The U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) tested a new device for handling shore-to-ship power cables aboard Independence variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30), during her docking at Fleet Base East in Sydney, Australia, July 18.
When ships like Canberra are docked, heavy and expensive shore power cables are connected to them to provide power without running the ship’s engines. Previously, these operations took dozens of sailors several hours to manually lift and carry the cables to the connector locations aboard the ship.
Cable-spooling products may significantly reduce personnel and deployment time required for such connections. The rapidity of this shore power connection may also reduce diesel consumption, protect the cables from wear and tear, and allow for faster reaction to last-minute berthing changes. Use of these products may also decrease injuries to personnel, particularly back injuries and hand pinches.
“EXWC is investigating, bringing forward, and demonstrating game-changing products for support of navy warfighters ashore, at sea, and during expeditionary deployments,” said Ian Sieker, project manager at NAVFAC EXWC. “Every person we release off cable duty, every dollar we save, and every minute we save can make a difference in our global strategic competition.”