The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field’s (NAWCAD WOLF) Ship and Air Integrated Warfare (SAIW) division developed and is installing upgrades to aircraft carrier ready rooms across the Navy’s fleet of ships. (U.S. Navy Photo)
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field’s (NAWCAD WOLF) Ship and Air Integrated Warfare (SAIW) division developed and is installing upgrades to aircraft carrier ready rooms across the Navy’s fleet of ships in support of the Strike Planning and Execution Systems program office (PMA-281).
“The carrier ready room modernization effort is critical in bringing the latest in digital environments to the warfighter so they have all of the information they need to conduct their mission more effectively and securely than before,” said NAWCAD WOLF Executive Director Blaine Summers.
Navy carrier aviation continues to evolve with the growth of advanced technology. Ready rooms are historically places for pilots to plan, brief, and debrief missions using more basic tools like whiteboards and charts. New aircraft, weapons, information systems and other technological developments prompt the need to change and modernize aircraft carrier ready rooms, supporting operational missions in both peacetime and war.
The collaborative flight brief and debrief capability was originally installed to support electronic, secure activities between user selected ready rooms and the aircraft carrier intelligence center. This system includes an integrated microphone and sound system to allow interaction among all conference members from other ship ready rooms, regardless of physical location.
Aircraft carrier ready rooms include dedicated secure mission planning areas, briefing, and debriefing areas for squadrons in a secure classified environment. The carrier ready room modernization program provides a secure space while also allowing routine squadron business to be conducted using digital tools.
Though the ready room function of providing squadrons a place to plan, brief, debrief and congregate largely remains the same, the method and technologies supporting them have evolved. Carrier ready rooms continue to keep pace with technology, and the modernization project will update the briefing systems and sound countermeasures systems to improve the Commander, Air Group strike planning and execution briefing and debriefing process for current and future ready room spaces.
“The carrier ready room modernization plan is a technical refresh of the existing equipment to upgrade the ready rooms to a fully digital environment,” said Brian Farr, SAIW government project lead.
NAWCAD WOLF is currently modernizing both Ford and Nimitz class ships, with plans to expand to other classes.
NAWCAD WOLF: Rapid engineering. Unified execution. Warfighter success.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field’s (NAWCAD WOLF) Ship and Air Integrated Warfare (SAIW) division developed and is installing upgrades to aircraft carrier ready rooms across the Navy’s fleet of ships. (U.S. Navy Photo)
