NEWPORT – A senior engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport has won the 2020 Office of Naval Research Prize for Affordability.
David Tonn works in the center’s Antennas and Electronic Warfare Sensors Branch of the Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department.
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According to NUWC Division Newport, the award recognizes a U.S. Navy scientist, engineer or science and technology program manager who has demonstrated cost savings through projects related to naval warfighting needs.
For the past several years, Tonn has led science and technology efforts to improve the performance of the submarine buoyant cable antenna. Following successful prototype testing, the Undersea Integration Program Office of the Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence started the planning required to introduce the Advanced Buoyant Cable Antenna as the new standard in the fleet. It replaced both legacy buoyant cable antenna elements now in use.
“The Advanced Buoyant Cable Antenna combines the functionality of each of these antennas into a single element that is fully compatible with all legacy buoyant cable antenna hardware, reducing logistics product costs by 50%,” the award states.
In 2020, the Advanced Buoyant Cable Antenna transitioned to acquisition with a request for information issued to the industry for white papers on fabrication capabilities – the first step toward large-scale production.
Last year, Tonn won the Delores M. Etter Award for outstanding contributions by an individual scientist.
Tonn will receive an award certificate and plaque for the 2020 Office of Naval Research Prize for Affordability at a future ceremony.
NUWC Division Newport, one of the 20 largest employers in Rhode Island, is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
