LAKEHURST – Members from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCAD LKE) have announced their unique testing tool: Ship Motion Platform (SMP), at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL).
After nearly five years of work, the SMP offers a ship motion environment without the need for dedicated at-sea periods. This tool will reduce costs while providing an opportunity to also reduce schedule and technical risks to programs, NAWCAD states.
Although the SMP cannot replicate every aspect of the ship-board launch and recovery environment, it can help the Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) teams with technology maturation and risk reduction efforts.
“The ability to provide innovative tools like the Ship Motion Platform to the Navy and its partners is at the very heart of our mission here at NAWCAD Lakehurst,” said NAWCAD LKE Executive Director Kathleen P. Donnelly. “These tests show we are ready and able to do our part in this greater effort.”
This technology allows team members to simulate the movement of both aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers. Simulation can replicate waves up to sea state 4 with wave heights between 4 to 8 feet. Additionally, it can recreate the pitch, roll and heave of a ship at sea and hold a static tilt as part of the testing.
Back in 2017, the SMP was acquired from U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. NAWCAD LKE test engineer Rob Pellegrino states that achieving sea state 4 motion isn’t a matter of wind and weather, as it is at sea.
The SMP was recently tested with four CONEX boxes attached to the steel structure in order to replicate the deck of a ship.
“UAVs are really going to be at the forefront of Naval technology moving forward. And what the platform does for anybody, whether it’s support equipment, an aircraft or even human interface testing, is it provides a repeatable solution or environment that you otherwise can’t get at sea,” Pellegrino said.
“The argument is whether a captain wants to sail his or her ship into really rough waters to support a test. You still don’t know what you’re going to get in the variability that is the actual open ocean. So, the idea that I can come and bring you a specific sea state and then repeat that sea state over and over again is something that you’ve never had before,” Pellegrino added.
NAWCAD LKE Officer in Charge Cmdr. Walter A. Reynolds said he was thrilled to see the hard work by Pellegrino and his team pay off in a way that can benefit the fleet for years to come.
“The use of the Ship Motion Platform is just the latest example of the work done here at NAWCAD Lakehurst, aimed at offering capabilities that contribute to the success of our supported programs,” Reynolds said. “Seeing the successful testing of the UAVs is a testament to the work done by Rob and his team to take a concept and make it a reality. I have no doubt that, if utilized, test events here will positively impact programs in areas of schedule and cost savings while allowing them to test, mature technology and then test again at a pace we need to make that the norm.”
After years of development, Pellegrino believes this is just the beginning as word spreads about the benefits of SMP.
“The Ship Motion Platform has a small, close-knit team that has really pushed themselves to continually improve the site and its capabilities,” Pellegrino said. “The site’s success is a testament to the team’s work ethic while their ability to accommodate ever-evolving test objectives is what will spotlight the platform and its capability.”
“The point of bringing an aircraft in is I want them to test, and I realize they may not be ready for shipboard testing. So, the ability to provide them with a safe and controlled environment is a capability we’ve never had before. This lets them develop and learn without risk to operational Navy equipment,” Pellegrino said.
