Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Riley McDowell | Fire Controlman 2nd Class Douglas D. Huyge, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, assigned to USS...... read more read more
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Ford Refines Combat Systems during Sea-Based Developmental Testing
ATLANTIC OCEAN -- USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completed another round of sea-based developmental testing (SBDT), Nov. 10, another milestone in Ford’s 18-month post-delivery test and trials (PDT&T) phase of operations, now in month13.
SBDT is designed to mimic conditions Ford’s radar sensors could face using various air and surface assets in order to test the ship's ability to detect and to engage external threats.
“SBDT allowed us to simulate engagements and position ourselves to conduct warfighting operations,” said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Douglas Huyge from Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The tests were completed by Ford’s combat systems department, and watch standers in the ship’s Combat Direction Center (CDC), who worked hand-in-hand with a team of contractors, led by Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) 10.0, the ship’s self-defense system (SSDS) integrated combat systems program.
CDC is where most of the coordination occurs. It’s the hub that connects and controls many of the various weapons and sensors integrated into Ford’s SSDS. The weapons and sensors that play into it, however, are dispersed throughout the ship.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Todd Williamson, Ford’s fire control officer, said “we’re refining our communication and coordination to a high-level of precision. We continue to work toward standardizing communications so that our watch standers, especially those in the kill chain, know what to expect in certain situations—in other words, to perfect the mission tasks required to employ specific weapons against specific threats.”
SBDT is vital to ensuring Ford’s combat systems are operating according to design, and functioning to protect the ship from high-end threats. The successful completion of these tests is one of many milestones scheduled during Ford’s PDT&T.
“The operations were a huge success because we learned how to coordinate better as a team and practiced our warfighting skills so as to be more combat effective for deployment,” said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Anthony Anadon from Stockton, California. “Our biggest accomplishment was being able to use the close-in weapons system thermal imager to conduct intercepts on live targets.”
Under the leadership of Carrier Strike Group TWELVE, commanded by Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton, Gerald R. Ford is under way in the Atlantic Ocean conducting first-ever integrated carrier strike group operations with Carrier Air Wing EIGHT, Destroyer Squadron TWO and their Air and Missile Defense Commander, Commanding Officer of USS Gettysburg (CG 64).
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2020 16:01 |
| Story ID: | 383008 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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