NUWC Division Newport employees win Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems Excellence Awards

Photo By David Stoehr | The Surface Ship Undersea Warfare Towed Systems Team from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, who recently won a Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems Team Excellence Award for the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, gather for a group photo on Oct. 4, 2022. Team members include Wyatt Trottier (from left), Christopher Williams, Shanel Smith, Dana Riveira, Nicholas Poliseno, Lynden Mills, Lucas Bomback and Christopher Curtis. Team members not pictured are Matthew Cordes and Benjamin Charbonneau.  

NEWPORT, RI, UNITED STATES

10.24.2022

Story by Public Affairs Office 

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport

NEWPORT, R.I. – Employees in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Sensors and Sonar Systems Department recently won Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) Team Excellence Awards for the third quarter of fiscal year 2022.

David Pineault, a mechanical engineer, and Division Newport’s Surface Ship Undersea Warfare (SSUSW) Towed Systems Team, were recognized for their efforts that have yielded significant benefits for PEO IWS.

The SSUSW Towed Systems Team includes Lucas Bomback, Nicholas Poliseno, Benjamin Charbonneau, Dana Riveire, Matthew Cordes, Wyatt Trottier, Christopher Curtis, Shanel Smith, Lynden Mills and Christopher Williams.

The team won the their award for their response to a longstanding fleet issue of recurring damage to sonar systems by implementing the use of an innovative tow-cable-mounted line cutter to protect the Multi-Function Towed Array and the Vibration Isolation Module (VIM) from fishhook penetration. Debris-filled maritime domains present unique challenges to the reliability of towed sonar systems. The harmful impacts of commercial fishing tackle, natural debris, trash, and other flotsam have been recognized since towed systems were first implemented. Previous studies have established that the forward VIM is particularly susceptible to punctures, as there is no current method of protection. Using line cutters mounted to the tow cable is expected to reduce the number of hose punctures thereby lowering repair costs to the VIM and hose. The line cutter recently has been fielded on a platform and testing for the device is currently ongoing, with data being collected.

“The team’s initiative and application of innovation to solve a long-standing fleet problem has improved the reliability of towed systems thereby improving overall fleet operations,” the award states.

Pineault was honored for developing a novel design and process to successfully replace corroded cable assembly coupling nuts on the Advanced Development Model (ADM) Large Vertical Array-2 (LVA2) platform. During the first half of fiscal year 2022, Division Newport’s ADM LVA2 In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) team successfully replaced corroded coupling nuts, which involves machining the coupling nuts off the platform in situ and replacing them with a split-nut coupling nut, leading to over $300,000 in cost avoidance and reducing the risk of impacting the platform schedule and the risk of permanently damaging the ADM LVA2 system on the platform.

Pineault developed the design and process for removing the corroded coupling nuts using a portable milling machine and installing the split nuts. Once the design was established, he oversaw shock qualification of both designs with Naval Sea Systems Command 05 via an underwater explosion shock test. He is being recognized for developing and qualifying a cost-saving method of replacing corroded cable assembly coupling nuts in-situ on an advanced development sonar array.

The winners were recognized during a virtual ceremony with PEO IWS on Aug. 18.

NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.

Join our team! NUWC Division Newport, one of the 20 largest employers in Rhode Island, employs a diverse, highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, and other STEM professionals, as well as talented business, finance, logistics and other support experts who wish to be at the forefront of undersea research and development. Please connect with NUWC Division Newport Recruiting at this site- https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Career-Opportunities/ and follow us on LinkedIn @NUWC-Newport and on Facebook @NUWCNewport.

• Date Taken: 10.24.2022
• Date Posted: 10.24.2022 13:25
• Story ID: 431907
• Location: NEWPORT, RI, US