Naval Undersea Warfare Center News

Don Hairston has been named General Manager of Austal USA Advanced Technologies in Charlottesville, Va. Hairston comes to Austal from L3Harris Technologies where he was vice president and general manager of the C5 Systems Division. He was responsible for leading a $400 million organization that designs and delivers unmanned surface vessels, integrated C5ISR, and maritime controls and cyber solutions to support, defend and protect critical national assets and infrastructure.In…

For those operating equipment on, under or near the water for commercial or recreational purposes, the corrosive effects of saltwater can be costly. For the U.S. Navy, the ramifications could be much more severe.As a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics at the University of Rhode Island, Irine Neba Mforsoh studied the long-term effects seawater and ultraviolet radiation have on the materials used to coat marine structures.After earning her doctorate in spring 2021…

The U.S. Navy uses unmanned and robotic underwater vehicles for a multitude of functions, including environmental sensing, mine hunting, and salvage. The Navy plans to evolve an unmanned systems operating concept that is platform agnostic and capable of operating in highly complex contested environments with minimal operator interaction.The most recent edition of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Roadmap was issued in 2018, and a new version is expected in the near future. The 2018 document states that UxS will operate in every domain…

Geophysical seismic surveys and port security may appear to have little in-common. However, it turns out that managing complex marine seismic operations, where 10km-long seismic streamers have to be deployed harmoniously alongside other offshore marine assets, isn’t that dissimilar to managing – and protecting – port facilities.It's an area that ION Geophysical, more known for seismic data acquisition technology, has recently been proving its expertise in, using its Marlin system for marine operations management.

Inspecting fuel and ballast tanks. Sand-blasting old paint coatings and applying new ones. Removing corrosion on ships, submarines, aircraft and other vehicles.These are some of the unpleasant jobs in naval shipyards and maintenance facilities that could be made safer by pairing human workers with robots. Experts say this could improve the speed and efficiency with which the U.S. Navy sustains its assets—and expand the career paths of current workers (and create new jobs) by teaching them to operate…

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport has joined the 401 Tech Bridge innovation initiative in the state of Rhode Island.“The Warfare Centers recognize that to be successful, whether it is on a submarine, on a ship or solving a technical challenge, you need a good team,”  NUWC Division Newport Commanding Officer Capt. Mike Coughlin said. “We realize that Expanding the Advantage means reaching out beyond our Navy partners, Warfare Centers and traditional defense contractors.

American Fortune 500 shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced  that James J. LaCroix has been named corporate director of HII’s Advanced Technologies Office in Newport, Rhode Island.He will report directly to John J. Donnelly, corporate vice president of advanced technologies, said a release from the largest military shipbuilder in the United States.As the director of the Advanced Technologies Office, LaCroix is responsible for interaction and cooperation with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport Division, and with the Naval War College to strengthen HII’s ability to translate innovative ideas and technologies more quickly into operational capabilities for customers.This position also supports experimentation…

In 1869, the U.S. Navy’s first research facility—the Naval Torpedo Station—was built on Newport, Rhode Island’s Goat Island. This rich history continues today, as the state is home to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, which provides the technical foundation to ensure the U.S. Navy’s undersea superiority. Fitting for “the Ocean State,” we have identified more than 170 Rhode Island organizations that touch undersea technology—and we believe that is a conservative count. We are a cluster leader not just in New England but indeed in the entire country.

Capt. Michael R. Coughlin, commanding officer of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division, Newport, and James Russell, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the New Bedford Whaling Museum (NBWM), signed an education partnership agreement (EPA) for undersea acoustic research during a brief ceremony on Friday, March 31. Under the EPA, NUWC Newport will provide research, expertise, and material on the Navy's historic and current role in marine mammal research in conjunction with the museum’s recently acquired collection of historic marine mammal recordings, photographs and collection equipment. The William A. Watkins Collection of Marine Mammal Sound Recordings and the William E.

The Department of the Navy recognized more than 50 acquisition professionals for exceptional efforts in the acquisition field during a Pentagon ceremony Nov. 17. Hosted by Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) Sean Stackley, the 2016 Acquisition Excellence Awards celebrated individuals and teams for upholding key tenets of acquisition including competition, affordability, technical expertise, innovative techniques and professional acumen. "Today, we recognize those who have distinguished themselves amongst the tens of thousands who are equally committed to ensuring that our Navy and Marine Corps is the most capable fighting force in the world," said Stackley. Undersecretary of the Navy, Dr.

The General Dynamics Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) successfully launched multiple Bluefin SandShark micro-autonomous underwater vehicles (M-AUV) Underwater vehicle (M-AUV as part of several capability demonstrations at the U.S. Navy sponsored 2016 Annual Naval Technology Exercises (ANTX) in Newport, R.I. Through several ANTX demonstrations, the Bluefin SandShark M-AUVs surfaced and functioned independent of the heavyweight-class Bluefin-21. In one mission scenario, the Bluefin-21 simulated data collection and transfer of target imagery and other information to two Bluefin SandSharks. Those Bluefin SandSharks then surfaced to communicate with a Blackwing unmanned aerial vehicle.

Capt. Howard Goldman relieved Capt. Todd Cramer as commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport during a change of command ceremony on Friday, Nov. 14. A naval submariner originally from Baltimore, Md., Goldman is a 1987 graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas, with a bachelor of science degreein mechanical engineering and a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a master’s degree in International Security and Strategic Studies. He also…

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport dedicated a new $24.9 million Virginia Payload Tube Facility (VPTF) with a ribbon cutting today, Wednesday, October 15. The ceremony was followed by an opportunity for businesses with an interest in the technology to tour the facility and learn about its capabilities. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, U.S. Senator Jack Reed and U.S. Congressman James Langevin attended the ceremony. “Since forming the Torpedo Station on Goat Island, [NUWC] has been the center of cutting-edge research of undersea technologies,” Reed said.

As the demand for naval technology rapidly escalates globally, the Middle East remains a hotspot for investment and innovation. To this end, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), in support of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Manama, Bahrain, announced the successful demonstration of an unmanned mine-hunting mission. In the demonstration, the Mine Hunting Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MHU) was used in tandem with Northrop Grumman's AQS-24A Mine Detecting Sensor System in the Arabian Gulf.

Commander, Submarine Development Squadron 5 (CSDS 5), Detachment UUV, informs of the delivery of Large Training Vehicle 38 (LTV 38), an unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV), which makes LTV 38 the first UUV to join the vehicle inventory used by detachment UUV at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport. LTV 38 is able to perform at a maximum depth of 1,000 meters for up to 72 hours. It is designed as a full-pressure hull vehicle, capable of both line of sight and over the horizon communications, and can also conduct limited autonomous contact avoidance maneuvers via acoustic sensors while anchored and such missions are conducted and controlled remotely.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that its AMSEC LLC subsidiary has been awarded two contracts in support of the United States Navy. Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., awarded a contract to AMSEC for technical and logistical support services, as well as material kitting services, for U.S. Navy LCC 19-class Amphibious Command ships. Material kitting services involve the pre-packaging of materials required to complete a specific task. Amphibious Command ships provide command and control for fleet commanders. A total of three indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts were awarded for these services with a combined maximum dollar amount of $96.8 million. AMSEC LLC was also awarded the initial delivery order valued at $1.2 million.

The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS, and the Mississippi Regional SeaPerch Committee in mid-May hosted the Fourth National SeaPerch Challenge on the campus of Southern Miss. It was here that 108 teams of 451 middle and high school students – students from 19 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and for a first time ever, and international team from New Zealand – convened at the University’s Payne Center and Johnson Natatorium for a weekend of competition and fun.

Vice Adm. Phillip Cullom
Chief of Fleet Readiness & Logistics, lead coordinator on the Navy's additive manufacturing efforts, explains for those new to 3D printing why the Navy is interested in this technology, and what it is already contributing. Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Rapid Prototype Lab is saving the Navy thousands of dollars on the Gerald R. Ford-class of aircraft carriers. Instead of traditional wood or metal mockups of ship alterations, which help to prevent expensive rework, the lab prints much cheaper plastic polymer models – in hours, rather than days or weeks. Now all four Navy shipyards have 3D printers working on similar, and other, ways to benefit the Navy.

MARAD study shows renewable diesel fuel reduces emissions without impacting engine performance. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has recently completed tests of renewable biofuel technology onboard the training ship State of Michigan. The project was part of a MARAD initiative to conduct “at sea” tests of advanced renewable fuels and assess its impact on the ship’s engine. The tests compared operational, vibration and air emission differences between regular ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel and a 76/33 blend of ULSD and Amyris Renewable Diesel (ARD) fuel, which is derived from sugar.

Northrop Grumman Corporation was awarded a contract to support the U.S. Navy's integration onto an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) of the Northrop Grumman-built AQS-24A Side Look Sonar System to look for bottom and volume mines remotely. The repackaging of the sonar for USV use will build upon the capabilities of the AQS-24A. The AQS-24A and its predecessors, the AQS-24 and the AQS-14, all built by Northrop Grumman, are airborne minehunting search systems used by the Navy for the past 28 years.

Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. announced that its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island was successful. NUWC Division Newport is one of two divisions of the U.S. Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center. Its mission is to provide research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems and countermeasures.

(The Rhode Island Subsea Sector is profiled in the March 2013 edition of Marine Technology Reporter. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln D. Chafee offers insights on the wealth of opportunity found in his state). As the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, Rhode Island was at the forefront of innovation, entrepreneurial creativity, and economic transformation, beginning with the Slater Mill in 1793. Just as Rhode Island led our nation through the introduction of new manufacturing processes two hundred years ago…

L-3 Unidyne has been awarded a contract valued at over $69 million to provide life-cycle support services for U.S. Navy towed arrays, including both surface ship and submarine applications for the Commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport Division. The scope of the contract will be performed primarily in Newport, R.I., but could also involve technical assistance wherever U.S. Navy submarines and surface combatants are located. Work, with the exercise of contract options, is expected to be completed by June 2015. The purpose of the contract is to sustain a sufficient inventory of towed array assets to support operational and mission readiness of the submarines and surface ships that deploy them.