Members from NUWCDIVNPT’s Code 45 Management Team, MRC’s Management Team, and the SVTT Refurbishment Team pose together following a tour of MRC’s PPF, October 19, 2022. Front (L-R): James Broadmeadow, NUWCDIVNPT Code 452 Division Head; Christopher DelMastro, NUWCDIVNPT Code 45 Department Head; James Coleman NUWCDIVNPT Code 45 TDAA; Judith Groccia MRC Code 45 Program Manager; Conor Gallagher, MRC SVTT Production Supervisor; Domenic Gargano, MRC President; Richard Souza, MRC SVTT Project Manager; Christopher Alves, NUWCDIVNPT Code 4524 Mechanical Technician. Middle (L-R): Kyle Poland, NUWCDIVNPT Code 4524 Mechanical Engineer; Mark Moreira, NUWCDIVNPT Code 4524 Lead Mechanical Engineer. Rear: Robert Arnold, NUWCDIVNPT Code 4524 Lead Mechanical Technician.
On October 19, 2022, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) Code 45 Management Team, which consisted of Christopher DelMastro (Code 45 Department Head), James Broadmeadow (Code 452 Division Head), and James Coleman (Code 45 Technical Department Acquisition Advocate (TDAA)), visited McLaughlin Research Corporation’s (MRC’s) Portsmouth Production Facility (PPF), located in Portsmouth, RI. In attendance were MRC’s President Domenic Gargano, Vice President and Director of Strategy and Business Development Donald McCormack (not pictured), and Program Manager Judith Groccia, along with some of the members of the combined NUWCDIVNPT/MRC Surface Vessel Torpedo Tube (SVTT) launcher refurbishment team.
MRC’s 20,966-square foot PPF is used to perform overhaul and conversion of SVTT MK 32 MOD 15 launchers for new-construction U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers and MK 32 MOD 9 launchers for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer vessels in support of Code 45’s External Launcher Systems Branch. This is a program that MRC and the Government team have been supporting together over the last 10 years.
During the visit, Mr. DelMastro, Mr. Broadmeadow, and Mr. Coleman were able to observe the areas where the Government-MRC Team perform assembly, disassembly, and refurbishment of the SVTT units. At a high level, the SVTT launcher refurbishment team takes launchers from decommissioned ships, completely tears the units down, and refurbishes them to like new condition using a combination of existing parts that are stripped and refurbished, such as the barrel and quadrants as well as parts that are made new, such as the training gear bases and worm gear and bearing assemblies. Once assembled, both the air slugs and a test shape are fired as part of the quality assurance (QA) and approval process.