Seabasing Conference Brief

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

MPF(F) R&D

Taking Vehicle Transfer Concepts to Reality

Martin Fink

30 September 2009

Seabasing Symposium

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.2

Logistics Over The Shore:The Way We Do “In-Stream” Offload Now

•AdminPier

•RRDF•LCU

•LSV•ELCAS

•CausewayFerry

•MPF

•OPDS

•TACS

•Typical operations SS 2 or less.

•Container Ship


Current Practice Vehicle Transfer At Sea

•Use of stern ramp •Use of side-port ramp •LO/LO of Cargo to lighters•RRDF RO/RO ops to lighters


Transition From JLOTS to Sea Basing

• Skin to Skin Container transfer via crane• Integrated Landing Platform for LCAC interface• Skin to Skin vehicle transfer using sideport

ramp• Craft interface to enable vehicle transfer from

ship to shore• DP and VTS

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Skin to Skin Seabasing Demo

• Tests were conducted week of 29 Sep 03 at mouth of Chesapeake Bay– Tests in Ocean 20 - 50 miles off mouth of Chesapeake Bay (10/1)

• Skin-to-Skin mooring and simulated cargo transfer

• Ships involved: T-ACS Ships - Flickertail State and Cornhusker State.


FY 04 ILP Demo Platform Lift (LMSR Cranes)


FY04 ILP Concept/LCAC Demo


Skin to Skin Vehicle Transfer Using Sideport Ramp

• FY05 MLP testing demonstrated the feasibility of ship-to-ship vehicle transfer underway and landing craft interface:

– USNS WATKINS and Mighty Servant 1– Tests were conducted in the Seattle and San Diego areas– LCAC interface - sea conditions were primarily long period swells– Ship to ship in Sea State 3 (SS3)– Existing Large Medium Speed Ro/Ro (LMSR) sideport ramp deployment in calm

water only


Skin to Skin Vehicle Transfer Using Sideport Ramp

• FY06 tests continued to reduce program technology risks by demonstrating:

– USNS RED CLOUD and Mighty Servant 3– Tests were conducted in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA area.– Skin to skin with existing LMSR sideport ramp deployment and vehicle

transfer underway in SS3 – LCAC interface in short period waves in SS3 and low SS4


Existing LMSR Sideport System for Vehicle Transfer

• During FY06 At-Sea Test, modifications were made to increase the operational envelope of the existing LMSR ramp deployment based upon lessons learned from testing in FY05

• The ships moored together, the ramp was successfully deployed, and vehicles were transferred between the ships while underway in limited SS3 conditions

• FY06 At-Sea Test demonstrated that extreme sea state 3 conditions hamper the MLP to LMSR skin-to-skin mooring and the LMSR sideport ramp deployment


LCAC Interface

• Successfully conducted numerous Interfaces

• Sea conditions up to sea state 4• MS3 speeds from 2 kts to 9 kts• Wide range of headings• Night ops


LCU 1600/2000 Interface

• Demonstrated interface of LCU 1600 (Navy) and LCU 2000 (Army) with MS3 stern

• LCU 1600 successfully interfaced using marriage blocks and transferred people and a HMMWV

• LCU 2000 successfully placed ramp on ships deck for personnel transfer – no vehicle was available for transfer

• All interfaces were with MS3 at anchor in sea state 1 - 2


AAV Interface

• Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) were used as a surrogate for the new Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV)

• AAVs were launched and recovered and transited between the MS3 and the beach

• AAV interface with MS3 at anchor in low sea state 3

• Successfully simulated the recovery of a disabled AAV using ships winch


Disabled LCAC Recovery

• MS3 ballasted down to simulate recovery of disabled LCAC

• Simple tow wire used to pull LCAC in over the deck of MS3

• Test conducted with MS3 at anchor in calm waters


Transition From LMSR Ramp Concept to VTS

• Eliminate skin to skin approach and mooring issues

• Eliminate LMSR sideport ramp deployment issues

• Be self-deploying• Be compatible with notional MLP concept

design

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Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) Notional Concept

•FLO-FLO design supports launching & recovering LCACs/EFVs

•FLO-FLO design supports launching & recovering LCACs/EFVs

•1 Level I/Class 2) Aviation Operating Spot

•1 Level I/Class 2) Aviation Operating Spot

•50,000 Vehicle ft2

•50,000 Vehicle ft2

•Carries 6 LCAC (equivalent)

•Carries 6 LCAC (equivalent)

•2 Surface Interface Points•2 Surface Interface Points

•20 kts Sustained Speed of Advance

•20 kts Sustained Speed of Advance

•~ 1M Gallon Cargo Fuel Capacity

•~ 1M Gallon Cargo Fuel Capacity

•Vehicle Transfer Ramp (self-deploying)

•Vehicle Transfer Ramp (self-deploying)

•Dynamic Positioning•Dynamic Positioning

•Berthing for ~ 922 PAXs•Berthing for ~ 922 PAXs

•SS3 TEU Handling Crane•SS3 TEU Handling Crane

•Space & Weight reservation for point defense system

•Space & Weight reservation for point defense system


VTS Operational Concept

• Nominally a ¾-scale LMSR stern ramp, mounted on side of MLP

• Ramp deploys to larger side platform on LMSRs (fits in same hull recess)

• MLP employs DP to maintain separation and fore/aft alignment between MLP and LMSR

• While deploying, ramp has automatic vertical motion compensation (to control foot contact w/ platform) and is manually slewed if needed

• When ramp first contacts platform, hoist system goes into constant-tension mode

• Largest vehicle (Tank) can be supported on the deployed ramp in event of unintentional separation


Solving VTS/DP Challenges• Vehicle Transfer System

– Validation Design Vehicle Transfer System (VDVTS) & associated modeling/testing

– Test Article Vehicle Transfer System (TAVTS)• To be installed on Surrogate MLP • Self-deploying from MLP to LMSR modified

platform• Ramp is actively controlled while deploying

and deployed• ABS approval for Ramp/Platform

• Dynamic Positioning (DP) Maintaining Relative Position Between Ships

– Towing tank model tests– Multi-Vessel modeling/simulation analyses– LMSR slow speed maneuvering with Enhanced

Heading Control System– Classification Society Certification of MLP

Surrogate DP system & TAVTS installation– MLP Surrogate arrangement and DP system

design and installation through MSC contracts with experienced industry (Dockwise, Thrustmaster, & Kongsberg)

• Integration & Operations– Future Vehicle Transfer At-Sea Test

•Notional TAVTS Test: MLP Surrogate-

LMSR

•Notional VTS Arrangement: MLP-LMSR


FY06 DP Barge/Ramp Demonstration

•Deployed and used a ramp between an MLP Surrogate

Flo-Flo ship and a Dynamically Positioned

Barge in sheltered waters


MPF(F) R&D Leading to VTAST

• At-Sea Tests• DP Tank Tests• Slow Speed LMSR Maneuvering Test• VD-VTS and TAVTS Design• Computer Simulations• System Safety Workshop


TAVTS

• Completed Harbor Acceptance Testing• Being shipped on MS3 to Corpus Christi, TX

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VTAST

• At-Sea test scheduled for January – February 2010– To be conducted in Gulf of Mexico

• DP system to be installed on MS3• TAVTS installed on MS3• Enhanced Heading Control System installed on LMSR• DP, ramp deployment, and vehicle transfer tests to be

conducted in conditions up to the top end of sea state 3

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Documents

Seabasing Conference Brief