Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division
Encyclopedia
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
installation located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) southwest of Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and predominantly located in Martin County
Martin County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,369 people, 4,183 households, and 2,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 4,729 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, but small parts also extend into Greene
Greene County, Indiana
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1930. As of 2010, the population was 33,165. The county seat is Bloomfield....
and Lawrence
Lawrence County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,922 people, 18,535 households, and 13,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 20,560 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
counties. It was originally established in 1941 under the Bureau of Ordnance
Bureau of Ordnance
The Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...
as the Naval Ammunition Depot for production, testing, and storage of ordnance under the first supplemental Defense Appropriation Act. The base is named after William M. Crane
William M. Crane
Commodore William Montgomery Crane was an officer in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. He was the son of Gen. William Crane who was wounded at the Battle of Quebec while serving under Richard Montgomery in honor of whom he was given the middle name of...
. The base is the third largest naval installation in the world by geographic area and employs approximately 3300 people. The closest community is the small town of Crane
Crane, Indiana
Crane is a town in Perry Township, Martin County, and Madison Township, Daviess County Indiana, United States. The population was 184 at the 2010 census. It was named for William M...
, which lies adjacent to the northwest corner of the facility.
Operations
With an increasing demand in the 1990s and 2000s by the U.S. military for bases to support multiple functions rather than being sole-purpose installations, Crane has taken on a broad variety of development and support operations. These include expeditionary warfare systems, fleet maintenance and modernization, radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, power systems, strategic systems, small arms, surface and airborne electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
, night vision systems, and undersea warfare systems. Crane is also involved in systems development for the upcoming DD(X) class of destroyer for the U.S. Navy and the Littoral Combat Ship
Littoral combat ship
A Littoral Combat Ship is a type of relatively small surface vessel intended for operations in the littoral zone . It is "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals." Two ship classes are the first...
.
Strategic Missions
"Deter - Defend - Defeat"The Strategic Missions Focus Area encompasses the full range of DoD activities that alter an adversary’s will and ability to attack the United States and its interests.
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Crane is the acquisition engineering & technical support agent for the Navy’s Strategic Programs Office for fielding of the Integrated Nuclear Weapons Security System
Full Spectrum Radar Engineering Support: Crane provides a broad range of systems engineering expertise for the sustainment and modernization of the Air Forces Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems
Flight Systems: Crane supports systems engineering design, analysis, test and evaluation of flight systems for Strategic platforms
Launcher Systems: Crane provides high reliability product and subsystem engineering and logistics to the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs Strategic Weapons System and Attack Weapon Control System
Electronic Warfare / Information Operations
"Control the Spectrum - Control the Fight"Electronic Warfare supports any military action using electromagnetic energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or attack an adversary
Development: Crane develops and manufactures all of the infrared countermeasures used on US Navy aircraft
Test and Evaluation: Crane developed and operates the only COMOPTEVFOR certified test facilities to support EW T&E events such as Developmental Tests, Operational assessments, and Operational Tests
Sustainment: Crane is the only DOD Engineering, Logistics and Maintenance Capability for Air, Ground, Surface and Submarine EW Systems within one Facility
Training: Crane is helping the Army stand up their Capabilities for Counter IED
Special Missions
"Rapid Response - Proven Solutions"Special Missions supports military forces engaged in Special Operations, Irregular Warfare and Riverine Operations
Mobility and Maneuverability: Crane designed, built and fielded the first Counter-Sniper Enclosure for USAF Force Protection HMMWVs in 6 weeks
Special Munitions and Weapons: Crane is USSOCOM’s PM for the development, acquisition, fielding and sustainment of the SOF Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR)
Sensors and Communications: SOPMOD has surged more than $60M in ground combat end items to Special Operations in the field during OIF/OEF
Training: Crane provided Small Arms operations & maintenance training to over 500 personnel in FY06
History
In the late 1940s an ammunitionAmmunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
quality evaluation unit was added by the Bureau to expand its quality control system. As the complexity and sophistication of weapons increased in the 1950s and 1960s, Crane’s activities, capabilities and expertise expanded in scope under the newly formed Bureau of Weapons to include small arms, sonobuoy surveillance, microwave tubes, POLARIS missile
UGM-27 Polaris
The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy....
s and other scientific and engineering support to the Bureau.
In 1974, Crane came under the Naval Sea Systems Command
Naval Sea Systems Command
The Naval Sea Systems Command is the largest of the U.S. Navy's five "systems commands," or materiel organizations...
that was established from the merger of the Naval Ordnance Systems Command and Naval Ship Systems Command. Shortly after in 1975, Crane’s name was changed to the Naval Weapons Support Center that more accurately reflected the true function of the installation.
In 1977, a major change occurred with the designation of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as the single-service manager of conventional ammunition. This resulted in the establishment of the tenant command, Crane Army Ammunition Activity
Crane Army Ammunition Activity
Crane Army Ammunition Activity stores, receives, produces and demilitarizes conventional ammunition. It also designs, develops and improves ordnance components and processes.-Capabilities:...
(CAAA) that took over the loading, assembly and storage of ammunition at the installation. CAAA and Crane’s strong partnership continues today.
In 1992, Crane’s name was changed to the Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center when the warfare centers were established under the related systems commands. Today grown from its ordnance roots, Crane is recognized world wide as a modern and sophisticated leader in diverse and highly technical product lines.
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
Commission recommended to retain most existing operations at Crane, with weapons and armaments research, development and acquisition, and test and evaluation, except gun/ammunition, combat system security, and energetic materials to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...
. This resulted in a net loss of 672 civilian jobs from the base.
Tenants
Naval Support Activity Crane hosts a number of different commands and divisions. These are:- Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division
- Crane Army Ammunition Activity provides munitions and energetics storage and distribution, and first strike and war reserve ordnance support for the United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. - Great Lakes Industrial Hygiene
- Defense Automated Printing Service
- Naval Criminal Investigative ServiceNaval Criminal Investigative ServiceThe United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...
- Defense Commissary Agency Detachment Crane
- Navy Exchange
- Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office division of Defense Logistics AgencyDefense Logistics AgencyThe Defense Logistics Agency is an agency in the United States Department of Defense, with more than 26,000 civilian and military personnel throughout the world...
- Resident Officer In Charge Of Construction (ROICC)
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal
- United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
- Joint Test and Assessment Activity
- Joint Innovation and Technology Transition Center
Geography
The base is the third largest naval installation in the world, comprising approximately 108 square miles (259 square kilometeres) of territory. Lake Greenwood, an 800 acres (3.2 km²) lake, is entirely encompassed by the base. Reconstructive White OakWhite Oak
White Oak may refer to:* Quercus alba, a species commonly known as the White Oak* any of various trees from the botanical section Quercus within the list of Quercus species* a 1921 silent western written/produced by and starring William S...
wood for the is harvested from this base from a grove of trees known as "Constitution Grove".
Time Zone
Most of Crane sits in Martin County. When the rural county voted to switch over to the Central Time ZoneCentral Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
, it isolated Crane from the rest of the state, creating a "time island". After a year, the county petitioned the Department of Transportation and a move back to Eastern Time was approved.