Littoral and Mine Warfare (PEO LMW), Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port
Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) and the Littoral Combat Ship Class Squadron
(LCS CLASSRON) will unveil the Navy's first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
Mission Package Support Facility (MPSF) during a ceremony at Naval Base
Ventura County (NBVC) Oct. 16.
The 42,400 square-foot MPSF will service the Navy's projected initial
mission packages to be employed by LCS ships. Mission package
maintenance and integration within the facility will be conducted by
contractors secured by the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules Program
Office (PMS 420).
"The MPSF is a great first step in the advancement of Navy surface
combatant lifecycle support philosophies. As the Navy moves towards
multipurpose ships with modular design, it only makes sense that our
maintenance and support activities adapt," said Program Executive
Officer, Littoral and Mine Warfare, E. Anne Sandel.
LCS is a revolutionary new warship, designed for littoral warfare
missions in anti-submarine warfare (ASW), surface warfare (SUW) and
mine warfare (MIW). At the heart of the LCS Program is the MP, a
focused-mission, warfighting capability embarked on an LCS to optimize
its capability against the identified threat. After a mission is
completed, the MP is disembarked and restored for future use in any
LCS. Individual elements, called Mission Systems, and
support
equipment, together form a Mission Module (MM). One or more MMs along
with the crew and support aircraft form an MP.
This new MPSF plays an integral role in the support of the Navy's LCS
fleet by providing a central hub and single-stop facility to store,
deploy, upgrade and maintain the systems and elements that comprise the
Mission Packages (MP). As the primary responder for all
seaframe-embarked MPs, the MPSF will address afloat maintenance issues
and provide technical support for Mission Module detachments.
"The MPSF is another example of the revolution that has begun to alter
the Navy's traditional life-cycle support approach for surface
combatants." said Capt. Mike Good, program manager for LCS Mission
Modules Program Office. "The MPSF is a first-of-a-kind, cutting-edge
facility designed to support these first-of-kind assets."
Using Distance Support, the MPSF will have a virtual presence to
provide round-the-clock services for all deployed Mission Modules. The
facility will also respond to operational demands to reconfigure
Mission Packages embarked on an LCS Seaframe rapidly. The LCS MM
Program has established this essential facility to support Littoral
Combat Ships homeported in and operating from San Diego.
The decision to establish the MPSF at NBVC was based upon a naval
facilities feasibility study which found that repurposing the existing
NBVC building to support the requirements of the LCS MM program was not
only the most cost-effective solution, but also allowed the Navy to
meet important milestones in the LCS program schedule. Other benefits
of utilizing existing infrastructure included access to the NSWC PHD
deep-water port facilities, Naval Air Station (NAS) Point Mugu air
transportation, direct access rail transportation into the building,
support container repair and refurbishment facilities at Naval
Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center, and engineering/technical
resources available at local naval activities.
"The MPSF is an outstanding example of this transition," Sandel said.
"Our business case analysis identified this location and when the study
was reviewed, it was clear that the facility was uniquely suited to the
LCS Program. At that point, the advantages to standing up the MPSF at
Naval Base, Ventura County were obvious. Everything we needed was there
— the cost was reasonable and a strong, local management team was
already in the vicinity. We look forward to our partnership with the
LCS CLASSRON and the Warfare Centers to ensure that the warfighters
have the capabilities that they need to fight and win."
MPSF Operation will engage several commands and activities. The LCS
Class Squadron in San Diego is operationally responsible for the MPSF;
PEO LMW and PMS 420 provide the government technical and program
management oversight for the MPSF; and NSWC PHD runs the facility and
is responsible for operational day-to-day managem
ent. Mission Module
maintenance and integration within the facility will be conducted by
several entities, including other Naval Warfare Centers and the LCS
Mission Modules Program industry partners.
# END
