(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 18, 2009: U.S. Navy 688i-class submarines are now plying the ocean depths with greater assurance against water intrusion, 
thanks to BAE Systems employees in Middletown, Rhode Island.
A team from the company’s Technology Solutions & Services business area developed new hatches for the 688i's missile tubes, the cylinders through which the attack sub launches weapons. (Photo: 668i submarines ~ BAE Systems engineered new missile tube hatches for 668i submarines, much like these)
Engineers in Middletown provided, from concept to reality, specialized components for the hatches, which sit atop each of the vessel's missile launchers.
The new design, which provides a watertight seal and a smooth mechanism for opening and closing the hatches, resulted from work performed under contract to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). BAE Systems has supported the NUWC for more than 30 years.
"The Navy tasked us with the concept, the final design, and the engineering of all aspects of the project," said design specialist Eric Lee. "We even assisted with the prototype installation and the first production installation."
Lee and his colleagues performed all phases of the components' development, including the initial drawings, material selection, structural analysis, and final prototyping. They also used 3-D solid modelling to construct the complex shapes of the sub and its hatches, a step that allowed them to move quickly from preliminary design to production.
Lee is one of about 140 employees based in Middletown and in Groton, Connecticut, who provide a wide range of engineering and technical services to NUWC. Last year, this team won two five-year task orders worth a total of $47 million for engineering and technical services in support of the Navy's submarine fleet. The work includes systems design and fabrication, documentation and program management support, and assembly and installation of prototype hardware.
Another recent Middletown engineering success is the Electrical Towed Array Deployment Device. It's a mechanism for applying a measured pulling force to the submarine's thin-line towed array. Using complex control electronics, the device maintains a tight tug on the line while avoiding contact with parts of the towed array that could be damaged.
The team also is attracting the attention of other Navy offices, helping the Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, maintain and upgrade aging aircraft. For example, the team designed a sealing system on the cargo doors of C-2 Greyhound planes. Component manufacturing is now under way.
thanks to BAE Systems employees in Middletown, Rhode Island.
A team from the company’s Technology Solutions & Services business area developed new hatches for the 688i's missile tubes, the cylinders through which the attack sub launches weapons. (Photo: 668i submarines ~ BAE Systems engineered new missile tube hatches for 668i submarines, much like these)
Engineers in Middletown provided, from concept to reality, specialized components for the hatches, which sit atop each of the vessel's missile launchers.
The new design, which provides a watertight seal and a smooth mechanism for opening and closing the hatches, resulted from work performed under contract to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). BAE Systems has supported the NUWC for more than 30 years.
"The Navy tasked us with the concept, the final design, and the engineering of all aspects of the project," said design specialist Eric Lee. "We even assisted with the prototype installation and the first production installation."
Lee and his colleagues performed all phases of the components' development, including the initial drawings, material selection, structural analysis, and final prototyping. They also used 3-D solid modelling to construct the complex shapes of the sub and its hatches, a step that allowed them to move quickly from preliminary design to production.
Lee is one of about 140 employees based in Middletown and in Groton, Connecticut, who provide a wide range of engineering and technical services to NUWC. Last year, this team won two five-year task orders worth a total of $47 million for engineering and technical services in support of the Navy's submarine fleet. The work includes systems design and fabrication, documentation and program management support, and assembly and installation of prototype hardware.
Another recent Middletown engineering success is the Electrical Towed Array Deployment Device. It's a mechanism for applying a measured pulling force to the submarine's thin-line towed array. Using complex control electronics, the device maintains a tight tug on the line while avoiding contact with parts of the towed array that could be damaged.
The team also is attracting the attention of other Navy offices, helping the Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, maintain and upgrade aging aircraft. For example, the team designed a sealing system on the cargo doors of C-2 Greyhound planes. Component manufacturing is now under way.
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