Integrating the Non-Line of Sight Launching System (NLOS-LS) in the United States Navy

Abstract The United States Navy (USN) 501-K Series Radiological Controls (RADCON) Program was launched in late 2011, in response to the extensive damage caused by participation in Operation Tomodachi. The purpose of this operation was to provide humanitarian relief aid to Japan following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck 231 miles northeast of Tokyo, on the afternoon of March 11, 2011. The earthquake caused a tsunami with 30 foot waves that damaged several nuclear reactors in the area. It was the fourth largest earthquake on record (since 1900) and the largest to hit Japan. On March 12, 2011, the United States Government launched Operation Tomodachi. In all, a total of 24,000 troops, 189 aircraft, 24 naval ships, supported this relief effort, at a cost in excess of $90.0 million. The U.S. Navy provided material support, personnel movement, search and rescue missions and damage surveys. During the operation, 11 gas turbine powered U.S. warships operated within the radioactive plume. As a result, numerous gas turbine engines ingested radiological contaminants and needed to be decontaminated, cleaned, repaired and returned to the Fleet. During the past eight years, the USN has been very proactive and vigilant with their RADCON efforts, and as of the end of calendar year 2019, have successfully completed the 501-K Series portion of the RADCON program. This paper will update an earlier ASME paper that was written on this subject (GT2015-42057) and will summarize the U.S. Navy’s 501-K Series RADCON effort. Included in this discussion will be a summary of the background of Operation Tomodachi, including a discussion of the affected hulls and related gas turbine equipment. In addition, a discussion of the radiological contamination caused by the disaster will be covered and the resultant effect to and the response by the Marine Gas Turbine Program. Furthermore, the authors will discuss what the USN did to remediate the RADCON situation, what means were employed to select a vendor and to set up a RADCON cleaning facility in the United States. And finally, the authors will discuss the dispensation of the 501-K Series RADCON assets that were not returned to service, which include the 501-K17 gas turbine engine, as well as the 250-KS4 gas turbine engine starter. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the results and lessons learned of the program and discuss how the USN was able to process all of their 501-K34 RADCON affected gas turbine engines and return them back to the Fleet in a timely manner.

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Cost-Effectiveness of the Pneumococcal Vaccine in the United States Navy and Marine Corps

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1086/313601 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 157-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Patricia Vold Pepper ◽

Douglas K. Owens

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Pneumococcal Vaccine ◽

United States Navy ◽

Marine Corps ◽

The United States

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LM2500 Reliability Improvements for United States Navy Applications

Volume 1: Aircraft Engine; Marine; Turbomachinery; Microturbines and Small Turbomachinery ◽

10.1115/2000-gt-0601 ◽

2000 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew Driscoll ◽

Thomas Habib ◽

William Arseneau

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Gas Turbine ◽

United States Navy ◽

The United States ◽

Turbine Engines ◽

Gas Turbine Engines ◽

Turbine Engine ◽

Standard Configuration ◽

Program Plan ◽

Improve Reliability

The United States Navy uses the General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engine for main propulsion on its newest surface combatants including the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY (FFG 7) class frigates, SPRUANCE (DD 963) class destroyers, TICONDEROGA (CG 47) class cruisers, ARLIEGH BURKE (DDG 51) class destroyers and SUPPLY (AOE 6) class oilers. Currently, the Navy operates a fleet of over 400 LM2500 gas turbine engines. This paper discusses the ongoing efforts to characterize the availability of the engines aboard ship and pinpoint systems/components that have significant impact on engine reliability. In addition, the program plan to upgrade the LM2500’s standard configuration to improve reliability is delineated.

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