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NSWC Engineers Deliver Combat Readiness to USS Ronald Reagan

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060307-09
Release Date: 3/8/2006 1:30:00 AM

From Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Public Affairs

DAHLGREN, Va. (NNS) -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) engineers who worked with industry and Sailors on land and during multiple at sea periods aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) are now standing ready to provide combat system technical support as the carrier supports ground troops in Iraq since arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

“This is far-reaching collaboration that makes a difference in our military’s ability to fight, win and come home safely,” said NSWC Dahlgren Division Commander, Capt. Joseph McGettigan. “The partnership of our engineers with Sailors, industry and systems experts throughout the Navy Enterprise was essential to provide the highly advanced combat systems and technologies to the USS Ronald Reagan.”

The Reagan Combat Direction Center (CDC) team operates a Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) MK 2-based combat system designed to respond with a rapid reaction, anti-air defense capability against high-speed, low-flying anti-ship missiles now in the inventories of many potentially hostile nations. The system identifies and classifies targets, prioritizes and conducts engagement, vectors interceptor aircraft to targets, and exchanges targeting information and engagement orders among ships in the Reagan Strike Group and various service components in the joint theater.

In addition to SSDS, Reagan’s combat readiness is enhanced with Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), Common Data Link Management System (CDLMS) and Shipboard Gridlock System (SGS). Cooperative engagement will allow large numbers of CEC-equipped surface ships and aircraft to participate in an air-defense network that would enable them to share fire-control-quality radar target measurements in real time.

“The CVN 76 Strike Group Support Team from NSWC provided invaluable assistance throughout our workup cycle,” said USS Ronald Reagan Commanding Officer Capt. Terry B. Kraft in regards to the civilians who worked aboard Reagan during underway periods from May 2003 to December 2005. “The inherent complexities of the Ship Self Defense System, and the new technology involved, made their job particularly challenging. I appreciated how the team worked side-by-side with our Sailors to make us combat ready for our maiden deployment.”

The combined Reagan Strike Group Team (RSGT) effort comprised about 250 engineers from NSWC Dahlgren, NSWC Port Hueneme, NSWC Corona, the Navy’s Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and a Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) Command Directorate that supports modeling, simulation, stimulation, and analysis. Reagan “ship riders” consisted of 75 RSGT civilians. However, no more than 30 team members would conduct developmental testing aboard the newest and most technologically advanced ship in the fleet during each at sea period.

“The combat system capabilities onboard USS Ronald Reagan represent the most advanced, state of the art combat system the Navy has ever delivered to a carrier and is the first non-Aegis combat system to ever be certified,” said NSWC Dahlgren Force Warfare Systems Department Head John Burrow. “It is a credit to the tremendous cooperative efforts of PEO Carriers and PEO IWS, our industry partners, and NAVSEA headquarters and field personnel. It clearly demonstrates the best spirit of government-industry collaboration and reaffirms the significance of the technical contributions of our field activities.”

Collaboration among Sailors and civilian engineers ensured the best technical, training, and operations support was provided to Reagan combat system operators and joint interface control officers.

"Because our combat systems suite is the newest and one of the most advanced in the fleet, having the systems experts on board from Naval Surface Warfare Center ensured our Combat Direction Center team deployed ‘combat ready’,” said Cmdr. Rick Mountain, Reagan CDC officer. “The engineers from NSWC quickly integrated with the crew and provided them the training and the assistance to operate the systems to their maximum potential."

Navy civilian engineers are now busy upgrading combat readiness on other ships and aircraft carriers, including USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68).