Operational Readiness & Environmental Protection of Critical Assets

.50-caliber gun following no maintenance during two weeks in rough seas aboard the USS RUSSELL while training in the Pacific when covered with a traditional tarp.

Readiness
The outward appearance of “readiness” for any military unit used to depend upon weapons and systems that were highly visible – uncovered and primed for action. With heavy demands on the military since 2001, real readiness in weapons, sensors, and systems is increasingly hidden from view because equipment is being covered and protected from persistent

.50-caliber gun following no maintenance during two weeks in rough seas aboard the USS RUSSELL while training in the Pacific when covered with Envelop Protective Covers.

damaging effects of corrosion and environment.

How Big Is the Problem?
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in 2003 said environmental effects on the military’s readiness were a big problem, to the tune of $20 billion annually as reported by the Department of Defense (DoD). Corrosion is, by some measures, the largest life-cycle cost

associated with today’s systems. With increasing sophistication and cost of major weapons and equipment (and an understandable desire to preserve these national assets for near-term use and longterm viability), the DoD has aggressively moved to highlight the issue in recent years.

Envelop Covers Respond to Mandate
Cutting effortlessly through a calm sea, a modern Navy guided missile destroyer looks formidable by any measure. Yet, that same calm sea and seemingly placid environment are relentlessly eating away at the ship’s offensive assets. As manpower on Navy ships is reduced and the remaining crew’s level of sophisticated training increases, there is a mandate to spend fewer manhours on maintenance and corrosion prevention. A typical 25mm or .50- caliber deck gun requires seven to 10 hours per week of corrosion prevention, a figure that, frankly, is untenable

in today’s fleet. So, in 2003, sparked by the GAO report and a congressional mandate that rightly called for action, the Navy funded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project to find a more effective way to protect exposed assets from corrosion. Envelop covers were developed by Shield Technologies and patented as a result of the SBIR project. “It’s all about readiness,” said Envelop General Manager Tom Nelson. “While this began out of high-level concern by the DoD and the Congress, it has become reality on the Navy’s deckplates when sailors have seen weapons systems and equipment so much better protected and ready for problem-free operation.”

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Envelop Covers
Return on Investment (ROI) for Naval Applications

• Product life expectancy – 3-4 times vinyl
  
  
• Lifetime cost of covers – 35% less
  
  
• Ongoing corrosion maintenance – 90% fewer man-hours
  
  
• ROI – 2 months
  
  

Growing Need for Constant Protection

When Gunner’s Mates aboard USS PRINCETON grew weary of labor and costs associated with keeping their 5-inch MK 45 guns battle ready, they came to Envelop for help. A customized, formfitting Envelop muzzle cover, including a rubber liner to hold it in place on the smooth barrel, was

developed. It has already proven its mettle. During a recent exercise in heavy seas, USS PRINCETON’s aft gun mount was completely submerged. The Gunner’s Mates report that the gun took no water down the barrel thanks to a tight, fitted gasket. The muzzle cover also remained in place when

the 35-pound gas injection air system was activated accidentally during routine maintenance of the weapon. Gunner’s Mates aboard a Mayport-based frigate have similar positive results with an Envelop muzzle breach cover for the 76mm MK 75 gun. The cover, which has also gone

aboard the Coast Guard’s WHEC and MEC cutters, protects the unpainted 76mm gun barrel that previously was exposed to the pervasive salt environment, and inadequately protected with vinyl or plastic. The Envelop muzzle breach cover has kept the expensive gun barrels in pristine condition.

Close-In Weapon System covered.

Helicopter Flight Deck Equipment Subjected to Heavy Corrosion

Flight deck Rapid Securing Device

An Engineman aboard USS JARRETT reports that the flight deck’s Rapid Securing Devices (RSD) for the embarked SH-60B Seahawk helicopters undergo annual maintenance costs in the neighborhood of $500,000 each. With over 150 RSDs in the Navy’s fleet, that’s nearly $8 million of waste, and significant impact on the

readiness of the surface fleet’s airborne weapons systems. Envelop covers came aboard the JARRETT to provide a custom solution to eliminate RSD maintenance by highly trained Enginemen. The result is an Envelop cover that nearly eliminates RSD water intrusion on the close-to-sea-level flight decks of frigates, destroyers, and cruisers. The cover can be left in place during aircraft traverse operations, further reducing the man-hours involved with use of the RSD.

Additionally, these covers provide complete protection during the postflight engine washdown procedure of the aircraft while it is secured in the RSD, an operation that previously led to RSD intrusion of engine wash agent. The Envelop RSD covers are custom manufactured in red material with

integral hazard markings to comply with requisite shipboard aviation and flight deck safety policies and procedures.

Envelop Covers Hit the Ground
Ken Napier, Senior Adviser, Shield Technologies

M777 lightweight howitzer.

important, but so is readiness. The Army and Marine Corps in particular have equipment and weapons systems on the ground in operational theaters that are in especially abusive environments. Not only do commanders want their gear to work properly, but they don’t want their soldiers and marines performing needless hours of preventive maintenance on systems that can be protected with state-of-the-art covers. Envelop Protective Covers, initially targeted for maritime use, now provides state-of-the art

soft technology covers for ground equipment. The Marine Corps will receive Envelop covers for its M777 lightweight howitzer, and covers are being designed to protect the Army’s CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station) and C-RAM (Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar). With Envelop covers, the U.S. Army has the unique opportunity to take advantage of a direct technology transfer from the Navy and significantly impact its major programs with sustainment costs, overall quality, and force-readiness improvements.

Why does the U.S. Army increasingly care about the effects of environmental degradation (corrosion, condensation, heat, sand and dust, ultraviolet rays)?

Because upward of 70% of the overall life-cycle ownership costs of major Army programs are attributed to sustainment. Costs are

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