4 | 20 | 2015
Proteus Makes Big Impression at Sea-Air-Space
A weekly publication of Newport News Shipbuilding
The annual Navy League Sea-Air-Space exposition is the largest maritime exposition in the U.S., drawing thousands of attendees from the defense industry, private sector and military leadership. This year’s big hit - according to Defense News - was a small submersible named Proteus, which was on display at the Huntington Ingalls booth. The dual mode underwater vehicle traveled on a semi-trailer truck from Florida to Washington D.C. for the expo, and was displayed near scale models of Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and John Warner (SSN 785). Ross Lindman is senior vice president at Undersea Solutions Group (USG), which was recently acquired by Huntington Ingalls and now reports to NNS’ Submarine and Fleet Support Division. “We’re here to bring it out as an asset for the Navy, under lease as a test platform,” Lindman told Defense News. “It has a very large payload, lots of range, and provides near-term capability to answer urgent needs.” CONTINUED ON PG 3
Proteus on display at the HII Booth at Sea-Air-Space April 13-15. Photo by Chris Oxley
NNS Constructs and Installs New Flood Gates for the Virginia Living Museum During a brief ceremony on March 13, Newport News Shipbuilding dedicated three new flood gates to the Virginia Living Museum (VLM). VLM Deputy Director Fred Farris said that the museum approached NNS to design and fabricate a new system of flood gates that could be easily closed by one staff person after the museum was flooded twice during the summer of 2012. NNS began work on the project in September 2013. “The old gates were very heavy panels,” said Farris. “Several staff members had to carry each gate over to the door and slide them into a groove in the concrete. The gates were
not designed for daily use but rather to be positioned in advance of a predicted storm. We were lucky on the day of the big flood – an employee woke up, noticed how heavy the rain was falling, came to the museum and got other staff to help him position the three flood gates. The lake rose so high and so fast, with 8” of rain in three hours that water rose over the gates and flooded the entire lower level. Had those gates not been in position we would have had 3-feet of water in the lower level instead of 6-inches.” Farris added, “The new gates are heavy but mounted on wheels and stay positioned adjacent to the back exits at all times. To close them, one staff person can unlatch the gate, easily roll it into position and crank it down
into a water sealing gasket material.” The design team was led by Design Engineering Manager Dave Orie and included E81 Engineering Managers Gene Bowman and Mary McDermott and E81 Engineers Newton Claiborne, Shane Gardner, Willie McBee. To assist with fabrication and installation, X10 Superintendent Jim Cochran and General Foreman Rusty Johnson were brought onto the team. E88 Production Planner Bonnie Babb was brought onto the team to assist with procurement of materials and the following employees assisted with manufacturing... CONTINUED ON PG 3
FAMILY HEALTH CENTER Waiting Room - Second Floor
Area Students Explore STEM Careers at NNS During Spring Break.
QuadMed to Visit NNS May 5-6 to Hold Information Sessions.
Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 22.
... READ ON PG 2
... READ ON PG 4
... READ ON PG 5