Photo By Richard Allen | David Hart, head of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Towed and...... read more read more
NEWPORT, R.I. – A crew from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, visited the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport on March 20 to learn more about the operations at the warfare center and how collaborations between the two U.S. Navy organizations can be strengthened.
The 32 “zone” supervisors who visited are part of the extended dry-docking selected restricted availability (EDSRA) team for the Virginia-class USS Washington (SSN-787).
“Division Newport is showing the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard team some of the systems and components they’ll be dealing with when the USS Washington enters the yard, and also introducing them to our team of experts the shipyard can draw on if they run into difficulties during the availability,” said Patrick Roach, a NUWC Division Newport customer advocate for in-service submarines. “Getting to know each other will allow each team to understand the capabilities and constraints of the other, which will make acting together when issues arise smoother and more productive.”
The visit to Division Newport was part of a weeklong team-building experience for the shipyard crew as it prepares for the extensive maintenance and modernization task.
“This tour and the interface with the people who work at NUWC really kind of drives home the connection piece. It builds our team beyond the USS Washington, and moves it toward the enterprise level,” said Gabe Griego, project superintendent for the visiting shipyard team. “Relationships, seeing the capabilities, understanding the purpose and goals of each organization builds toward the goal of undersea dominance.”
Deputy Technical Director John Babb opened March 20’s agenda by giving an overview of Division Newport’s operations, including its workforce breakdown, seven technical departments and 10 science and technology focus areas.
Julie Kallfelz, director of the Northeast Tech Bridge, then spoke about how the Naval X Tech Bridge network can assist the shipyard with perpetual issues it might be experiencing. Kallfelz explained how she and Shane Comer, the operations manager for the shipyard’s Innovation Department, already are collaborating on a number of projects.
“If you’re running into problems, if there are things that are slowing you down and it’s not as fast or as efficient as it should be, that’s what the Tech Bridge is here for,” Kallfelz said. “We’re here to help support the shipyards in the work that they do in order to get the ships in and out faster.”
The shipyard crew was split into four smaller groups that rotated through tours of Division Newport facilities.
“We wanted to make their team aware of our extensive experience, and that we have personnel at other shipyards daily supporting the yards with maintenance and overhaul of these exact systems,” said Joe Carreiro of Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare Payloads and Platforms Integration Department, who led one tour. “You cannot underestimate the value of speaking face to face with the people who have hands-on experience with this equipment. These tours provide an opportunity for us to share the experiences, problems and solutions that we have come across and to understand the issues they have.”
David Hart, head of the Towed and Deployed Arrays Engineering Branch in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, detailed the technology behind the various towed array systems and explained the work being done at the Naval Array Technical Support Center, which is responsible for diagnostic testing, repair and design improvement for all in-service Navy submarine and surface ship towed arrays and tow cables.
With Division Newport and the shipyard working collectively, the fleet will be better positioned to continue its mission, Roach said.
“The shipyards contribute by performing heavy maintenance and modernization of the submarines and returning them to the fleet,” he said. “Anything we can do to help the shipyard attain their goal of on-time delivery increases the number of submarines the Navy will have when we need them.”
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: | 04.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2024 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 468159 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RI, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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