From the PEO-T Public Affairs Office:

The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) recently announced that the F/A-18E/F & EA-18G Acquisition Team has been selected as the winner in the FY2003 SECNAV Environmental Awards competition in the Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition (Team) category. The award, given to recognize individuals, teams, ships and installations within the Department of the Navy that have promoted environmental excellence and awareness during the fiscal year, cited the team’s efforts in developing several successful initiatives including a dynamic cradle to grave Environmental Occupational Safety and Health (EOSH) risk management surveillance strategy and a model Deactivation, Demilitarization and Disposal (3D) Plan.

With the risk management surveillance strategy, the team advocated recycling out-of-production aircraft for parts beyond the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) save list with a projected twenty to one return on investment while integrating and sustaining EOSH requirements during the entire life cycle of the program. Sensitivity to EOSH issues during weapon system design produced Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) savings that resulted in a redesigned forward fuselage with 40 percent fewer parts and 50 percent fewer fasteners. As part of the redesign effort, composite skins with conductive features used to reduce corrosion replaced alodined or anodized metal skins. This helped to reduce manufacturing and maintenance waste, decreased maintenance time and damage, and ultimately will extend the aircraft’s useful life. The redesign shrinks production time by 31 percent and unit cost by 655 thousand dollars.

In addition, the team’s F/A-18 Deactivation, Demilitarization and Disposal (3D) Plan has been approved by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and is currently the only aircraft platform plan submitted to the agency for review and approval. In the future DLA will provide the F/A-18 3D Plan to other aircraft programs for use as a model strategy.

The team was automatically advanced to the SECNAV award level after having been awarded the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Environmental Excellence award in March 2004. This is the second CNO award the team has received, after having been granted top honors in fiscal year 2000. Winning the SECNAV award has now advanced the Acquisition Team to the DOD level competition for the same category. The CNO and SECNAV awards will be presented to the team Tuesday, May 4 at the United States Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center in Washington, D.C.

For more information contact Denise Deon Wilson at 301-481-6263.

# # #