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UCT 1
Assists Submarine Force
By Equipment Operator 1st Class Nicholas J. Gegg, 25th Naval
Construction Regiment Public Affairs
Released: September 06, 2008
Story Number: NNS080906-34 |
ANDROS ISLANDS, Bahamas (NNS)
-- Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 1,
Air Detachment Alfa joined forces with Naval Facilities Engineering
Service Center (NFESC) and the civilian salvage ship Motor Vessel
(MV) Richard L. Becker in a project to install a new acoustic
measurement system at Andros Island, Bahamas, Aug. 29.
The project, key to supporting the U.S. submarine force, replaced
the use of a ship-deployed portable acoustic measurement system,
which provides measurement and tracking underwater, with a fixed
cable array system.
"Stealth is the submarine's most important tactical advantage," said
Lt. Li Sung, executive officer of UCT 1. "Force protection and
mission success depend on how well the Navy maintains the quality of
submarine stealth.
"STAFAC (South Tongue of the Ocean Acoustic Facility) provides
specialized, quality assurance services for assessing the stealth of
all existing submarine classes, as well as the SSGN class of guided
missile submarines," said Sung. "UCT 1's work is essential to
maintaining U.S. Navy submarine superiority and advancing undersea
warfare."
Air Detachment Alfa combined efforts with other teams to land the
ground and trunk cable, starting two miles out at sea and ending at
the Mesa Vault on Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center Site
1.
Detachment Alfa divers executed all diving operations during the
shore side of the project and also operated on a junction box
(J-Box) from MV Becker approximately 90 nautical miles off the coast
of Andros Island. Initially used to keep the two cables afloat prior
to placement, the dive team removed 500 flotation buoys, each
weighing 50 pounds, and ensured both cables sat on the ocean floor,
free of any environmental hazards such as coral. Once the cables
were in the Mesa Trench and secured, the shore-based crew replaced
300 feet of double armor cable protection with conduit in order to
feed the cables into the Mesa Vault for the NFESC engineers.
Back at sea, the J-Box was placed on the sea bottom then anchored
with four 750-foot cable tethers stretching from the J-Box toward
the tongue of the ocean.
First, UCT 1 divers inspected the J-Box for proper orientation and
ensured it was free of any environmental dangers. They then focused
their efforts on assisting the service ship retrieval and splicing
of the four cable tethers. After completing each splice, the divers
inspected the tether, applied cable stoppers to the cable and
organized each tether to ensure proper orientation of all four
cables.
This project directly supported efforts to ensure the Navy's
submarine force maintains its global superiority. The members of UCT
1, Air Detachment Alfa, were instrumental in accomplishing a crucial
upgrade to U.S. Navy test and evaluation facilities, thereby
enhancing national security. |
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