Photo By Richard Allen | The Hon. Richard Marles, MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for...... read more read more
NEWPORT, R.I. – The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport welcomed the Hon. Richard Marles, MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Minister for Defence and the Federal Member for Corio, on Aug. 5.
“The Naval Undersea Warfare Center supports the ongoing partnership between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the U.S. Navy, maintaining our shared interest in regional peace and prosperity,” Marles said. “Collaboration with our U.S. Navy counterparts is crucial to advance operational capability and lethality improvements to achieve synergy in the heavyweight torpedo enterprise and submarine combat control system program for both U.S. and Australian submarines.”
The visit, which included discussions and a tour of the Submarine Payload Integration Laboratory, was part of the warfare center’s ongoing support of AUKUS, a trilateral security pact between Australia, United Kingdom and United States.
“AUKUS really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” NUWC Division Newport Technical Director Marie Bussiere said. “The continued partnership and collaboration on various capabilities and technologies between our countries is very exciting. Through these types of visits, we generate mutual respect and understanding of the political environment, military requirements and ongoing development efforts, and begin to identify potential areas for sustained alliance.”
“Division Newport is looking forward to continuing to build on these relationships, established back in the 1980s in the case of heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes.”
For Bussiere, the visit harkened back plenty of memories. Earlier in her career, she was Division Newport’s lead systems engineer for a Foreign Military Sales case for the Collins-class submarine, which later progressed to an Armaments Cooperative Program (ACP), for the AN/BYG-1 submarine combat system for RAN. More recently and just prior to becoming Technical Director, in support of Commander, Submarine Force (COMSUBFOR) and the AUKUS Pillar 2 Undersea Working Group, she was the U.S. country lead for lethality.
“I learned pretty early in my career the value of international relationships,” Bussiere said. “Early in the ACP journey, I spent a whole bunch of time over in Sydney working through the details and feasibility of interfacing U.S. combat and weapons systems with other countries technical components. With the right authorities in place, teamwork and a shared outcome transcend international boundaries.”
In addition to Marles, Division Newport hosted a number of distinguished visitors from both the U.S. Navy and RAN. U.S. Navy visitors included Vice Adm. James E. Pitts, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO) for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities; Brad Neff, SES, Deputy Director, Integrated Warfare Division; Rear Adm. Douglas J. Adams, Program Executive Officer, Undersea Warfare Systems; and Rear Adm. Todd M. Evans, Commander, NUWC/NSWC.
Representatives from the Australian delegation included Gregory Moriarty, Secretary of Defence for Australia; Adm. David Johnston, RAN, Chief of the Australian Defence Force; Vice Adm. Jonathan Mead, Director General, Australian Submarine Agency (ASA); Hugh Jeffrey, Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Policy and Industry (SP&I); Hannah White, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister; Rear Adm. Ian Murray, RAN, head, Australian Defense Staff, Washington, D.C.; Sally Timms, Australia, U.S. and International Force Posture Policy; and Phoebe Greentree, Minister Counselor AUKUS.
Also during the visit, RAN Cmdr. Michael Power, who works with Division Newport’s Undersea Weapons, Vehicles and Defensive Systems Department, was presented with the Australian Operational Service Medal at a ceremony also attended by Power’s family.
According to the Australian government, “the medal was established to provide recognition to Defence personnel involved in declared operations or other service that the Chief of the Defence Force deems to be worthy of recognition.”
AUKUS is intended to strengthen the ability of each government to support security and defense interests, building on longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties. It will promote deeper information sharing and technology sharing; and foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains.
This announcement began the 18-month trilateral consultation period with two, related lines of effort. The first initiative under AUKUS is a commitment to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. The second initiative intends to enhance joint capabilities and interoperability, focusing on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and additional undersea capabilities.
On March 13, 2023, AUKUS partners announced an optimal pathway to produce a nuclear-powered submarine capability in Australia at the earliest point while ensuring all three partners maintain the highest non-proliferation standards.
One of two divisions of NUWC, Division Newport is the Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarine warfare systems and many other systems associated with the undersea battlespace.
Division Newport provides the technical foundation that enables the conceptualization, research, development, fielding, modernization and maintenance of systems that ensure our Navy's undersea superiority.
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.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2024 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 478137 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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