WASHINGTON
— The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Navy’s premier science and
technology research squadron, Scientific Development Squadron ONE (VXS-1),
unveiled on May 11 the UV-18 “Twin Otter” as the newest addition to the
squadron’s fleet of aircraft research platforms.

The
UV-18 is the military equivalent of the DeHavilland DHC-6 — a high-wing, unpressurized
twin engine turbine powered aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear.

“The
Twin Otter is a safe, highly maneuverable and extremely versatile aircraft,”
said Cmdr. Erik Thomas, commanding officer of VXS-1. “The fact that it is
unpressurized simplifies modifications and will accelerate our ability to get
projects airborne for the Naval Research Enterprise.”

The
aircraft compliments the VXS-1 “Warlocks” fleet by providing an affordable and
stable research platform with slow flight capabilities and an operational
payload of up to 3,000 pounds.

The
performance capabilities of the UV-18 aircraft offer customers a slow flight
speed of 85 mph, a maximum cruise speed of 190 mph, a nominal service ceiling
of 13,000 feet (higher with supplemental oxygen) and a six-hour flight duration,
depending on payload and flight configuration.

In
addition to the UV-18, VXS-1 operates a varying range of aircraft that include
three NP-3C and P-3C Orions, an RC-12 King Air and 12 TigerShark unmanned aircraft
systems.

The
fleet of squadron aircraft are operated and maintained by the men and women of
VXS-1 and contain an S&T framework to provide power, Ethernet and GPS feeds
as required for temporary project installations and to quickly conduct airborne
research. The squadron has a self-contained configuration and project shop to
assist prospective customers with rack designs, gear installations and flight
clearances.

“Using
our squadron’s aircraft, scientists and engineers can install and test the
latest technology they are developing in an operational environment anywhere in
the world. We truly turn their ideas into reality,” Thomas said.

Providing
proof of concept for the latest technology, VXS-1 enables operational fleet
commands to receive time pertinent technological advances to better execute
their missions and fill critical capability gaps in their theater.

Historically,
the squadron has supported a broad spectrum of research projects, which include
magnetic variation mapping, hydro-acoustic research, bathymetry, electronic
countermeasures, gravity mapping, electro-optical and radar research and remote
measuring of water contained in snow for NASA.

ARLINGTON,
Va. — The first two fuselages for the Navy’s CMV-22B Osprey
carrier-onboard-delivery (COD) aircraft have been detailed for final assembly,
the aircraft’s program manager said.

“First
delivery is later this year,” said Marine Col. Matthew Kelly, joint program
manager for the V-22, speaking May 6 to reporters at the Navy League’s
Sea-Air-Space exposition in National Harbor, Md. “We’re really excited to get
it out there.”

The CMV-22B will
replace the C-2A Greyhound as the Navy’s COD aircraft. As a tiltrotor aircraft,
it will not need a tailhook for arrested landings. The CMV-22B adds new
features such as an HF radio, a public address system for the cabin and extra
fuel tankage. The Navy is procuring 42 CMV-22Bs.

Kelly said
that V-22 production is closing in on a potential end to the program unless
further orders develop. The Marine Corps has received 326 of 354 ordered out of
a program of 360 aircraft. The Air Force has received 52 of 54 ordered out of a
program of 56 aircraft. The Navy has 42 ordered of a program of 48 aircraft. Japan
has ordered 17 Ospreys.

The Ospreys
being built now are part of the Multi-Year Procurement-3 contract awarded in
2018. Kelly pointed out that December 2020 is that last opportunity for a
potential V-22 customer to order aircraft within the current contract at the
current prices.

With V-22
production for the Marine Corps approaching completion, a question for planners
is 360 Ospreys enough considering actual and reasonable attrition over the
service life of the inventory, or whether the Marine Corps V-22 program would
need to add to the program of record.

“We’re
continuing to look as to whether or not that would be the call,” Kelly said.
Right now, it does seem to be adequate.”

The Corps has
begun to induct fleet MV-22Bs into the CC-RAM (Common Configuration-Readiness
and Modernization) program, designed to standardize the different configurations
of Ospreys from 70 to five. The program involves 50 engineering change
proposals.

The Corps now
has four MV-22Bs inducted, with a fifth set for induction this summer. The
first CC-RAM completed aircraft is scheduled to roll out by the end of the
summer. The Corps plans to put 129 Block B MV-22Bs through the program.

MCLEAN,
Va. — Alion Science and Technology has opened a system sustainment center
supporting the Crane Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), the
company announced in a release.

By
combining its current facilities footprint in Odon, Indiana, Alion has created
a 57,000-square-foot campus that provides research, development, production and
sustainment of advanced weapons systems, soldier-carried systems, electronic warfare
(EW) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

Alion’s
WestGate facilities recently obtained ISO:9001 and AS9100 certifications and
house a series of laboratories for design and integration of hardware, firmware
and software for secure radar, EW, communications and processing systems.

Alion
recently added a complete prototyping/fabrication capability and an on-site
light electronics and cable assembly laboratory to reduce schedule dependencies.
The company also is adapting new technology — like artificial intelligence — to
solve challenging problems including cyber-resilient mission processors and
autonomous system payloads.

“We are
proud to offer this innovative one-stop system sustainment center to support
NSWC-Crane,” said Dino Cencetti, vice president of ISR systems and sensors operations
for Alion.

“This
provides our fighting forces with a competitive edge by bringing all these
capabilities together to create a center that can rapidly respond to today’s
needs and invest in the future of NSWC-Crane. Alion has been supporting NSWC
for over 10 years providing new equipment design, redesign for obsolescence and
technology insertion bringing new technology to the warfighter.”

WASHINGTON
— Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer named a future Arleigh Burke-class
guided-missile destroyer, DDG 133, in honor of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, who
represented Georgia from 1972 to 1997, the secretary’s public affairs office
said in a release.

“Senator
Nunn’s impact on the Navy and Marine Corps team cannot be overstated,” Spencer
said. “His leadership in the Senate, specifically as the long-serving chairman
of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped streamline the military chain of
command and strengthen our Navy and Marine Corps team. I am pleased that
Senator Nunn’s legacy of service to our nation will continue in the future USS
Sam Nunn.”

Nunn
served in the U.S. Coast Guard 1959 to 1960 and remained in the Coast Guard
Reserve until 1968. A Democrat, he was elected to the Georgia House of
Representatives in 1968 and in 1972 was first elected to the U.S. Senate.
During his tenure as a senator, Nunn served as chairman of the Senate Committee
on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He helped
draft the Department of Defense Reorganization Act and the Nunn-Lugar
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which helped Russia and the former Soviet
republics to secure and destroy their excess nuclear, biological and chemical
weapons.

Arleigh
Burke-class destroyers conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence
and crisis response to sea control and power projection. USS Sam Nunn will be
capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously, with
offensive and defensive weapons systems designed to support maritime warfare,
including integrated air and missile defense and vertical launch capabilities.

USS Sam
Nunn will be constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula,
Mississippi. The ship will be 509 feet long, have a beam of 59 feet and be
capable of traveling in excess of 30 knots.

MANILA,
Philippines — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) and vessels from
the Philippine coast guard conducted joint search-and-rescue exercises May 14 in
the South China Sea west of Manila, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a
release.

The Bertholf,
a 418-foot national security cutter based in Alameda, California, worked
together with the Philippine coast guard vessels Batangas and Kalanggaman on
small-boat search-and-rescue tactics to conduct the mock rescue of a person in
the water. The Bertholf is in the midst of a Western Pacific deployment under
the tactical control of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet.

In training
with and learning alongside partners in the Philippines on search and rescue,
maritime law enforcement and small-boat tactics, Bertholf’s crew enjoys the
benefits of the strong, often personal ties between the countries, the release
said.

The work also
strengthens one of the most enduring partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region,
between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines and supports both
countries’ commitment to a free and open Pacific, governed by international
maritime law that promotes peace, security and prosperity of all nations.

“Bertholf
completed an at-sea search-and-rescue exercise today with our counterparts from
the Philippine coast guard. This engagement proved an excellent opportunity to
compare techniques, maintain proficiency and build a friendly relationship
amongst professional mariners and coast guards,” said Capt. John J. Driscoll,
Bertholf’s commanding officer.

The crew of
Bertholf also will participate in other joint events with members of the
Philippine coast guard during the ship’s Manila port call. The events include a
series of engagements on operational subjects such as damage control and search
and rescue as well as sporting and social events. The activities are designed
to improve interoperability and strengthen the ties between the two countries.

“The U.S.
Coast Guard is proud to operate with our Pacific counterparts, and together we
are dedicated to enhancing our capabilities and strengthening maritime
governance and security while promoting individual sovereignty,” said Vice Adm.
Linda Fagan, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Area. “Today’s exercise
is a great opportunity to share our experiences and learn from our partners in
the Philippine coast guard.”

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The keel for the
future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the Navy’s first John Lewis-class fleet
replenishment oiler, was ceremonially laid at General Dynamics-National Steel
and Shipbuilding Co. on May 13, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a release.

A keel laying is the ceremonial
recognition of the start of a ship’s construction. It is the joining together
of a ship’s modular components and the authentication or etching of an
honoree’s initials into a ceremonial keel plate. The ship’s namesake, Rep. John
Lewis (D-Ga.), and the ship’s sponsor, actress Alfre Woodard, etched their
initials into the keel plate.

“We’re honored to have
Representative Lewis and Ms. Woodard with us today as we lay the foundation for
recapitalizing our nation’s critical fuel-replenishment-at-sea
capabilities,” said Mike Kosar, Support Ships, Boats and Craft program manager,
Program Executive Office-Ships. “These ships are steadfast, reliable and
allow our warships to defend our freedoms for which Representative Lewis has
dedicated his life to protecting.”

The John Lewis-class ships are based
on commercial design standards and will recapitalize the current T-AO 187-class
fleet replenishment oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S.
Navy ships at sea. These ships are part of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force.

John Lewis will be operated by the
Navy’s Military Sealift Command and is the first ship named after the civil
rights leader and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. Construction of John
Lewis began in September 2018, with delivery planned in late 2020.

ARLINGTON,
Va.— Raytheon Missile Co. will build a new block upgrade of the Tomahawk cruise
missile for the U.S. Navy even as the company takes older missiles into a recertification
program to return them to service.

“Tomahawk has
returned to production [after a one-year gap],” said Chris Daily, Raytheon’s
Tomahawk program manager, speaking to reporters May 7 at the Sea-Air-Space Expo
in National Harbor, Md. “All production beginning in fiscal ’20 will be Block 5.”

He said the
fiscal 2020-2021 production — 90 missiles per year — will emerge as Block 5
versions.

The Block 5
version is an upgrade of the Block 4 Tomahawk, with upgrades such as navigation
and communications improvements.

A subversion,
Block 5A, will be the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST), equipped with a multimode
seeker that retains a land-attack capability.

“The MST is
going to be a great addition to the fleet,” Daily said.

Another, the
Block 5B, will be a Block V armed with the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead and
will be fielded in 2024-2025.

Daily said
the Block 4 Tomahawks being recertified after 15 years in service also will
emerge as Block 5 versions. The first deliveries will occur in 2020.

“Tomahawk will be in the
fleet until the 2050s,” Daily said.

ANDOVER,
Mass. — Mercury Systems Inc. received a $2.1 million order from a leading
defense prime contractor for custom-engineered radio frequency (RF) amplifiers required
for an advanced naval electronic support program, the company said in a release.

The order
was booked in the company’s fiscal 2019 third quarter and is expected to be
shipped over the next several quarters.

Mercury
Systems offers a broad range of RF and microwave product offerings designed and
manufactured in its scalable Advanced Microelectronics Centers (AMC) located
throughout the United States.

“With
co-located engineering and manufacturing resources, our AMC facilities are the
ideal solution to deliver highly differentiated custom RF microelectronics with
affordable, long-term supply continuity,” said Kevin Beals, vice president and
general manager of Mercury’s RF and Microwave group.

“Receiving this order from
our valued defense prime contractor customer further validates the power of
Mercury’s next-generation business model to support our military forces with
sophisticated microelectronics that are second to none.”

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Navy T-45C Goshawk
aircraft crashed at Naval Air Station Kingsville at 2:38 p.m. Friday, May 10,
the Chief of Naval Air Training Public Affairs reported in a release.

The two pilots, an instructor and a student,
suffered minor injuries and were transported to a local medical treatment
facility for care.

The pilots safely ejected from the aircraft before
it crashed just short of the runway inside the airfield perimeter fence.

Emergency services immediately responded to the crash site. The incident
is under investigation.

Most talk about unmanned underwater vehicles centers around the sonar, battery, and other aspects of the technology and what it can do. But one effort would aim to improve the capability of UUVs by making them easier to recover.

It’s known as the Airborne Surface Quad Thruster Interface Device, or ASQUID, and it was on display at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space symposium on Wednesday.

Today, UUVs are recovered from the water via what is known as a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB), a small boat that must be manned by Sailors. But that can be dangerous, as it means human beings have to handle a UUV that can weigh upward of 800 pounds while at times battling rough seas. It’s also limiting, because RHIBs can only go so far from shore or ship.

ASQUID, however, is a recovery system that allows an MH-60S helicopter to lift them straight out of the sea, said Timothy Currie, technical program manager for aviation systems at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City.

“We designed this with internal funding,” he told Seapower following his presentation. “We attach it to an MH-60S helicopter, fly it out on station, lay it down and let it go.”

The device is used to recover Mk 18 mine countermeasures UUVs, but his office envisions making it adaptable to other systems.

It’s called a quad-thruster because it has four thrusters that a Sailor uses to control it, positioning it in place so that the UUV can be scooped up and lifted out of the water.

Currie says this technology could protect Sailors by keeping them out of the minefield.

“It’s a recovery device. I have really nothing to do with the [UUV] system itself,” he said. “This is a prototype we’d like to make scalable for all UUVs.

“Right now, they use a RHIB boat to take it out there really slowly, and anytime there’s a sea state, it starts moving around and gets really dangerous. This takes it much, much farther.” he added. “The biggest advantage is it takes the man out of the minefield.”