Austal EPF conducts fleet experiments

KEY WEST, Fla. - The Military Sealift Command’s expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) recently completed a two-day underway period off Key West to conduct fleet experiments with multiple unmanned aerial and undersea systems, to include the V-BAT vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Scan Eagle UAV and Knifefish unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Dr. Christopher Heagney, Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet science advisor, coordinated the fleet experimentations. “The purpose for these underway (periods) is to get new capabilities that are under development by warfare centers, program offices, original equipment manufacturers and academia out in the fleet environment so we can do at-sea testing,” he said. Some of the experiments conducted included testing the Knifefish UUV’s mine countermeasures missions (MCM) from an EPF, operating the V-BAT and Scan Eagle to provide improved detection and monitoring to support counter-narcotics missions and testing the position, navigation and timing (PNT) system for navigation in GPS denied/degraded environments. Among 30 scientists onboard Spearhead was Holly Gardner, Program Executive Office (PEO) Unmanned & Small Combatants (USC) Science & Technology (S&T) Mine Warfare (MIW) Warfare Center Lead at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. She called her time underway was “incredibly valuable.” Gardner sat with active duty Minemen embarked from Littoral Combat Squadron (LSCRON) 2. “(L)istening to their problems and trying to empathize with them and see things from their perspective, instead of assuming what their needs are. is so important ... (and) gives us a much better understanding of what the fleet needs ... and be in touch with what our sailors need.” Source: U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command 07/29/19) Gulf Coast Note: USNS Spearhead was originally built for the Army by Austal USA shipyards of Mobile, Ala. NSWC Panama City’s mission is to conduct research, development, test and evaluation, and in-service support in Mine Warfare, Naval Special Warfare, Diving and Life Support, and Amphibious and Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare Systems, as well as other missions in the littoral battlespace.