Vanguard Magazine

At Babcock, innovation is at the core of our business. Across our international business, we are develop - ing our own technologies and designing new platforms, as well as utilizing existing assets in new ways. www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 19 INTERVIEW role in supporting the integration, detail production design, and installation of the discreet VCM capabilities into the com- plex Victoria-class. Submarines are highly complex, integrated, and very 'dense' plat- forms, and effectively integrating new ca- pabilities, both physically and functionally, requires a broad range of capabilities and platform-specific experience. Q As the Victoria-class approaches the end of service life in the 2030s, what is- sues does Babcock foresee in sustaining these submarines? As with any complex military asset, deliver- ing through-life platform safety and capa- bility while achieving value-for-money so- lutions is essential. Submarine complexity and the inherent risks associated with sub- surface operations adds to the challenge. The Victoria-class remain a highly opera- tionally capable and effective platform, as the class reaches the end of its service life in the 2030s obsolescence of equipment originally designed in the 1980s and main- taining a deep understanding of the ma- terial state of the platform will be key to enabling operational availability in a safe manner. However, our intimate knowledge of the Victoria-class submarines is complemented by our development and application of technology solutions such as iSupport360, where techniques such as digital twinning and data visualization are combined to enable our support teams to make early, cost-effective decisions when conducting activities such as system surveys and obso- lescence management. This combined with our experience and expertise supporting platforms through all stages of the lifecycle will ensure the Victoria-class continues safely in their role as a strategic Canadian capability for many years to come. Q Finally, any examples of how Babcock is innovating and what impact is it having on submarine sustainment? At Babcock, innovation is at the core of our business. Across our international business, we are developing our own tech- nologies and designing new platforms, as well as utilizing existing assets in new ways. This extends to our Canadian business and into every program we support, including the Victoria In-Service Support Contract. Specific to submarine sustainment we have a number of innovation examples, from employing new technologies that re- place highly manual processes to exploiting data that results in insightful opportunities to save time and money for maintenance, engineering, and supply chain activities. In previous extended docking work peri- ods, submarine acoustic tiles were removed mechanically using hand tools which re- quired a lot of labour and time. Babcock in- troduced Ultra High Pressure Water Blast- ing that significantly decreased the time it took to remove each tile. The improved process resulted in time savings from 4-5 hours down to 2-3 seconds per tile and pro- vided multi-million dollars in savings. We employ Babcock's iSupport360 ap- proach to asset management, by collect- ing and analyzing data to provide infor- mation for decision-making that results in effectiveness and efficiency improve- ments. We are digitizing our processes to capture and access data at the point of need. Babcock is using LiDAR and laser scanning technologies so that we can cre- ate a rich 3D picture for visualization of the submarine material state, which can be used for collaboration across locations from the engineers at the waterfront to the design authorities in Ottawa. Using the suite of iSupport360 tools we have been able to exploit maintenance and procurement data to provide insights into material management and have realized year over year savings in the acquisition and consumption of spare parts, resulting in greater value for our customers. We continue to innovate across our busi- ness, and we leverage the incredible high- tech economy that exists in Canada by in- vesting in many small and medium-sized businesses as part of the Industrial and Technological Benefits program. These partnerships between Babcock and tech- nology start-ups and small firms have al- lowed Babcock to be on the leading edge of some unique technology applications. Q HMCS Corner Brook is in the final stages of returning to active duty since being out of commission in 2014. Tell us about some of the notable upgrades on HMCS Corner Brook during its Extended Docking Work Period (EDWP). HMCS Corner Brook received 47 equip- ment upgrades, which include new Uni- versal Modular Masts to enable high-speed satellite communications with shore; a new sonar suite; an updated Combat Manage- ment System, and upgraded Heavyweight Torpedoes. Q Team Victoria-Class has been work- ing together for over 13 years now on the Victoria-class submarines. How has the submarine sustainment enterprise benefitted from the partnership? Team Victoria-Class has combined their expertise, experience, and capabilities to help support, maintain and refit the fleet of Victoria-class submarines and for over a decade. Having worked on and supported these vessels for such a period of time, the team has come to develop and build: an in-depth and unparalleled knowledge of these plat- forms, a strong Canadian supply chain to support the technology and capability of the submarines, as well as technology and processes specific for the Victoria-class. All of this has allowed us to realize efficien- cies and ensure safety in our work that no one else could provide. This knowledge and capability have become invaluable and beneficial to Canada and the Royal Cana- dian Navy. Q To continue this sustainment enterprise, how does Babcock see its role in supporting the Victoria-class Modern- ization (VCM)? VISSC will be central in supporting Can- ada's strategic submarine capability, and this includes the capability enhancements necessary to ensure the fleet of Victoria- class submarines are equipped to deal with the constantly changing environment. The various upgrades expected through VCM will be business as usual to our teams and so we'll be on hand to support however we can. Under VISSC, Babcock is the class de- sign agent, as well as the provider of deep maintenance for the Victoria-class sub- marines. In this role, Babcock sees a key

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