CRANE, Ind. – Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) is celebrating sixty years of support to the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP). NSWC Crane’s Strategic Missions Systems Engineering Division provides system analysis for SSP throughout the development and design phase, as well as full system verification of a completed design.
SSP is responsible for the development, production, and life cycle support of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Strategic Weapons System (SWS) – the nation’s primary strategic deterrent.
Jeffrey Edwards, a Systems Engineer at NSWC Crane, says over the past six decades, NSWC Crane has developed trusted engineering support to SSP at the component and sub-system level. Building on that specific component and sub-system expertise, the Strategic Missions Systems Engineering Division was created five years ago to meet SSP’s needs at the full system level.
“We ensure SSP is set up for success and verify the systems meet the need of the warfighter at the end of the design and development,” says Edwards. “By setting up the system requirements at the beginning, and then verifying those requirement have been met, it ensures effectiveness when the system is needed to work.”
Edwards says one of the innovative methods they use to provide analysis includes Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and processes. MBSE helps with affordability, knowledge management, and change management of complex systems.
“The development of these tools, processes, and infrastructure will ensure our customers are prepared to execute their program in the future. MBSE isn’t a new process; it’s a new set of tools to improve the work we already do in systems engineering. MBSE promotes a family of integrated models, connecting engineering efforts between disciplines and across the program lifecycle.”
Rachael Wiseman, a Systems Engineer at NSWC Crane, has worked in the SSP office directly. Wiseman says a large technical shift has taken place and this newly created division helps bring all the pieces together.
“This division is a direct result of our efforts in our two other Global divisions. In five years, we’ve doubled in size. There was a need across the DoD for systems of systems engineering analysis, and we have the opportunity to bring all the tools and groups together.”
Wiseman says the division will continue to provide state-of-the-art solutions to SSP and the warfighter.
“The work we are doing in Strategic Missions Systems Engineering Division is groundbreaking,” says Wiseman. “We are at the forefront of making this happen. The national threats we are facing are very real. We are providing cutting-edge, digital solutions in a rapidly developing program.”
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.