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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Commences Rennovation

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101105-03
11/5/2010

From Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Public Affairs

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- Renovations to an 18,000-square foot facility at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport, R.I. for a new unmanned anti-submarine warfare (ASW) support facility began Oct. 28.

The new facility will provide state-of-the-art range operations, tracking, and a display center for development of tactical concepts of operations for undersea warfare development systems and technologies. It will also provide improved diver support facilities to accommodate requirements for operating unmanned undersea and surface vehicles on Narragansett Bay.

"It will improve our ability to test and track unmanned vehicles on the Narragansett Bay Range and provide more effective undersea technology support," said Capt. Todd Cramer, NUWC Newport commander.

Rhode Island senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Cramer during a ground breaking ceremony for construction on the $6 million project. The Unmanned ASW Support Facility project will demolish the interior of a World War II-era building and construct a new interior to create partial second and full third floors within a portion of the waterfront building.

Reed told the audience that it is "extraordinarily important to maintain technological superiority that will enhance security in a cost effective way."

He said one of the most important aspects of the project will be the enhancement of NUWC's capacity for development of undersea warfare technologies that will improve our forces and their ability to protect the young men and women afloat.

Both senators noted the importance of the project in putting people to work in the current economic environment.

"NUWC provides the anchor in the [economic] storm," said Whitehouse. "NUWC is an extraordinary resource both on a local and national level."

"This is where we conduct critical in-water testing of unmanned undersea and surface vehicles, swimmer delivery and defense systems, torpedoes, targets, underwater surveillance, and other undersea technologies," said Dr. Paul Lefebvre, NUWC Newport technical director. "When it's completed, this facility will be well-equipped to keep NUWC Newport on the cutting edge of undersea technology well into the future."

NUWC Newport is the Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test, and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and weapons systems associated with undersea warfare.