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NSWC Crane Engineers Participate in SPS installation

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080605-19
Release Date: 6/5/2008 4:24:00 PM

By Mary Camacho, Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Public Affairs

CRANE, Ind. (NNS) -- The Navy is preparing for the next phase of installations of the Shipboard Protection System (SPS).

Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane) engineers from the Special Missions Center are preparing for the first installation of SPS Block 3, which is due to take place early next year on the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75).

NSWC Crane engineers are currently analyzing data collected from testing done during the Block 1 event, which took place in late February.

As an Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) system, SPS Block 1 is a system that enhances situational awareness of destroyer-class ships and USS Benfold (DDG 65) was the first ship to receive this type of installation, thanks to the efforts of NSWC Crane and NSWC Dahlgren engineers. Data collected from Block 1 will help give the engineers greater insight into the testing that will need to be done for Block 3.

During the first installation, the Block 1 system incorporated electro-optic sensors with Benfold's radar and navigation hardware to enhance 'situational awareness' when maneuvering in restricted waterways, at anchor, or pier-side.

"Situational awareness assists the ship's personnel in determining if there are any threats that they should be aware of in a timely fashion," said Tina Closser, lead test engineer for the NSWC Crane team..

Benfold's commanding officer and the force protection watchstanders will have the ability to visually identify and track watercraft threats from the ships console using two electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) sensors, which are integrated with the ship's AN/SPS 73 Surface-Search Radar, a short-range, two-dimensional radar system that provides contact range and bearing information.

"SPS is used to detect and identify small high speed craft," said Closser. "The radar can forward this contact to the SPS. At the SPS console the user will have predefined 'threat-rings' set up so that the user can monitor how close the contact is coming to the ship."

She also noted that the installation of this project is very important for AT/FP because it gives the ship a 360 degree view of what is around them. They can tell if an incoming unknown craft is just a fishing vessel that might have gotten lost or a potential threat to their vessel.

Two additional destroyers are scheduled to receive Block 1 systems this fiscal year, and the first Block 3 SPS will be installed in October. Block 3 will integrate the Block 1 hardware with pan-and-tilt acoustic hailers, which will provide a loud warning of pre-recorded messages to incoming crafts to inform them they are approaching a Naval exclusion zone.

The system will also have high intensity spotlights and M2 heavy barrel .50 caliber weapons, all remotely controlled from the operator consoles. For Block 3, NSWC Crane's Special Missions Center will provide the hardware design and assembly expertise while NSWC Dahlgren will be in charge of the system's software.

The NSWC SPS Team consisted of Closser and Tim Lang, designer and test engineer from NSWC Crane; and Lara Ruff, John Zerull and Tisa Henry from NSWC Dahlgren.

The SPS installation is one example of how the Warfare Centers are providing technical engineering solutions for many of the systems that protect and enable our warfighters.

For more news from Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/crane/.