Advanced Littoral Combat Ship Common Mission Module Handling Device

Under prior SBIR efforts, a shipboard module handling device was developed called the ‘Confined Container - Lift and Maneuver System’ or CC-LMS, with a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) demonstrator prototype has been successfully demonstrated at two facilities in Corvallis, OR and at US Navy Depot Port Hueneme, California. The system has adequately demonstrated its ability of safely lifting and omni-directionally maneuvering both standard ISO containers and special flat-racks up to 20-feet long with oversized payloads. The system is designed to operate within the confined deck space aboard both Littoral Combat Ship Variant (LCS1 or LCS2) and other ships. Recognizing the confined space and maneuvering limitations aboard the LCS, particular attention has been paid to operational safety, minimizing the overall system weight and maximizing the flexibility of the CC-LMS for a broad range of mission module operations. The CC-LMS is designed to perform safely carrying a full payload while the ships are operating in elevated sea states. Automated features include the means of rapidly lowering mission modules to the deck when ship motions approach unsafe operating parameters. The system is designed to enable progressive automation of the CC-LMS modes of operation to minimize and simplify personnel interaction and meet emerging future mission requirements. This proposal presents a series of specific tasks that build upon the previous work accomplished on the CC-LMS and focusses upon the areas that require further research and refinement prior to proceeding to the fabrication of a pre-production prototype of the system. The product of this effort will be the design and engineering basis for manufacturing a pre-production prototype to be fabricated and evaluated under a separate SBIR Phase III program.