Trident II (D5) MK6 Life Extension Guidance System contract
By (FINN) Frontier India News Network | January 31st, 2009 | Category: Defence Products Manufacturing Companies | 2 comments
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., is being awarded a $146,156,130 cost plus incentive fee contract for a Trident II (D5) MK6 Life Extension Guidance System. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Fla., (35 percent); Plymouth, Minn., (27 percent); Bloomington, Minn., (16 percent), Cambridge, Mass., (12 percent); Pittsfield, Mass., (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed Dec. 2011.
This contract was not competitively procured. Strategic systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
As per its 2008 annual report, in the Trident Mk6 submarine-launched ballistic missile guidance system Life Extension (Mk6LE) program, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory built on 2007′s critical design review to integrate the first unit of the Mk6LE in its operational form-factor and delivered it to test two months ahead of schedule in 2008. To prepare for transitioning to production in 2011, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory has already awarded printed wiring board production contracts for the build of preproduction modules and initiated long-lead parts procurement in coordination with the missile electronics prime contractor.
The annual report states that the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory has completely redesigned the boost guidance system to make it more cost-effective and sustainable. We are replacing the current electromechanical gyro and accelerometers with advanced fiber-optic gyros that have no moving parts, and we have improved the reliability of the accelerometers. We also developed a modular system architecture that will be much easier to upgrade than previous systems.
Draper is a leader in high accuracy Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GN&C) systems. Design agent for the U.S. Navy’s strategic missile guidance systems since the 1950s, Draper is developing advanced sensor technology, including silicon oscillating accelerometers and laser gyros integrated at the chip level.
My advise on Arms.
Whatever you have, keep it covered or it will be used against you.
Draper dropped the ball on this program. Their Design for the new Fiber Optic Gyros doesn’t work. Many of the upgrades that the NAVY already paid Draper for (In the Billions), don’t work. The NAVY is extremely displeased about this. They’ve been keeping the failure details secret from congress, for fear of Cancellation of the program. One of the problems is that Draper lost transfer of knowledge from the original veteren designers. They have some very inexperienced, less than brilliant engineers working at Draper. (The Old prestigious Draper is no more). Imagine Starbucks laying off its top people, and selling out to Dunkin Doughnuts, and now they’ve forgotten how to make good coffee. Draper has the Prime contract, and secondary contracts went to General Dynamics and Raytheon. The NAVY set up an “Integrated support facility” in Pittsfield, ma where GD, Raytheon were co-located. Bad idea. General Dynamics Launched a Very dirty campaign to oust raytheon, at all cost, enlisting union employees in the effort. This intense in-house figting at the “Integrated” facility, has damaged the MK6LE Program, as well as the Integrity of General Dynamics, Raytheon, and Draper. (Maybe not Draper, because they pretty much have no integrity at ths point.). Special Projects and Congress need to be “enlightened to the goings, and step in. This facility sent 15 flawed guidance systems out to the fleet, that they certified to be in excellent working order. I havent even touched on the Union problems. The alcoholism of the Union people working on extremely sensitive Guidance electronics, and the alcoholism of the soon to be retired Draper Lead engineer at the Pittsfield ISF is one problem. Also, General Dynamics knowingly hired Union people with criminal records, and also promote, and encourage discrimination. Its a Bad bad situation that will come to light in a most dramatic way if not addressed by SP Office and Congressional intersession. Needs to be investigated. now…..Second Source needs to be indetified and transition of the program needs to be executed, or cancelled. Otherwise a continued unnecessary waste of taxpayers money will continue, for years to come. can you say “Deficit” ouch..