US, UK Celebrate Expanded Capabilities at NOPF Dam Neck
Story Number: NNS190128-05Release Date: 1/28/2019 10:54:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sarah E. Horne, Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic Public Affairs
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Naval Ocean Processing Facility (NOPF) Dam Neck celebrated the grand opening of its state-of-the-art Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) operations floor expansion Jan. 24.
The new operations floor comes equipped with improved surveillance technologies for faster input and analysis of international waters, providing vital information for homeland security in the United States and for our allies in the United Kingdom.
“The new operations watch floor is a fantastic addition to our capabilities,” said Cmdr. Aaron Holdaway, commanding officer NOPF Dam Neck. “This is cutting-edge technology that has been years in the making between the United Kingdom and the United States to develop and to get installed into this building. It comes along with new software, new hardware and new mission capabilities marking a true achievement between our two countries.”
The U.S. surveillance team collaborates with the UK Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to conduct wide area maritime surveillance, providing critical information to both countries.
“The Sailors and Airmen, both U.S. and UK, are what makes NOPF Dam Neck such a formidable asset in the battle for undersea dominance,” said Rear Adm. Paul Halton, OBE, Commander, Maritime Operations Royal Navy. “While the future holds many challenges, there is also cause for great optimism; the mettle of our men and women will always be a deciding factor in the Anti-Submarine Warfare campaign.”
The Sailors and Airmen who gather, process and distribute information from the Atlantic Ocean are thrilled to increase their mission capacity and keep both countries safe.
“Getting more capabilities at my fingertips makes my job a lot easier,” said Naval Air Crewman (Operator) 2nd Class Derrick Keith, an NOPF watch floor operator, “And there is no doubt that this watch floor, what we do here helps the Navy do its mission.”
The NOPF team works tirelessly, 24/7, 365 days a year, to monitor the ocean night and day in the spirit of the undersea warrior motto, “Nyns Us Convya Y’n Downder,” which translates from Cornish to “No Sanctuary in the Deep.” The ceremony of the expansion of NOPF is considered a true celebration of the U.S./UK partnership.
NOPF Dam Neck, a component of IUSS, was founded 40 years ago to support anti-submarine warfare and tactical forces by detecting, classifying, and providing timely reporting of information on submarines and other contacts of interest. The NOPF international team also has direct links to associated surveillance towed array sensor system (SURTASS) ships, gathering long-term acoustic, oceanographic, and hydrographic information.
