Photo By Richard Allen | His Excellency, the Honorable Joe Hockey, Australian Ambassador to the United States...... read more read more
NEWPORT, R.I. — His Excellency, the Honorable Joe Hockey, Australian Ambassador to the United States, visited Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Division Newport on May 10 to meet with Australian military and civilians working at the center and to tour some of NUWC’s facilities.
Hockey was joined by his advisor, Kathryn Cooper, Australian Naval Attaché Commodore Peter Leavy and Alastair Walton, Australian Consul General of New York, for the tour.
The ambassador and his team visited NUWC Newport because of two Armaments Cooperative Programs (ACP) with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Mark 48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP)/Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) Heavyweight Torpedo and the BYG-1 Combat System, that are supported by a team of six Australian civilians and military personnel at NUWC.
“The ambassador got a lot out of the visit,” Leavy said. “The team put on an excellent day, which was very valuable.”
The ACP was conceived in the 1970s to foster interoperability with NATO and non-NATO partners. It comprises government-to-government agreements that provide shared cost, risk and benefits.
The U.S. and the Commonwealth of Australia (CoA) have two memoranda of understanding (MOU) initially signed in 2003-04 and updated in 2009 for 10 years. Renegotiation for follow-on MOUs for each are ongoing for fiscal year 2020-34.
The ambassador also met with NUWC Commander Rear Adm. Moises DelToro, NUWC Newport Commanding Officer Capt. Michael Coughlin, and Division Technical Director Ronald Vien.
Hockey’s tour included NUWC’s Weapons Analysis Facility (WAF) and BYG-1 lab, and he observed NUWC and RAN personnel conducting a quarterly Joint-Task Review.
“They were very impressed by the magnitude of our NUWC compound and impressed with the few facilities they had time to see,” said Trevor Kelly-Bissonnette, NUWC Newport’s Customer Advocate for International Business who coordinated the visit. “They also heard very good testimony from all the personnel – USN and RAN – on the level and value of cooperation.”
The AN/BYG-1 Combat Control System ACP Agreement provides significant research and development (R&D), production, and sustainment savings for both the U.S. Navy and the RAN. The joint development of AN/BYG-1 has produced rapid innovation and increased capability for both navies, while allowing better cooperation and strengthened alliances in support of National Maritime Defense. Cooperation extends to both in-service modernizations and common development of new construction platform combat systems.
The Mark 48 CBASS ACP also provides significant savings to both navies. The RAN is a full partner in CBASS research and development providing a standing financial cost share as well as subject matter experts that are co-located with their USN counterparts. The RAN successfully achieved their heavyweight torpedo capability in 2006. Cooperation continues as the RAN and USN develop/implement common facilities and procedures and conduct joint tactical and developmental exercises annually. Using a combined requirements document for future upgrades, the ACP team continues to co-develop and evolve the tactical weapon software (Advanced Processor Build).
Currently, AN/BYG-1 and CBASS torpedoes are on all six RAN submarines and all U.S. Navy attack (SSN) and guided missile submarines (SSGN), and are being installed on fleet ballistic missile submarines (SSBN). Together, the team develops better capabilities faster, overcomes complex technical challenges more easily and delivers an expanded capability that can fight and win in multiple theaters simultaneously.
NUWC Division Newport, part of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), is one of two divisions of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. NUWC Division Newport’s 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. NUWC’s other division is located in Keyport, Wash.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2018 08:56 |
| Story ID: | 278056 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RI, US |
| Web Views: | 449 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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