony, Dec. 15, a newly modernized landing craft air cushion (LCAC) 39 sat certified and ready for transport within the well deck of the Navy's newest amphibious ship. Mesa Verde had already finished its requisite LCAC certification Dec. 7, which qualify the ship to recover an LCAC and embark on the ship's mission of transporting Marines, their supplies, and equipment, according to Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama City Division Project Engineer Rhett Plash. Plash works with NSWC PCD LCAC in-service engineering activity and operations. "We're actually a part of the team that performs well deck certifications," Plash said.

Valley Power Systems, Inc. (VPSI), City of Industry, Calif., is being awarded a $9,962,920 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for procurement of maintenance services (engine overhaul) and repair of the MK V Special Operations Craft MTU 12V396TE94 engines (MTU engines). Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by October 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $9,962,920 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-08-D-0003).

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWC PC)hosted organizational leaders at a conference Nov. 28-29 to organize the development of Expanded Maritime Interdiction Operations (EMIO)-related communications capabilities. EMIO refers to national and international partnerships of military and maritime law-enforcement entities which detain, divert, disrupt, or destroy vessels used to conduct illegal or hostile activities. “This was a good forum for gathering several organizations to coordinate and develop EMIO technologies,” said Cmdr. John Funn, assistant program manager for Expeditionary Systems, a division within Program Executive Office, Littoral Mine Warfare Afloat-Antiterrorism Program Office.

United States Marine, Inc., Gulfport, Miss., is being awarded an $8,836,911 firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for the acquisition of services and material for the Naval Special Warfare, 11-meter rigid, inflatable boat service life extension program to restore 32 boats to like new condition. Work will be performed in Gulfport, Miss., and is expected to be completed by February 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $500,000 will expire by the end of the current fiscal. The contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-06-D-0016).

man-overboard indicators (MOBI) on 27 Navy ships. engineering and technical support to install and validate all MOBI services. during events when multiple individuals fall overboard. Norfolk, Va. (50 percent) and San Diego, Calif. completed by April 2007. fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. Warfare Center, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-06-C-0004).