Seabasing Symposium

MPF(F) R&D
Taking Vehicle Transfer
Concepts to Reality
Martin Fink
30 September 2009

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

 Logistics Over The Shore:
The Way We Do “In-Stream” Offload Now

•OPDS
•LSV
•ELCAS
•Admin
Pier

•RRDF
•LCU •MPF

•Container Ship •Typical operations SS 2

or less.

•Causeway
Ferry •TACS
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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
Current Practice Vehicle Transfer At Sea

•Use of stern ramp

•Use of side-port ramp
•LO/LO of Cargo to lighters
•RRDF RO/RO ops to lighters

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Transition From JLOTS to Sea Basing

• Skin to Skin Container transfer via crane

• Integrated Landing Platform for LCAC interface
• Skin to Skin vehicle transfer using sideport
ramp
• Craft interface to enable vehicle transfer from
ship to shore
• DP and VTS

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Skin to Skin Seabasing Demo

• Tests were conducted week of 29 Sep 03 at mouth of

Chesapeake Bay
– Tests in Ocean 20 - 50 miles off mouth of Chesapeake Bay (10/1)
• Skin-to-Skin mooring and simulated cargo transfer
• Ships involved: T-ACS Ships - Flickertail State and Cornhusker State.

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
FY 04 ILP Demo Platform Lift (LMSR
Cranes)

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
FY04 ILP Concept/LCAC Demo

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Skin to Skin Vehicle Transfer Using
Sideport Ramp
• FY05 MLP testing demonstrated the feasibility of ship-to-ship vehicle transfer
underway and landing craft interface:
– USNS WATKINS and Mighty Servant 1
– Tests were conducted in the Seattle and San Diego areas
– LCAC interface - sea conditions were primarily long period swells
– Ship to ship in Sea State 3 (SS3)
– Existing Large Medium Speed Ro/Ro (LMSR) sideport ramp deployment in calm
water only

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Skin to Skin Vehicle Transfer Using
Sideport Ramp
• FY06 tests continued to reduce program technology risks by
demonstrating:
– USNS RED CLOUD and Mighty Servant 3
– Tests were conducted in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA area.
– Skin to skin with existing LMSR sideport ramp deployment and vehicle
transfer underway in SS3
– LCAC interface in short period waves in SS3 and low SS4

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Existing LMSR Sideport System for
Vehicle Transfer

• During FY06 At-Sea Test, modifications

were made to increase the operational
envelope of the existing LMSR ramp
deployment based upon lessons learned
from testing in FY05
• The ships moored together, the ramp
was successfully deployed, and vehicles
were transferred between the ships while
underway in limited SS3 conditions
• FY06 At-Sea Test demonstrated that
extreme sea state 3 conditions hamper
the MLP to LMSR skin-to-skin mooring
and the LMSR sideport ramp
deployment

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 LCAC Interface

• Successfully conducted
numerous Interfaces
• Sea conditions up to sea state 4
• MS3 speeds from 2 kts to 9 kts
• Wide range of headings
• Night ops

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

 LCU 1600/2000 Interface

• Demonstrated interface of LCU

1600 (Navy) and LCU 2000 (Army)
with MS3 stern
• LCU 1600 successfully interfaced
using marriage blocks and
transferred people and a HMMWV
• LCU 2000 successfully placed
ramp on ships deck for personnel
transfer – no vehicle was available
for transfer
• All interfaces were with MS3 at
anchor in sea state 1 - 2

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

 AAV Interface

• Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV)

were used as a surrogate for the new
Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV)
• AAVs were launched and recovered and
transited between the MS3 and the
beach
• AAV interface with MS3 at anchor in low
sea state 3
• Successfully simulated the recovery of a
disabled AAV using ships winch

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

 Disabled LCAC Recovery

• MS3 ballasted down to

simulate recovery of
disabled LCAC
• Simple tow wire used to
pull LCAC in over the
deck of MS3
• Test conducted with MS3
at anchor in calm waters

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

Transition From LMSR Ramp Concept
to VTS

• Eliminate skin to skin approach and mooring

issues
• Eliminate LMSR sideport ramp deployment
issues
• Be self-deploying
• Be compatible with notional MLP concept
design

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Mobile Landing Platform (MLP)
Notional Concept
•FLO-FLO design •Space & Weight
supports launching & reservation for •Berthing for
recovering LCACs/EFVs point defense ~ 922 PAXs
system
•50,000
Vehicle ft2

•SS3 TEU
Handling Crane

•1 Level I/Class 2)
Aviation Operating
Spot

•Dynamic
Positioning

•Vehicle Transfer
Ramp (self-
deploying)

•~ 1M Gallon
•20 kts Cargo Fuel
Sustained Capacity
Speed of
•Carries 6 Advance
LCAC
(equivalent)
•2 Surface
Interface Points

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

 VTS Operational Concept

• Nominally a ¾-scale LMSR stern

ramp, mounted on side of MLP
• Ramp deploys to larger side platform
on LMSRs (fits in same hull recess)
• MLP employs DP to maintain
separation and fore/aft alignment
between MLP and LMSR
• While deploying, ramp has automatic
vertical motion compensation (to
control foot contact w/ platform) and
is manually slewed if needed
• When ramp first contacts platform,
hoist system goes into constant-
tension mode
• Largest vehicle (Tank) can be
supported on the deployed ramp in
event of unintentional separation

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 Solving VTS/DP Challenges
• Vehicle Transfer System
– Validation Design Vehicle Transfer System •Notional VTS Arrangement:
(VDVTS) & associated modeling/testing MLP-LMSR
– Test Article Vehicle Transfer System (TAVTS)
• To be installed on Surrogate MLP
• Self-deploying from MLP to LMSR modified
platform
• Ramp is actively controlled while deploying
and deployed
• ABS approval for Ramp/Platform
• Dynamic Positioning (DP) Maintaining
Relative Position Between Ships
– Towing tank model tests
– Multi-Vessel modeling/simulation analyses
– LMSR slow speed maneuvering with Enhanced
Heading Control System
– Classification Society Certification of MLP
Surrogate DP system & TAVTS installation
– MLP Surrogate arrangement and DP system
design and installation through MSC contracts
with experienced industry (Dockwise,
Thrustmaster, & Kongsberg)
•Notional TAVTS
• Integration & Operations Test: MLP Surrogate-
– Future Vehicle Transfer At-Sea Test LMSR

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
FY06 DP Barge/Ramp
Demonstration
•Deployed and used a ramp
between an MLP Surrogate
Flo-Flo ship and a
Dynamically Positioned Barge
in sheltered waters

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 MPF(F) R&D Leading to VTAST

• At-Sea Tests
• DP Tank Tests
• Slow Speed LMSR Maneuvering Test
• VD-VTS and TAVTS Design
• Computer Simulations
• System Safety Workshop

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 TAVTS

• Completed Harbor Acceptance Testing

• Being shipped on MS3 to Corpus Christi, TX

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
 VTAST

• At-Sea test scheduled for January – February 2010

– To be conducted in Gulf of Mexico
• DP system to be installed on MS3
• TAVTS installed on MS3
• Enhanced Heading Control System installed on LMSR
• DP, ramp deployment, and vehicle transfer tests to be
conducted in conditions up to the top end of sea state 3

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Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.