Navy demonstrates Transferrable Reload At-sea Method

[Zaphod58]

The US Navy successfully demonstrated the new TRAM (Transferrable Reload At-sea Method) system, showing that it's possible to reload a ship at sea for the first time. The USS Chosin, operating off the coast of San Diego, loaded an empty missile container into the Mk41 VLS system.  The resupply ship USNS Washington Chambers transferred the missile container by cable to Chosin, who then used TRAM to move the container along rails attached to the VLS. They then rotated it vertically, and slid the canister into the tube.

TRAM will significantly reduce the amount of time a ship will be out of combat for reload and resupply. Instead of having to go all the way to a port, and be out of combat for potentially days at a time, a ship can now refuel, resupply, and rearm all at the same time.  The Navy expects to be able to field the first TRAM systems in 2-3 years.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/483031/nav...ing-system

[UltraBudgie]

The US Navy has been reloading ships at sea since WWII.  TRAM is an evolution of STREAM (Standard Tensioned REplenishment Alongside Method) which is an evolution of FAST (Fast Automatic Shuttle Transfer).  Marvin Miller proposed this all the way back in 1986.

More info: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-his...shment-sea

[Zaphod58]

The US Navy has been reloading ships at sea since WWII.  TRAM is an evolution of STREAM (Standard Tensioned REplenishment Alongside Method) which is an evolution of FAST (Fast Automatic Shuttle Transfer).  Marvin Miller proposed this all the way back in 1986.

More info: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-his...shment-sea

Actually, VLS has no capability to reload at sea currently. They can pass ammunition to a VLS capable ship, but they can’t reload the missiles. That’s why this is a big capability leap. They’re reducing the reload time from days to hours.