Tag: crane army ammunition activity

Installation modernization remains top priority for Team Crane

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

Naval Support Activity (NSA), Crane was originally established in 1941 under the Bureau of Ordnance as the Naval Ammunition Depot for the production, testing and storage of military weaponry. More than 80 years later, the installation is now poised as a national leader in advanced technology development and testing from microelectronics, hypersonics, and semiconductors to pyrotechnics. With the evolution of the work being done inside the gates, it has become more apparent than ever that the buildings and infrastructure supporting these initiatives and its workforce need a significant upgrade after nearly a century of industry-leading growth and innovation.

Over the next several years, NSA Crane anticipates more than $500M of investment into facilities across the base, specifically for both Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division and Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA). In fiscal year 2024 alone, nearly $30M in investment was announced for the creation and improvement of facilities, both for innovation and sustainment.

In March, NSWC Crane held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new strategic and hypersonics research, development, test and evaluation facility. This new capability supports advanced concept development and intends to provide a hub and research testbed to support analysis of glide body avionics hardware and software from any source. The benefit of a joint use facility such as this is the ability to leverage common computational data centers for more than one project. This will be the first of its kind on the installation and a major advancement for collaboration and shared resources between departments.

NSWC Crane also announced the construction of a new Strategic Systems Engineering Facility in April, that will expand existing capabilities by providing additional classified workspace for Strategic Systems hardware support. Additional future projects for NSWC Crane include a Composites Engineering Innovation Facility as well as Trusted Microelectronics Assurance Center, Unmanned Fusion Warfare Lab and Virtual Electronic Warfare and Mission Engineering Center.

The largest investment news comes from CAAA with plans for a state-of-the-art pyrotechnics facility. Expected to cost nearly $100M when complete in 2031, the facility is part of the Army’s modernization plan and provides more than 50,000 square feet for pyrotechnic production operations. For fiscal year 2024, CAAA will also invest nearly $10M in base rail and magazine repairs as well as break room renovations to align with its current focus on culture and inclusion.

The new pyrotechnics facility will be outfitted with new, modern-process equipment and additional manufacturing features to include remote operations capabilities, climate-controlled storage and magazines, curing huts and storage for finished items, as well as loading and packing capabilities Plans for improvements also include, fire protection and alarm systems, modernized information systems and cyber security measures and a closed-circuit television system.

Crane has served our country’s warfighters for the better part of a century, not only by meeting the current needs of our military, but by anticipating the challenges on the horizon. The forward-thinking leaders at Crane prioritize preparedness and are being deliberate and proactive in building the facilities and capabilities that will ensure our nation’s security. The installation’s strategic evolution and smart investments are why it, and its nearly 6,000-person workforce, continue to be one of the most valued and trusted resources for this generation and generations to come.

Team Crane joins Indiana State Legislation sessions

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

The Indiana State Legislature began its 2022 legislative session in January and the Indiana Defense Caucus had the opportunity to hear from the Crane members of the Indiana Commanders Roundtable. These roundtable conversations with the military commanders have proven to be valuable communications between military leaders and the State of Indiana. 

Historically, these sessions have provided the defense community the chance to share information and explore opportunities to strengthen the partnership and appreciate the roles that each installation serves in our nation’s security as well as the economic impact they have on our state.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation Office for Defense Development hosted this unique event to provide the commanders of Indiana’s military assets the opportunity to update the 2022 Defense Caucus on current mission activities and the potential impacts to Indiana.  

For the first time, the Indiana Defense Task Force was invited to participate in the session in order to develop ideas on how the state and local communities can support the commander’s missions. 

CDR James Smith, Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity Crane, highlighted the installation’s ongoing efforts to engage with the community and state on collaborative initiatives, including energy resiliency, natural resource conservation, and encroachment protections. Other topics included infrastructure modernization and the potential of intergovernmental support agreements to reduce shared costs between state governmental agencies and the Department of Defense.

In addition, leadership from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane (NSWC Crane) and Crane Army Ammunition Activity  (CAAA) visited Indianapolis. NSWC Crane’s Director of Congressional and Public Affairs Dr. Sandy Zehr debriefed Indiana’s State Legislature’s Defense Caucus on their work directly with warfighters to create comprehensive, innovative solutions at the speed of relevance as a National Technical Leader.

CAAA Commander Col. Santee Vasquez visited the Indiana Statehouse to speak with state legislators on CAAA’s capabilities, how it provides munitions readiness to the U.S. Department of Defense, how it is modernizing its capabilities to meet the needs of the U.S. Army, and to outline current workforce initiatives and industry and academic partnerships. The event was open to all the military commanders from all the services at bases and activities in Indiana.

Team Crane has an unprecedented opportunity to further foster and grow as a Center of Excellence for testing and munitions. We applaud their efforts and participation in the 2022 legislative session and look forward to seeing the progress that will be made as a result of their input.

NSA Crane aims to strengthen and modernize infrastructure

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

High-quality infrastructure can increase productivity, streamline projects, and create a more optimal work environment for employees. For two of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane’s major tenants, modernizing infrastructure can help lead to solutions for some of the world’s most complex technological challenges.

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane (NSWC Crane) and Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA) both celebrated new facilities this fall to strengthen the organizations’ infrastructure. 

CAAA opened two facilities on Sept. 2, a plating shop and a centralized receiving department. The plating shop features automated lines to chemically treat steel, aluminum, stainless steel, copper, and brass surfaces. The receiving department is CAAA’s first-of-its-kind centralized facility, which will be used primarily for receiving inbound shipments of ammunition and explosives.

CAAA team members have worked to design, fund, and construct these facilities for more than a decade. This is one of the first times that CAAA has completed two projects around the same time, which made last month’s ribbon-cutting ceremony especially monumental.

Earlier this week, NSWC Crane held a groundbreaking for the Strategic Radiation Testing Modernization Facility, which will conduct testing for radiation hardness. Radiation can harm the operation of microelectronic materials used for military applications, even causing malfunctions and failures in aerospace electronics. The need for materials that can withstand radiation has grown in the past decades, especially because satellites that transmit data rely on these materials.

Several years ago, studies indicated that there was not enough capacity or capability in the strategic radiation testing equipment to continue supporting the base’s current strategic mission.

This facility will provide important capacity to support testing for multiple, concurrent, future nuclear modernization programs.

The new facilities demonstrate both NSWC Crane and CAAA’s commitment to modernizing operations. The new equipment, processes, and renewed commitment to safety will help Crane provide the highest quality product to the 21st-century force.

Radius Indiana applauds the efforts of both organizations for their commitment to modernizing their infrastructure.