CRANE, Ind., 1 June 2007.Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division completed production of the vehicle tethered dual mounted stinger (VTDMS) this month that will help towards qualifying Lithuania for membership into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The VTDMS systems, which provide air defense capability, are scheduled to arrive in-country late this summer.
Air defense is critical for Lithuania as the political climate in eastern Europe changes. Acquiring this capability provides NATO with another partner to allow significantly more stable security in that part of the world.
NSWC Crane was contracted to produce VTDMS through the Cruise Missile Defense System (CMDS) Project Office at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Ala. Crane's past performance and experience with the Avenger weapons system, a non-developmental item (NDI), lightweight, highly mobile and transportable surface-to-air missile/gun mounted on a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), contributed to Crane's selection to support the VTDMS.
VTDMS consists of HMMWV-mounted Tactical Operations Centers, HMMWVs providing transportation, power, and communication to remotely fielded DMS launchers, and Sentinel radar systems, along with spares and support equipment and material.
NSWC Crane was responsible for VTDMS design, integration, and production. The original concept of the system, as dictated by the State Department, was to have a variant of the DMS, the Stinger Launch Platform, mounted on the HMMWV, which limited its usefulness in the field.
NSWC Crane personnel will assist with training support to Lithuanian soldiers, help with the development of documentation/user guides, and will provide life-cycle support through the CMDS Project Office.
