Photo By Erin Jazmine Reyes | Assistant Technology Insertion Manager Miyoko Imai from Code 100CII Innovation Lab...... read more read more
YOKOSUKA, Japan – On January 22, representatives from American drone manufacturer Skydio held an unmanned aircraft system (UAS)/drone demonstration at U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) on board Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. The demonstration was administered by Skydio’s Enterprise Solutions Engineer Taylor Mitcham and Federal Relations Manager John McLaughlin.
For the demonstration, Mitcham operated the Skydio drone to capture regular and thermal videos of the crane boom at Dry Dock 5, where many SRF-JRMC employees came to observe. After inspecting the boom, select personnel from Code 720 Inspection, Test, Quality Assurance, and Training Division; Code 270 Electrical and Electronics Engineering Branch; and Code 290 C5I Systems Division took turns flying the drone under the supervision of Mitcham.
A year before the demonstration, C100CII Innovation Lab surveyed different codes at SRF-JRMC for ideas on new technologies that will increase efficiencies within the command. Personnel responded by asking for aerial drones to be used for the inspection of antennas, combat systems, crane booms, and more.
“The drone would be good for safety and reduce time and cost. By using drones, we can prevent accidents from falling tools and objects,” said Code 720 Crane Inspector Akira Komiya.
“Drones would be very useful for antenna and mast inspections and ship check when we can’t put up scaffolding. We wouldn’t have to wear harnesses anymore to get up the ships,” explained Code 270 Electronic Engineering Technician Algilyn Cortez. “There are so many possibilities not just for us at Electrical and Electronics Engineering, but for other codes.”
The Innovation Lab was referred to Skydio in May 2024 by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). Organizing the demonstration was led by Operations Officer Commander David Reinhardt from Code 300 Waterfront Operations Department and coordinated by Assistant Technology Insertion Manager Miyoko Imai from Code 100CII.
“The drone demonstration was amazing,” commented Cryptologic Technician Maintenance Petty Officer First Class Ramiro Flores from Code 290. “The drone is very easy to set up and has high wind resistance. With it, inspections would take less time.”
The use of commercial UAS within the Department of Defense (DoD) must be vetted by the Blue UAS Cleared List, which is overseen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The DIU is a DoD establishment that adopts a rapid and streamlined acquisition framework for commercial technology essential to meeting the mission needs of the DoD.
The model used during the demonstration was the Skydio X10. Although not on the Blue UAS Cleared List, the Skydio X10 was cleared by SRF-JRMC's higher echelon, as well as the DoD and State Department, to fly for demonstration purposes. The Japan Ministry of Defense, the South Kanto Defense Bureau, Japanese Coast Guard, Yokosuka Police Department and Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka’s Security Department were informed of the demonstration prior to the operation of the UAS.
“The UAS demonstration was successful,” said Imai. “We hope to implement the UAS in our work in Yokosuka. The potential utilization of the UAS would ready us to further support the Seventh Fleet mission.”
On the events of the demonstration, Commander Reinhardt concluded, “The drone demonstration is a success story. We want to show the SRF-JRMC workforce that if you have ideas, we can make it a reality.”
For over 75-years, U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) has been the linchpin of U.S. naval operations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region by providing intermediate-level and depot-level repair for the ships of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2025 01:02 |
| Story ID: | 490113 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 409 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SRF-JRMC Looks to Take to the Sky to Speed Ship Repairs, by Erin Jazmine Reyes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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