HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The United States Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) is a laboratory that performs integrated three-dimensional hydrospace/
aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...
trajectory measurements covering the entire spectrum of undersea simulated warfare –
calibration In measurement technology and metrology, calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Such a standard could be another measurement device of known a ...
, classifications, detection, and destruction. Its mission is to assist in establishing and maintaining naval ability of the United States through testing, evaluation, and underwater research.


Background

The typical task performed at AUTEC is testing and certifying the proficiency of U.S. Navy submarine captains and their crews, as well as the accuracy of their undersea weapons. The sophisticated facility includes three test ranges – the Weapons Range, the Acoustic Range, and the FORACS Range – all located in the
Tongue of the ocean The Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO) is the name of a region of much deeper water in the Bahamas separating the islands of Andros and New Providence New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total ...
(TOTO), a deep-ocean basin approximately long by wide, with depths as great as . The main AUTEC support base and downrange tracking stations are on
Andros Island Andros Island is an archipelago within the Bahamas, the largest of the Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros in total has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consis ...
in the
Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archi ...
, just west of Nassau and about southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida. On January 23, 2020, the corporation PAE Applied Technologies received roughly $32.9 million for six more months of facility and range maintenance and range operations support services at AUTEC. On August 12, 2020, the corporation Amentum (created in January 2020 when AECOM sold its management services business to American Securities LLC and affiliates of the private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg) received roughly $430 million for five years' worth of operation and maintenance of AUTEC.


History

During the 1940s and 1950s, the U.S. Navy's need for a deep water test facility became so apparent that in 1958 the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a mem ...
established an advisory group to determine the location and specifications for testing underwater vehicles, weapons, and weapon systems. As a result of the extensive studies of this group, the United States Secretary of the Navy in November 1959 directed establishment of the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) under the
Bureau of Ships The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships (BuShips) was established by Congress on 20 June 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair (BuC&R) and the Bureau of Engineering (BuEng). The new bureau was to ...
(now Naval Sea Systems Command) to provide a deep water test and evaluation facility for making underwater acoustic measurement, testing sonar, and providing accurate underwater, surface and air tracking data on ships and weapons in support of the U.S. Navy's
antisubmarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
and undersea research and development programs. The area chosen for AUTEC was the
Tongue of the Ocean The Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO) is the name of a region of much deeper water in the Bahamas separating the islands of Andros and New Providence New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total ...
(TOTO) located between the islands of
Andros Andros ( el, Άνδρος, ) is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, about southeast of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . It is for the most part mountainous, with many ...
, New Providence, and
Exuma Sound Exuma Sound is a body of water in the Bahama Islands.The Exuma Sound: Baham ...
in the
Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archi ...
. Chosen because of its ideal natural characteristics, and its climate which permits year-round operations, the TOTO is a U-shaped, relatively flat-bottomed trench approximately wide by long with a depth which varies gradually from in the south to in the north. Its only exposure to the open ocean is at the northern end, and except for this ocean opening, the TOTO is surrounded by numerous islands, reefs, and shoals which make a peripheral shelter isolating it from ocean disturbances, particularly high ambient noise which degrades undersea tests and evaluations. A joint United States/ United Kingdom Agreement signed in 1963 with the concurrence of the Bahamian Government, enabled the United States to develop this area of water and certain territory on the east coast of
Andros Island Andros Island is an archipelago within the Bahamas, the largest of the Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros in total has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consis ...
, readily accessible to the TOTO, and there install equipment to build three offshore test ranges. Under this agreement, the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
has equal access to the test facility. Construction of the Navy's Main Base and the downrange tracking sites on Andros Island began in March 1964, and the initial cadre of officers and men arrived by U.S. Navy LST in August 1965. In October of that year, Commander G. P Barney arrived as the first permanent Officer-in-charge, Andros Ranges, and the official dedication of AUTEC was held on 14 April 1966. The complex electronics installation was accomplished from fall of 1965 to fall of 1966, and in September 1966
RCA Service Company {{unreferenced, date=September 2018 RCA Service Company (RCAS) was headquartered at Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and was a division of RCA created to service appliances and equipment manufactured by RCA. RCAS was divided into three major groups: * RCA ...
was awarded the Maintenance and Operations Contract for AUTEC. Temporary U.S. Mainland Headquarters was opened at the
Orlando Air Force Base Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation. Overview Orland ...
in September 1966 with Captain L. L. Jackson, Jr., being assigned as Prospective
Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...
. Following a study of possible locations for a permanent headquarters the
West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...
area was chosen due to the combined facilities of the airport and the Port of Palm Beach, plus its proximity to Andros Island. On 26 February 1967, AUTEC was commissioned at West Palm Beach when Admiral E. J. Fahy, Commander, Naval Ship Systems Command, presented Captain Jackson with orders making him the first Commanding Officer, and AUTEC became an operational field activity. In May 1967, headquarters personnel moved from Orlando to West Palm Beach and established offices at the Palm Beach International Airport in the building which was formerly the Airport Terminal. In July 1967 at a Change of Command ceremony on Andros Island, Commander Barney was relieved by the new Officer-in-Charge, Andros Ranges, Commander Frank A. Smith. First of the three ranges to become operational was the Weapons Range in 1966. This was followed by the Acoustics Range, a portion of which became operational in 1968 with a total operational capability anticipated by the end of 1969. First phase of the Sonar Range became operational in January 1968, and the final phases, were scheduled to be completed and operational by 1974.U.S. Navy AUTEC Soundings, August 1969.


Deep water range

The deep water Weapons Range lies roughly parallel to the east coast of
Andros Island Andros Island is an archipelago within the Bahamas, the largest of the Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros in total has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consis ...
. It is the largest and most versatile of the AUTEC ranges, and it is capable of tracking up to 63 in-water objects simultaneously. The range is supported by the Main Base (Site 1) and various smaller sites located to the south along the east coast of Andros Island. AN/WQC-2A Sonar Communications Sets and Bi-Directional Communications Nodes provide underwater voice communications for mobile target and emergency command signal coverage, while HF,
UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...
, and VHF radio communications are available over the entire range.


In-air tracking

In-air tracking is provided by radars and various other in-air tracking systems such as LATR, the Hyperbolic In-Air Tracking System (HITS), and
Differential GPS Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPSs) supplement and enhance the positional data available from global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs). A DGPS for GPS can increase accuracy by about a thousandfold, from approximately to . DGPSs ...
(DGPS). These in-air systems cover the AUTEC Weapons Range up to a distance of from Site 1 and a height of 70,000 feet (21,000 m). Surveillance radars operate to support air and surface safety.


In-water tracking

The in-water portion of the Weapons Range covers 500 square nautical miles (1,700 km²). This range can be divided into two distinct tracking areas consisting of roughly 250 square nautical miles (850 km²). This flexibility allows for the unique operation of two distinct individual exercises. Use of the total range is referred to as "Weapons Range", while dividing the range into two distinct portions, the northern section is referred to as "Weapons Range North", whereas the southern portion is called "Weapons Range South".


Electronic Warfare Threat Simulator

Electronic Warfare Threat Simulator (EWTS) is a real-time system that can generate complex, dynamic, electromagnetic signal environments at the radio frequency (RF) level. With this system, AUTEC offers capabilities to test different platform receivers in an open-air, over-the-water range. The system consists of a radar simulator, pedestal and controller, antennas, high-power amplifiers, calibration equipment, and an operator workstation. The system is housed in an air-conditioned radome and located on a tower.


Namesakes

Major facilities at AUTEC's Andros Island base were named in 1969 in honor of various Navy heroes: * Shafer Brothers Hall, the 116-man Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ), was named in honor of Benjamin N. and John D. Shafer, who were Chief Electrician's Mates aboard the USS Thresher when she was lost in 1963. * Jacobson Hall, the 250-man BEQ was named in honor of George W. Jacobson, Sr., Chief Motor Machinist's Mate who died in 1966. During World War II he served aboard the USS Pillsbury and received the Silver Star Medal for his valiant service during the capture of a German submarine off
French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burkin ...
in June 1944. * Mackey Hall, the BEQ Mess, was named in honor of Harry E. Mackey, Jr., an
Aviation Machinist's Mate Aviation Machinist's Mates (abbreviated as AD) are United States Navy aircraft engine mechanics that inspect, adjust, test, repair, and overhaul aircraft engines and propellers. More specifically, ADs install, maintain, and service various aircraf ...
killed in action in November 1943. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement during operations off French Morocco. * Momsen Hall, the 75-man Bachelor Officer Quarters (BOQ), was named in honor of Vice Admiral Charles B. Momsen who died in May 1967. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...
for developing the
Momsen Lung The Momsen lung was a primitive underwater rebreather used before and during World War II by American submariners as emergency escape gear. It was invented by Charles Momsen (nicknamed "Swede"). Submariners trained with this apparatus in an de ...
. * Danenhower Hall, the BOQ Mess, was named in honor of Lt. Commander Sloan Danenhower who died in November 1967.He was a pioneer submariner who commanded the original
USS Nautilus USS ''Nautilus'' may refer to: * , a 12-gun schooner (1799–1812) * , a 76-foot coast survey schooner (1838–1859) * , a ''Narwhal''-class submarine (1930–1945) * , the first nuclear submarine (1954–1980) See also * Ships named ''Nautilus' ...
on an
Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
expedition in 1931. He was the son of John Wilson Danenhower, commander of the USS Jeannette. * Roger L. Glei Chapel was named after Roger L. Glei who, in 1969 during the Vietnam War, left his protected armored position during heavy gunfire to aid an injured vehicle machinegunner and consequently sacrificed his own life. Previous to joining the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
, Roger's parents, Alfred and Ruth Glei, brought him to AUTEC in October 1966.Chickcharney News, April 1987


In popular culture

* In Tom Clancy's ''
The Hunt for Red October ''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cut ...
'', the former Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (portrayed by Sean Connery in ''
The Hunt for Red October ''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cut ...
'' movie) works for AUTEC as Mark Ramsey after his defection to the United States. * In NCIS Season 9 episode "
The Tell "The Tell" is the 18th episode of the ninth season of the American police procedural drama '' NCIS'', and the 204th episode overall. It aired on CBS in the United States on March 20, 2012. The episode is written by Gina Lucita Monreal and direct ...
", The plot of the episode revolves around AUTEC.


Other research

AUTEC also performs some biological research in the surrounding ocean environments.


See also

*
BUTEC The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) is an underwater military test and evaluation range in the Inner Sound between the island of Raasay and the Applecross peninsula, on the north west coast of Scotland. BUTEC is operated ...
* Naval Undersea Warfare Center


References


External links


Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, Rhode Island
* {{authority control
AUTEC The United States Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) is a laboratory that performs integrated three-dimensional hydrospace/aerospace trajectory measurements covering the entire spectrum of undersea simulated warfare  ...
United States Navy organization