Warfare Center Collaboration leads to the Navy’s First At-sea Reloading of Vertical Launching System

Warfare Center Collaboration leads to the Navy's First At-sea Reloading of Vertical Launching System

By NSWC IHD Public Affairs

Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) Systems Integration Department's Naval Packaging, Handling, Storage and Transportation (PHS&T) Division employees recently assisted in the Navy's first successful demonstration of the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) on an underway warship in the open ocean, a critical step in the capability to rearm warships at sea.

"The TRAM demonstrates that re-loading Vertical Launching System (VLS) canisters while underway is possible," NSWC IHD PHS&T Division Director Matt Boyer said. "In the event that a Destroyer or Cruiser fires multiple VLS launched weapons, the ability to re-load the weapons without having to return to a U.S. controlled port, potentially thousands of miles away, is a massive advantage. It would allow our ships to stay in the fight with reduced time away from the front line."

As the In Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) for Ordnance Handling Equipment (OHE), the PHS&T Division is the Navy's subject matter expert for surface weapons handling. While the TRAM device was developed by NSWC Port Hueneme Division (PHD), NSWC IHD PHS&T Division worked with the Connected Replenishment (CONREP) team to identify the device requirements and certification path. The PHS&T team completed land- and sea-based analysis of the system then tested the system to qualify for an interim Authorization To Operate (ATO). Once the ATO was granted, the team leveraged the operational expertise of Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group and Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One to develop the system's procedures and demonstrate it on land and underway.

"Leading up to the land-based and sea-based demonstration, members of Naval PHS&T Test and Evaluation Branch and Naval PHS&T Ordnance Logistics Branch worked to improve the device and complete testing for the certification," NSWC IHD PHS&T Division Project Lead John Hungerford said. "During both the land- and sea-based testing, the Test & Evaluation Branch monitored the equipment using live instrumentation to assess the integrity of the system real time and ensure the system was reacting appropriately and validating the analysis of the system which lead into the real time safety assessment during demonstration."

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro witnessed the demonstration and met with NSWC IHD employees who aided in the lead up to the event.

"Today, we proved just how game-changing TRAM truly is - and what a powerful deterrent it will be to our competitors," Del Toro said. "This demonstration marks a key milestone on the path to perfecting this capability and fielding it for sustained operations at sea."

Prior to the successful demonstration at sea, a land-based test was successfully demonstrated at NSWC PHD in July.

"The NSWC IHD PHS&T team and NSWC PHD CONREP team really blended as one under a common mission to ensure success and safety," Hungerford said. "This included them opening their shop to us and leveraging capabilities to improve and test the device in a condensed timeframe. Without this close collaboration, this would have been nearly impossible."

Since this shipboard demonstration has proven that the concept is feasible, a follow-on effort is planned over the next few years to develop, test and implement a full-featured solution.

"The success of the demonstration would not have been possible without the team working together closely," Boyer said. "PHS&T will take a significant lead in this new effort but will continue to collaborate with NSWC Port Hueneme, NSWC Carderock Division and other warfare centers."