Tag: naval support activity crane

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.

White River Military Coordination Alliance celebrates five year anniversary

Posted on by Radius Indiana

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

The White River Military Alliance celebrated five years of accomplishments this past November with a luncheon that brought together state and local leaders, stakeholders from five counties, defense representatives, and the leadership of Naval Support Activity Crane. Keynote speakers highlighted the organization’s accomplishments and monumental impact on the southern Indiana defense ecosystem.

The Alliance was formed in 2018 to promote positive development and growth in the communities that surround NSA Crane. Since its establishment, it has created a model for connectivity between military installations and their surrounding communities by initiating a direct line of communication focused on mutual benefit.

As the third largest US Navy base in the world, NSA Crane covers 64,000 acres and employs nearly 6,200 people, making its daytime population larger than many of the communities that surround the base. The local and military members of the Alliance recognize that the mutual well-being of Crane and the neighboring communities is critical for continued growth of the region’s defense economy.

Over the past five years, WRMCA worked to address the 87 recommendations that were identified in a 2017 Joint Land Use Study, a collaborative planning initiative undertaken by state or local government in partnership with a military installation to protect and preserve military readiness and defense capabilities while supporting continued community growth and economic
development.

The Alliance is proud to say that it is nearly 90 percent through that list. Major accomplishments since 2017 include formalizing a Commitment to Improve Communication and Collaboration between the installation and the communities, and a 911 Emergency Dispatch Agreement to coordinate and transfer 911 calls originating from NSA Crane from the county Dispatch Centers to the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Dispatch Center. Additionally, a Conservation Incentive Toolkit was designed to identify opportunities for land conservation in the communities that neighbor Crane and Lake Glendora, and this program was nationally recognized during the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program in 2020.

Most recently, the Alliance, in partnership with the Southern Indiana Development Commission, was awarded nearly $500,000 to develop two separate initiatives in the southern Indiana region. A Regional Resilience Master Plan will work to identify the effect of projected climate scenarios on shared critical infrastructure that may impact mission readiness and help to understand shared vulnerabilities and risks both inside and outside NSA Crane and Lake Glendora Test Facility boundaries. In addition, a housing coalition will be created to grow the pool of local development talent to increase residential options for those living near the local military installations.

The Alliance still has a lot to look forward to, including program implementation on projects such as Intergovernmental Support Agreements, the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape, and military compatibility alongside the Indiana Defense Task Force. Radius applauds WRMCA for the achievements it has reached over the last five years and looks forward to the continuing partnership in the years to come.