News Releases

An innovative laser imaging technique, developed with funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), could cut more than 7,700 man hours from the manufacturing cycle of VIRGINIA-Class Submarines (VCS).

The process of locating and installing attachments and structural penetrations is very time intensive and has a substantial impact on the cost and schedule of the outfitting of Navy warships, particularly in submarines.

Two prototype (preproduction) weld seam facing tools, which were developed under a Navy Metalworking Center (NMC) project, were recently delivered to Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast (NGSB-GC).

Work done through the Navy Metalworking Center (NMC) has been published in the May 2009 issue of the Society of Naval Architect and Marine Engineers’ Journal of Ship Production (JSP).

This Navy Metalworking Center (NMC) project assessed the effects of forming temperature and plate thickness on the forming characteristics of HSLA-65 and DH-36 used in hull applications for CVN 21 and other ship classes.

The Navy Metalworking Center (NMC) and the Navy Joining Center facilitated the Friction Stir Technologies for Defense Applications Conference on May 12-13, 2009, at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown’s Living/Learning Center.

Safe removal of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is critical in hostile environments. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crews often rely on remotely operated robots to disarm explosives – and the Office of Naval Research has just made their job a little easier.

New hull coatings being developed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) are showing promise in reducing the build-up of marine crustaceans – namely barnacles – on ships´ hulls, optimizing vessel performance and dramatically reducing fuel costs.

The Navy´s efforts in Integrated Fire Control (IFC) reached a milestone Friday, May 29, by achieving a successful live fire mission at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., utilizing an air directed surface to air missile (ADSAM) architecture.

Dr. William Phillips, an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-funded Nobel Prize-winning physicist, delivered the final lecture at ONR´s spring distinguished lecture series May 19. Phillips´ compelling presentation, titled