ADVANCED ENCLOSED MAST/SENSORY SYSTEM
In 1994 Seemann Composites, Inc. was part of a team that was assembled by Naval Service Warfare Center, Carderock MD to design, test, and build the AEM/S (Advanced Enclosed Mast Sensor/System). The mast is a 97' tall 30' diameter enclosed, low signature radome. SCI worked closely with NSWC, Materials Sciences Corporation, and Ingalls Shipbuilding to develop structural design details of this very large mast. SCI developed all the manufacturing concepts to employ the SCRIMP process in the fabrication of the mast. SCI also conducted extensive FEM analysis on the design.

To validate the design and the manufacturing concept, SCI was tasked to build a quarter scale model of the mast. This article was tested at the White Sands Missile Testing Site in New Mexico for simulated nuclear air blast. This scaled mast survived several blasts at design load and 1.5 times design load. The successful design, fabrication and testing of this demonstration mast led to the full-scale mast fabrication.

SCI built the full scale tooling and delivered it to the shipyard along with a team of SCRIMP technicians to train and assist Ingalls in the fabrication of the full scale mast. Numerous full-scale test articles and the final ship mast were fabricated with no major delays or manufacturing issues. The mast was installed on a barge for signature testing and then installed on the USS Radford for sea trials. The mast remains on the USS Radford today at the request of the crew. The aperture performance enhancements, signature reduction and life cycle cost benefits of this program have proved to be nothing short of a historic milestone for the US Navy. A significant spin-off of this program was the decision by the Navy to include two composite masts on each of the 12 new class LPD17 ships.
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