Japanese Martime Staff Office Present NSWC PCD with Plaque

Japanese Maritime Staff Office (MSO) Engineering Division Capt. Tetsuji Yamaoka presents Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Commanding Officer Capt. Phillip Dawson III, USN, with a plaque of appreciation March 12, 2014 in Panama City, Fla. Yamaoka, and MSO Systems Programs Division Cmdr. Atsushi Yanagita, far left, accompanied Yamaoka on the visit. NSWC PCD presently provides Foreign Military Sales support to the Japanese Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) fleet, to include Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) upgrades, air conditioners and deep skirts for Japanese LCACs currently located in Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding’s shipyard in Tamano, Japan. The visit strengthened the U.S. – Japan LCAC relationship as NSWC PCD not only exhibited capabilities as a whole, but specifically demonstrated technical capabilities the Division provides for LCAC’s maintenance, modification, repair, upgrade, and testing. All of these life-cycle services are instrumental for the readiness of this important Fleet asset.

Photo by Jacqui Barker, NSWC PCD