Military and civilian officials of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) - Division Newport and their guests gathered under threatening skies on July 31 to break ground on an $11-million project that will centralize all research, development, acquisition, testing, refurbishment, and maintenance of U.S. Navy towed sonar array systems in Newport. The Maritime Subsurface Sensor Operations Laboratory will be a 40,000-square-foot, single-story addition to the NUWC Newport campus. The facility will house a variety of unique, one-of-a-kind equipment used to maintain these systems.

Much of the equipment in the new facility will relocate to Newport from a Space and Naval Warfare Command facility in Virginia, part of the overall Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) legislation in 2005 to relocate all maritime subsurface sensors functions within the U.S. Navy at NUWC Newport.

"The BRAC commission recognized that co-locating repair and overhaul work with the engineers involved with the design and acquisition of new and upgraded systems will result in synergies to improve quality and service to the Navy fleet," said Capt. Michael Byman, Commander, NUWC Newport.

"When completed, the combination of existing labs and the new facility will be the U.S. Navy's only facility capable of providing development and full life cycle support of towed arrays for both submarines and surface ships," said Dr. Paul Lefebvre, NUWC Newport Technical Director.

The groundbreaking ceremony rounded out a week of special activities marking the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Newport Torpedo Station in 1869. "It is appropriate that as we celebrate our 140th birthday, we see the evidence of new national investment in a facility that will help maintain the United States Navy's preeminence in undersea technology," said Byman.

The architect/engineer for the project is Edward Rouse Architects of Providence. H. V. Collins Company, Inc., also of Providence, was selected as the general contractor. "H.V. Collins Company first worked at Naval Station Newport over 60 years ago, during World War II. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue our tradition of success here," said Patrick Collins, Vice President.

In addition to NUWC Division Newport officials and employees, guests at the ceremony included members of the NUWC headquarters leadership; representatives of Department of the Navy research, development and acquisition (RD&A); program sponsors in Washington; and area staff representing U.S. Senate and House members from Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

"The personnel who currently work on towed arrays in Newport have a well-deserved reputation for excellence," said Lefebvre. "I am confident that this laboratory will help us remain on the cutting edge of undersea technology."