Project Number: S2894

Project Title: Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) Modular Hatch Assembly

Period of Performance: SEP22 – DEC25

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) has been constructing Ford Class aircraft carriers for over ten years. An essential component of these carriers are the advanced weapons elevators (AWEs). These elevators are used to carry munitions and other mission critical items from deep within the carrier to the upper decks. The total build time for the elevators is 5-6 years with 130 milestones for building, outfitting, grooming, and testing. Each Ford Class aircraft carrier has eleven (11) total AWEs.

This project seeks to develop a method for building AWE doors and hatches modularly to reduce alignment issues and schedule delays. Building large modules in a shipboard environment presents many manufacturing challenges, including environmental factors and space constraints. Manufacturing the elevator modules in a shop environment, versus onboard the ship, will typically reduce labor costs by a factor of eight to one. Included in the deliverables for this project is a new process for manufacturing AWE modules, improved fixturing and jigs, a new manufacturing cell concept, and new build plans.

This effort will be accomplished in three phases over a 39-month period. Phase I consists of requirements definition and concept summary. Phase II will perform design and engineering activities. Finally, Phase III will encompass construction and testing activities.

By moving the build of the AWE modules to an earlier stage of construction, the projected 5-year savings for CVN is5.1M.

The results of this project will be implemented partially on CVN-80 and CVN-81. Preliminary plans indicate that full implementation of the equipment and methods will occur within 18 months of project completion.