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Tim Troske, NSWC Port Hueneme Division technical director, speaks about the division’s remote-controlled Self Defense Test Ship at the Channel Islands Chapter AUVSI event on Oct. 9, 2012
As the manager of one of the Navy’s largest unmanned vehicles—the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS)—Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Port Hueneme Division Technical Director Tim Troske received an invitation by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Channel Islands Chapter to provide a keynote presentation at their October 9 event.
Troske spent the evening discussing the purpose and mission of the decommissioned Spruance Class Destroyer, ex-USS Paul F. Foster (EDD 964), and how the Navy remotely operates the ship and its combat systems for testing purposes.
“The Navy identified a need to do more thorough testing of self-defense weapon systems,” said Troske. “We needed a platform to install these systems, be able to fire targets at it for testing, and not put people in harm’s way. Nothing was really satisfying this need, which is why we have the Paul Foster.”
Since arriving to Port Hueneme in March of 2003, the test ship’s mission quickly evolved into providing an at-sea, remotely controlled, self-defense weapons engineering, test and evaluation platform for the purpose of conducting advanced weapons evaluation without risk to personnel.
Troske went on to explain the variety of combat system elements found aboard the ship, including sensors, defense and cooperative engagement systems, weapons, and communication technology, which were installed for testing purposes.
“The ship looks the same as the day we got her,” he said. “But we’ve installed self-defense weapon system elements to replicate multiple ship class configurations.”
After the event, Troske encouraged questions from the audience so as to create a discussion of how far unmanned vehicles have come to date, and where they are headed in the future.
The AUVSI meets monthly to provide a forum for learning, testing tactics and technologies, and developing systems in an effort to encourage the advancement of unmanned systems. In addition, the group develops partnerships and synergistic relationships to understand, promote and publicize the benefits and capabilities offered by unmanned systems and technologies.
NSWC Port Hueneme Division, commanded by Capt. Bill DeBow, is a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command and provides the United States Navy global fleet with weapon system in-service engineering, logistics, and test and evaluation. NSWC Port Hueneme Division is located at Naval Base Ventura County, Calif., where it employs more than 1,900 personnel.
Source: VCSTAR
