Construction Dive Detachment Alpha (CDDA) divers, assigned to Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2, assisted with the installation of a modern ocean sensor system at the Kwajalein Missile Impact Scoring System (KMISS), Sept. 2.
The mission of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Testing Site (RTS) on Kwajalein Atoll and Wake Island is to provide a major range test facility base to support the operational and developmental testing of theater and strategic ballistic missiles, missile interceptors, NASA operations, as well as surveillance, according to the command’s website.
The primary component of the ocean sensor system was a length of married cables used to relay data from sea to shore. A fairlead connected the cable to a winch, which was pulled from the cable layer ship Tyco Durable. Divers monitored the cable as it was hauled into the water and through a conduit. Once the desired length was coiled at the beach station, the remaining cable was positioned on the seafloor and reinforced with Alcatel split-pipe by divers. Anchor points were drilled into the surrounding coral for stabilization clamp installation. Replaceable zinc anodes were applied to finish the job and minimize future deterioration.
The range installation was part of the second stop on CDDA’s six-month deployment to the Pacific to conduct the inspection, maintenance, and repair of various underwater and waterfront facilities in support of the Pacific Fleet.
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Press release, Image: US Navy