1 août 2019 | International, Naval
By Kristi Britt, Public Affairs Specialist,
PORTSMOUTH, Va (NNS) -- Although they have only worked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for less than 10 months, two employees are already involved in the future of innovative technologies in America's Shipyard.
Code 268 Engineering Technician Jason Ewick and Code 2340 Assist Shift Test Engineer (ASTE) Joey Hoellerich were brought into the NNSY Technology and Innovation (T&I) Lab, a group dedicated to bringing the real ideas and technologies of the shipyard to the forefront. With their arrival to the team, both were given the unique opportunity to share knowledge with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS&IMF), using laser scanning to provide accurate measurements for shipboard work.
“The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) was at NNSY in years past, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) brought Puget Sound representatives to our shipyard to use their laser scanning technology to cut off all added material from four sponsons onboard the vessel,” said NNSY T&I Lab Lead Dan Adams. Sponsons are the projections extending from both sides of the watercraft to provide protection, stability, mounting locations, etc. “During the time, we observed the process and wanted to learn what we could from our sister shipyard team.”
The team from PSNS&IMF returned to NNSY to give guidance on the process, with Code 290 representative Dan Hager, and Shop 11 Mold Loft representatives Jason Anderson and Jeremiah Swain taking charge in sharing what they knew to Ewick and Hoellerich.
“The team from Puget was absolutely amazing and shared the ins and outs of the 3-D scanning technology with us,” said Ewick. “I had done laser scanning work in the private industry but it was my first time tackling something like this. Hager, Anderson, and Swain guided us through each step, sharing as much knowledge as they could with us about two different processes we could use to get the results we needed.”
The first process is photogrammetry, where you place targets an inch apart on a desired object or space for scanning. Once complete, you take multiple photographs which are then compiled into a software to build the 3-D model.
The second process is the 3-D laser scanning, which requires more space for a larger read. The targets would be placed and then someone would operate the laser tracker and scanner from the pier to get the scan needed. Once completed, the 3-D model would be compiled in the software for use.
With the knowledge provided by PSNS&IMF and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in drydock, Ewick and Hoellerich were ready to tackle the process for NNSY.
“We began at Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk where the sponsons are being produced,” said Ewick. “We use the scanning technology to analyze where the sponson would meet the shell of the ship. It helps provide an accurate measurement for our workers when it comes to installation and repair.”
Next up was scanning after the pieces were installed. At this time three of the four sponsons have been installed onboard the Bush.
“The two forward sponsons were scanned using photogrammetry,” said Ewick. “It was a first for us and required coordination across various shops and codes throughout the shipyard.” The Pipefitter Shop (Shop 56), The Optical Diesel Mechanics (Shop 38), the Shipfitter Shop (Shop 11), the Shipyard Operations Department (Code 300), and partners at Puget all played a part in this evolution. “It was a collaborative effort and we were able to be successful thanks to our shipyard family coming together to make it happen.”
This process was a first for NNSY and a first for using the software directly in the drydock instead from piers and barges.
“It's amazing to see something come together like this, especially when you think that we were two blank slates coming into the project,” said Hoellerich who had no prior experience working with 3-D scanning and metrology before joining the lab. “We were able to partner with our sister shipyard and work with shops and codes that I never thought I'd be able to do when I first joined the ranks of NNSY. Being able to gain that knowledge from our shipyard family and utilize what we've learned in the field is something those of us working in innovation live for.”
The team will be completing the rear scans for the Bush in the future and hope to continue to perfect the process. In addition, they hope to continue to work with other shipyard entities to further expand on the technologies of the future.
“This partnership has been a major success for us and we hope to continue to build those relationships with the other shipyards and beyond,” said Hoellerich. “We can all learn from each other and build from each other's experiences. We all share a mission and together we can succeed.”
Ewick added, “we've also begun expanding more ways we can use the scanning technology at our shipyard. For example, we are looking into a future project where we scan inside the ship and build a path for extracting heavy equipment from within as to avoid interferences. We've seen more interest from others within the shipyard since we began to do work with this technology, seeing what ways it could help improve what we do here. That's what innovation is all about, taking those first steps in seeing what works. Even if what you try doesn't pan out, at least you gave it a shot. But you'll never know if it works or not unless you take that step. Don't be scared to try out something new.”
For more information regarding innovation, contact the NNSY T&I Lab at 757-396-7180 or email the REAL Ideas program at NNSY_REALIdeas@navy.mil.
4 novembre 2021 | International, Terrestre
General Dynamics' land systems operation in Spain has already built half of the hulls for the British Army's Ajax armored cavalry program, even as the future of the vehicle is threatened by noise and vibration problems.
14 août 2018 | International, Naval
By: David B. Larter WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy intends to get much bigger, and that has meant new openings for European companies in the U.S. defense market. The Navy's new over-the-horizon missile destined for the littoral combat ship and the future frigate was recently awarded to the Norwegian firm Kongsberg, in partnership with U.S. company Raytheon, for its Naval Strike Missile. The future frigate program itself has awarded contracts to Spain's Navantia and Italy's Fincantieri for design work before the Navy selects a design later this year, meaning the service's next surface combatant may be a European design. And for the Navy's future training helicopter, both Franco-Dutch company Airbus and Italian firm Leonardo are top competitors for that program. Analysts say the Navy's recent surge in interest has been spurred by a confluence of circumstances that could mean even more opportunities for foreign companies looking to break into the U.S. market. Increased defense budgets are one reason the European companies have been seeing more business from the Navy and other American military branches. But a shift in the way the Defense Department tries to fill capabilities gaps has made the space more competitive for overseas firms, said Dan Gouré, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute think tank. As the Navy and other services have shifted toward great power competition, it has found a number of capabilities that were not hugely important in a unipolar world have again become requirements with the reemergence of Russia and the rise of China as security threats. One such area is the small surface combatant, or FFG(X) program, which would be needed to escort supply convoys and work as a survivable sensor node in a larger surface combatant network. “With the frigate, for example, we hadn't built one of those in 40 years, but the Europeans have been building them for decades,” Gouré noted. “And if we needed a diesel-electric sub, they'd of course be the first in line.” This emphasis on speed of acquisition has also helped because the Navy and the rest of the Department of Defense are reluctant to get tied down by a yearslong, inevitably over-budget development process unless necessary, Gouré said. “The trend has been toward [other transaction authority] contracts, and that has made the European companies credible competitors,” he said. Another factor is that the Navy has been more willing to make trades on capabilities, said Bryan Clark, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “I think what's new is that the Navy is openly seeking foreign proposals for some of these major new programs,” Clark said. “Foreign companies have always been able to submit proposals in response to RFPs, but usually they don't offer the high-end capability the U.S. is usually seeking. “The big change is that the Navy is willing to get a less-sophisticated capability in to get a design that is more mature.” In the case of the Navy's trainer helicopter competition, past success with European companies inside the DoD could be a driving factor in Airbus' and Leonardo's competitive bids. Airbus' North American division has been successful with the U.S. Army's Lakota program, built by Airbus Helicopters in Columbus, Mississippi, which is where the company would build its H135 helicopter if selected for the program. The Army has been happy with Lakota, so much so that it has been pushing to buy more of the airframes despite legal battles over the contracts. But the success of Airbus Helicopters with the Army is possible for much the same reason that, for example, Australian-owned Austal USA has been successful building both the trimaran version of the littoral combat ship and the expeditionary fast transport: a major manufacturing infrastructure investment in the United States. And that kind of cash outlay for a program can scare away European competitors. Getting around “Buy American” provisions would literally take an act of Congress. Despite having already developed, tested and fielded the capability the Navy wants, Kongsberg had to team with American defense giant Raytheon to sell its missile to the DoD. The “Buy American” provisions laid down and regularly upheld by Congress for defense procurement does have protectionist overtones, but there is a national security argument as well. In the event of a major, protracted conflict with Russia or China, it wouldn't be advantageous to have major suppliers located an ocean away or in occupied territory. And maintaining the industrial base has long been a concern of the U.S. Navy because of the limited the number of trained workers with experience who are building ships and nuclear reactors. Navy officials have testified that the shrinking industrial base, including the shipbuilders and the litany of subcontractors and vendors, is a significant concern. In 2015, then-head of the Navy's research, development and acquisition office Sean Stackley testified before Congress that some of the shipyards were just a contract away from going under. “We have eight shipyards currently building U.S. Navy ships. And of those eight shipyards, about half of them are a single contract away from being what I would call ‘not viable,' ” Stackley told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “In other words, the workload drops below the point at which the shipyard can sustain the investment that it needs to be competitive and the loss of skilled labor that comes with the breakage of a contract.” https://www.defensenews.com/top-100/2018/08/09/us-navys-focus-on-rapid-acquisition-is-opening-up-opportunities-for-europe/
5 octobre 2023 | International, Aérospatial
The attack appeared to be Kyiv’s largest single cross-border drone assault reported by Moscow since it launched its invasion 20 months ago.