Release Date: 2/16/2009

 

Cribbins Award recognizes innovative technology refreshment program that saves millions and promotes sustainability

 

Major General James Myles stands with Battelle's Ken Noland, Dean Ertwine, and Bill Suchting after accepting the Joseph P. Cribbins award

Columbus, OH--Battelle accepted the 2008 Army Aviation Materiel Readiness Award for Contribution by a Major Contractor at a ceremony during the 35th Annual Joseph P. Cribbins Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama Feb. 11.

The Cribbins Symposium, hosted by the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Army Aviation Association of America, is a gathering of senior leaders and stakeholders in the Army Aviation community to share thoughts on the future of Army Aviation logistics. The participants focus specifically on acquisition, logistics and technology challenges as government and industry partners balance aviation sustainment and modernization in support of an Army at war.

Battelle’s award-winning continuous technology refreshment program was cited as a solution to some of the key challenges facing the Army Aviation community today. The Battelle program supports the U.S Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) in improving readiness through obsolescence solutions for aging platforms such as the UH60 Black Hawk helicopter.  In essence, Battelle develops modernized electronic replacement parts, with the same form, fit and function as the aging and increasingly unreliable legacy parts, which were designed decades ago.

As teammates with AMCOM, Battelle and its industry partner, Tyonek Fabrication Company, use current electronics technologies and innovative business practices in updating aging components to improve fleet readiness and enable life-cycle cost control. The reduced cost and increased readiness on just a few technology-refreshed parts will save the Army hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade, and will put more reliable and capable equipment in the hands of Army warfighters. The program is now expanding to improve the readiness of several other legacy Army weapons systems.

Joseph P. Cribbins was a decorated army aviator who served in World War II and the Korean War. For more than two decades he served on the Army staff as the focal point on all matters pertaining to aviation logistics policy, plans and procedures with the other armed services, the Department of Defense, Congress and the civilian aviation industry.

“There is no individual who has had as much influence and longtime impact on Army Aviation logistics as Joseph P. Cribbins and we’re proud to accept this award in his name,” said Brigadier Gen. (Ret.) Dean Ertwine, Vice President for Battelle’s Army sector. “We believe this technology refreshment program fulfills Mr. Cribbins’ vision of innovative approaches to improve aviation materiel readiness.”

Battelle is the world’s largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its four global businesses:  Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences.  It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $4.6 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization.  Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Battelle also is one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education.

Media contacts: Katy Delaney, 410-306-8638, delaneyk@battelle.org or T.R. Massey, 614-424-5544, masseytr@battelle.org.