Pablo Lopez, left, and Chris Batchelor were part of the team from the Weapons Simulation Department that developed the new Mk 55 Mod 0 EFCT. Lopez and Batchelor met with the crew members of the USS RAMAGE (DDG 61) that will be using the system they helped develop.
IHDIV Designs, Builds, and Delivers New Test Set for 5-Inch Gun
Introducing the Mk 55 Mod 0 Electronic Firing Circuit Tester
by Sandra A. Schroeder, Public Affairs Office photos by Christina S. AdamsEditor's Note: Since he assumed command of the Indian Head Division last July, CAPT John Walsh has been putting his words into action. From the beginning, Walsh has said he wants everyone who works here to know the importance of his or her work in supporting the warfighter. To drive his point home, he has been having employees 'shake hands and meet' the warfighters that benefit from their work.
In October 1997, a team of IHDIV employees traveled to the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown to witness the delivery of 5-inch 54-caliber projectiles that they manufactured, to the USS Philippine Sea (CG 58). In December 1997, Major Bryan Knight, USAF, visited the IHDIV to meet and thank the people responsible for designing and building the technology that helped saved his life when he ejected from his F-117 Stealth at a Maryland airshow. The Division's support of the warfighter was exemplified once again with a recent trip to the USS RAMAGE (DDG-61).
Indian Head Division employees met their ultimate customer in April, when nine people, led by base commander CAPT John Walsh, traveled to Norfolk Naval Ship Yard in Portsmouth, VA, to deliver the Electronic Firing Circuit Tester Mk 55 Mod 0 to the sailors of the USS Ramage (DDG 61). "Indian Head exists to support the warfighter," said Walsh. "We are sending that message to the world."
The circuit tester was designed and developed by IHDIV. It is replacing the Mk 15 Mod 2 primer, which was used for prefire checkout of the electrical firing circuit for the 5-inch gun. The primers were costly and difficult to produce. They also require that the ship be out of port when testing the gun. The new electronic firing system accurately and dynamically measures three parameters: voltage, current, and breech-to-firing pin interface. It is completely inert, requires no internal batteries for operation, and can be used pierside if desired. It has no life-cycle maintenance costs and no waste, as is associated with spent primer casings.
According to Jack Nial, Program Manager for the Mk 55 Mod 0, "The electronic firing system has an approximate cost of $2,500, which is roughly the cost of 100 primers. The expected life of the system is ten years. Over that time period the Navy will save an estimated $47,000 per gun mount in primer costs alone." This new IHDIV engineered, developed, and tested electronic gun firing system will result in a total cost avoidance of at least $10 million.
The team of IHDIV employees who traveled to Portsmouth to deliver the test set and assist in the training of the RAMAGE sailors were Jack Nial, Christopher Batchelor, Pablo Lopez, and Larry Dulin, all of the Weapons Simulation Department. From Weapons Engineering was John Norton, and from the Public Affairs Office was Christina Adams and Sandra Schroeder. Human Resources employee Annetta Ross also made the trip to Portsmouth. This is because of Walsh’s enthusiasm for wanting everyone who works at IHDIV to know how this activity supports the warfighter. "I thought it was splendid that CAPT Walsh made the invitation," said Ross, who had never boarded a Navy ship before. "His initiative to afford the employees the opportunity to visit ships and see how their goods and services are utilized by field personnel is fantastic."
Weapons Simulation Department employee, Larry Dulin, is shown here assembling a new IHDIV product for the fleet, a Mk 55 Mod 0 electronic firing circuit tester.
This also marked Larry Dulin's first visit to a ship. An engineering technician, Dulin actually built the test set that was delivered to the RAMAGE. "I have always wanted to see where the final product goes, and to actually see it applied was very rewarding for me." Dulin watched as Kraig VonNostitz of Port Hueneme Division/In-Service Engineering Agent explained the system to the sailors. "This made me very proud," said Dulin. He continued, "After talking to the sailor who actually performs the test and finding out that it makes his job easier, safer, and more accurate, it makes me feel better about my work."
GMG1 Reginald Parker inserts an IHDIV designed and produced Mk 55 Mod 0 electronic firing circuit tester into the Mk 45 5"/54 gun in the loader room of the USS RAMAGE (DDG 61). Commissioned in July 1995, RAMAGE is the tenth ship of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Her combat systems are centered around the Aegis weapon system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar.
GMG1 Reginald Parker of Anniston, GA, is one of those sailors who will be using the test set. "This has been a real good experience for me," he said. "The primer we used to use for prefire checkout cannot compare to this new electronic test." He went on to explain a little about the old system. "We no longer have the burden of keeping lengthy inventory records associated with the old primers. You could only use the other primers once. They caused additional maintenance and had to be discarded and accounted for, and it was a lot of work. We can use the Mk 55 Mod 0 electronic tester over and over again, and it is a clean test."Originally proposed in FY 96 by John Norton as a process improvement program, the program sponsor is PMS 413, Larry Massa. The quick turnaround time was attributed to the consistent cooperation between IHDIV, Port Hueneme’s Louisville Detachment (In-Service Engineering Agent), and the sponsor located at Crane Division.
When asked about the visit, the Commanding Officer of RAMAGE, CDR Dan Davenport, commented, "RAMAGE is pleased to be a test platform for the Mk 55 Mod 0 electronic firing circuit tester for the 5"/54 caliber gun. This man-hour saving device will certainly benefit the fleet sailor and is a fine example of war-fighting advances being made by Indian Head Division, NSWC."
The
following is a list of Indian Head Division employees responsible for the
Mk 55 Mod 0 Electronic Firing Circuit Tester:
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John A. Nial (Code 660)- Program manager |
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John Norton (Code 6210G) - Brought to the attention of IHDIV the need for a PIP to change the means of assessing the firing circuit integrity of 5"/54 caliber Mk 45 gun mounts. |
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Pablo Lopez (Code 64C4) - Software engineer, programmed the chip for the gun tester. |
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J. David De Leon (Code 660I) - Mechanical engineer, mechanical design for tester. |
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Joe Dulcey (Code 660E) - Mechanical engineer, mechanical design for tester. |
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Chris Batchelor (Code 660BB) - Electronics engineer, electronic design for tester. |
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Yolanda Torres (Code 660J) - Production engineer, production of testers. |
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Larry Dulin (Code 6740G) - Electronics technician, fabricated testers. |
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Adam Kolstrom (Code 660P)- Electronics technician/procuring agent, fabricated testers and procured parts. |
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Les Funkhouser (Code 660F) - Electronics technician, fabricated testers. |
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William Brown (Code 660M) - Electronics technician, fabricated testers. |
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Ken Shives (Retired) - Procuring agent, procured parts. |
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Bill Ammons (Retired) - Electronics engineer, started the research and development of the circuit tester and electronic design. |
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John McCambridge - Procuring agent, procured parts. |
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Gordon Gilroy (Code 660H) - Procuring agent, procured parts. |
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Bruce Chandler (Code 660X) - Completed all drawings for the Mk 55 Mod 0 EFCT. |
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George Tanner (Code 652N) - PC Board design. |
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EOD Tech. Division Machine Shop - Machined parts for the prototypes of EFCT. |
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Reggie Norris (Code 652U) - Machined parts and tools for the EFCT. |
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Gregg LaFave (Code 660Z) - Fabricated prototypes of the EFCT. |
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Jim Mount (Code 6730N) - Quality assurance |
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Mark McClure (Code 6730M) - Quality assurance |
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Gary Harbour (Code 6730G) - Quality assurance |
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David Scott (Code 6710) - Painted EFCT & shipping container |
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Larry Barnes (Code 6710A) - Painted EFCT & shipping container |
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Curtis Ford (Code 6710L) - Painted EFCT & shipping container |
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Steve Rosier (Code 6710H) - Painted EFCT & shipping container |