INDIAN HEAD, Md. ─ The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head EOD Technology Division commemorated the stand-up of the Cartridge Actuated Device / Propellant-Actuated Device (CAD/PAD) Joint Program Office’s 20th anniversary Tuesday during an all hands gathering at the Town of Indian Head Pavilion just outside the main gate.
CAD/PADs are the explosive devices installed within the aircraft escape and safety systems, weapon systems, shipboard and within personnel gear to save lives during emergencies, such as aircrew ejection, parachute deployment, life vest inflation, or fire extinguishing. CAD/PADs are also used to power the aircraft systems that deploy weapons and jettison equipment.
The CAD/PAD Joint Program Office, staffed primarily by NSWC IHEODTD employees, manages the overall program on the behalf of the tri-service – Navy, Army and Air Force – program offices. While the NSWC IHEODTD Systems Engineering Department’s CAD/PAD Division develops, engineers, acquires, and provides logistics support; the Energetics Manufacturing Department produces nearly 10 percent of the yearly CAD/PAD replacement requirements; and the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Department conducts qualification, lot acceptance and surveillance tests.
“The stand-up of the CAD/PAD JPO was a significant event, next month we will also mark the 45th anniversary of the Joint Logistics Commanders approving the consolidation of the CAD/PAD functions and facilities at Indian Head,” said Paul McCafferty, CAD/PAD JPO director. “The CAD/PAD program team manages the multitude of daily activities, which allows our military and foreign-partner aircrew members to push the envelope with their operational requirements, with the knowledge the aircraft’s safety and egress systems are always there for them in case of emergency.”
The CAD/PAD program managers from each of the armed services attended the event: Navy Capt. John Dougherty, Air Force Col. W. Scott Bell and representing the Army program was Air Force Col. Brad Tanehill. The program managers provided remarks to the audience along with command leadership.
“It gives me incredible pride and pleasure to be the leader of this organization and see such accomplishments,” said NSWC IHEODTD Technical Director Ashley Johnson. “JFK said something a long time ago, it's pretty simple and it's pretty meaningful: ‘Things don't happen, things are made to happen,’ and you make things happen. You should be proud of yourselves.”
The command also set up CAD/PAD displays, played a video showcasing pilots who safely ejected from aircraft, held an awards ceremony and recognized alumni in attendance.
CAD/PAD JPO successes over the past 20 years include:
· The management and delivery of 2.5 million CAD/PADs required for tri-service aircraft maintenance;
· Delivery of more than a half a million inflators for personnel life vests;
· Delivery of an additional 5 million stores release cartridges and 25 million countermeasure cartridges;
· NSWC IHEODTD production of more than 250,000 CADs, PADs, and GFM Cartridges
· The conduction and analysis of more than 1,300 Ordnance Assessment (surveillance) tests;
· But most importantly, more than 300 U.S. aircrew members were able to successfully egress from a mishap.
NSWC IHEODTD - a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy's Science and Engineering Enterprise - is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit, and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.
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