Military

NSWC Crane Team Completes IROS3 Live Fire Test And Evaluation

NAVSEA News Wire

Release Date: 7/25/2003

By NSWC Crane Division Public Affairs

CRANE, Ind. -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division formed a multi-talented "Fleet Tiger Team" comprised of experts from Crane, NSWC Dahlgren Division, USS Ramage (DDG 61), Tactical Training Group Atlantic, and other Fleet and industry representatives has led development of a new system to provide shipboard force protection.

The Integrated Radar Optical Surveillance and Sighting System's (IROS3) is an CNO-sponsored Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection system that integrates sensor information and communication data into an open architecture that provides a semi-automated engagement response to hostile threats.

The team, in collaboration with Patuxent River Test Range technicians and NSWC Port Hueneme Dam Neck radar personnel recently performed live fire testing of the system at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, aboard the 100-foot "Transporter" test ship.

Various small boats including a remote control jet ski were used both as stationary and moving test targets. The schedule included a combination of detect, track and engage test scenarios both pier side and underway. During the scenarios, the AN/SPS-73 navigation radar detected the target, IROS3 operators responded to automated sensor cuing to identify and track the target, labeled the target hostile or friendly, accepted semi-auto cuing of the gun mount and engaged the target.

The IROS3 testing demonstrated the flexibility to meet the rigorous demands of a real world environment and provided the first opportunity for actual shipboard integration. IROS3 successfully processed multiple detect to engage scenarios both at pier side and underway on Transporter. IROS3 safety efforts were also proven to be highly successful as all detect, track and engage test scenarios were completed with no safety anomalies.

The valuable lessons learned from the system's immersion into a dynamic, maritime environment were incorporated to tune IROS3's development and to mold a more suitable and user-friendly product that will meet the specific demands of the fleet.

The live fire "test a little and learn a lot" methodology combined with the "Fleet Tiger Team" approach has proven vital in rapidly delivering a successfully new product to the fleet.