March 12, 2015 --
TACOMA, WA - When cargo
ships like Steam Ship (SS) Cape Island transport densely packed cargo that has
been loaded for a specific mission, a very serious problem is presented when
that mission changes and that particular load needs to be reconfigured to meet
new priorities. The ship's crew can't break out a handful of mover's dollies
and shuffle around shipping twenty-foot shipping containers and more
realistically, the heavy machinery required to lift
and move these massive containers cannot maneuver through a loaded ship. The
current solution is to offload the cargo, while in port, and reload it
according to the new mission.
The Department of Defense recognizes
this challenge and is determined to find a solution. A handful of Marines,
Soldiers, and Sailors recently spent time aboard the SS Cape Island in Tacoma,
Wa. during the Dense Pack Access Retrieval and Transit (DPART) Joint Capability
Technology Demonstration (JCTD) Limited Operational Utility Assessment 1
(LOUA-1) to operate and evaluate the operational utility of the Container-Lift
and Maneuver System (C-LMS).
The C-LMS, not much larger
than a 20-ft container, is designed to provide a two-person team the ability to
safely approach, capture, lift, maneuver, place, and retreat from a single,
fully loaded 20-ft, International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
container with a maximum combined weight (container and contents) of 60,000
lbs.
After several days of
classroom work and practical application, the teams and the technology were put
through their paces.
Safety checks, operational
checks, slow, steady, and purposeful movement, gaps sometimes only inches wide,
and routes that seemed impossible. This was the obstacle course aboard the SS
Cape Island.
Once the teams were
comfortable with the controls, they deftly maneuvered the diesel-powered beast
through the course. The C-LMS maneuverability was a key component. It has the
ability to steer like a fire truck by turning both front and rear tires to
improve the turning radius; rotate on it's axis; turn like a tank; pivot around
the front or rear end; maneuver like a front or rear wheel drive car; and move
crab-like side to side.
The LOUA-1 is the first of
three planned assessment events. Input from this assessment will be combined
with data collected from the other events and used to provide utility
recommendations to the DPART JCTD Operational Manager and US Pacific Command.