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NSWC Crane Personnel Team With Australia to Complete Nulka Certification

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090630-05
Release Date: 6/30/2009 5:11:00 AM

From Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Corporate Communications

CRANE, Ind. (NNS) -- As part of an ongoing collaboration to ensure best practices are shared and applied, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division personnel recently traveled to Australia for MK-234 Nulka active electronic decoy assembly and testing certification.

Nulka is an active expendable decoy system that is highly effective in defending ships against modern radar-homing Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCMs). Meaning "be quick" in Australian Aboriginal dialect, it was developed jointly by the U.S. and Australia and is used on many U.S., Australian and Canadian warships.

Training, which took place at BAE Systems' Australia Nulka Round Assembly Facility in late Spring 2009, focused on newly improved procedures and practices to both assemble and test the system. NSWC Crane personnel completed procedural demonstrations and oral and written assessments, as well as assembly, disassembly and testing of several Nulka decoys to gain certification. The Command will send additional personnel to Australia later this summer to complete the same training.

"The training merged two groups of knowledgeable professionals who are committed to keeping the quality and consistency of our work at the highest possible level," said Keith Strange, NSWC Crane ordnance electronics integration branch manager.

NSWC Crane experts also advised Australian personnel on system process improvements and procedures that have been developed at NSWC Crane. By creating a setting to foster open communications, experts were able to share solutions with those committed to the same purpose of providing the warfighter with the best Nulka system technology.

"Working hands-on with Australia helps ensure practices consistently improve and that when the warfighter uses the technology, it works every time," said Strange.

NSWC Crane Electronic Warfare/Information Operations Center is the assigned in-service engineering agent for Nulka and is responsible for engineering and logistics support, round recertification, testing, maintenance and technical analysis for the MK-234 Nulka decoy. As an electronic warfare center of excellence within the DoD, NSWC Crane develops innovative technology across air, ground and maritime domains for both joint and coalition forces.