Scientists and engineers from 4 NAVSEA Warfare Centers Divisions had been amongst these from throughout the Department of War (DoW) showcasing technological advances throughout the 2026 DoW Lab Day at the Pentagon.
Sponsored by the Office of the Undersecretary of War (USW) for Research and Engineering (R&E), the one-day pop-up exhibition in the Pentagon apexes on May 6 introduced collectively organizations from all providers, together with throughout the Navy Research and Development Establishment (NR&DE). The occasion offered a possibility for army members, flag-stage leaders, protection trade companions and representatives from the Office of the USW(R&E), together with USW(R&E) Emil Michael and Dr. Jagadeesh Pamulapati, principal director for Science and Technology Foundations, to have interaction straight with scientists and engineers growing future warfighting capabilities.
“The collaborative ingenuity of the NAVSEA Warfare Centers was on full display at the 2026 DoW Lab Day,” mentioned Deeba Chowdhury, Senior Scientific and Technical Manager (SSTM) for Engineering and Technology for Warfare Centers Headquarters, who attended the occasion. “Showcasing critical technological leaps, our teams from NSWC Crane, Port Hueneme, Dahlgren and Philadelphia proved that when our Warfare Centers collaborate both internally and externally, we accelerate the delivery of vital, next-generation capabilities to the warfighter.”
The first Lab Day was held in 2015 as part of an outreach marketing campaign to tie collectively science and expertise efforts throughout the division’s R&E enterprise. The newest occasion featured greater than 20 displays with applied sciences demonstrated by representatives from the Navy, Army, Air Force and Space Force.
Participating Divisions offered the following summaries of their displays:
Lethal Autonomy at Speed: NSWC Crane Division: Andrew (Andy) Myers, ammunition engineering undertaking analyst, Patrick R. Flannagan, Program Executive Office (PEO) Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS) buyer advocate, and Max Irwin, chief scientist for weapons system growth, represented NSWC Crane Division at Lab Day. Their presentation highlighted the Drone Killer Cartridge (DKC) system and an unmanned system that featured numerous sensor payloads.
These initiatives are examples of the speedy growth groups inside NSWC Crane Division, which work to transition superior science from the laboratory to sensible, urgently wanted naval functions.
“DoW’s Lab Day was an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our relevant technologies that have transitioned to the warfighter,” Flannagan mentioned. “NSWC Crane’s functions put us where we are needed most; we are in the field with the warfighter, coming up with the solutions they need now.”
Drone expertise continues to evolve based mostly on its potential for numerous functions, and DKC offers a prepared countermeasure in opposition to the rising risk of weaponized small unmanned aerial programs (sUAS). It is a value-efficient, U.S. authorities-owned resolution that permits prolonged vary, shotgun-like results for enhanced kinetic response to sUAS. Critically, with the bullet separating into smaller items, collateral injury can also be inherently lowered when in comparison with customary fight ammunition of the identical caliber. This effort displays NSWC Crane Division’s function in growing related, quickly fieldable capabilities that help army readiness and scale back operational danger for ahead-deployed troops.
Augmented Reality Maintenance System (ARMS): The Future of Maintenance: Augmented Reality for Remote Support: NSWC Port Hueneme Division: Capt. Richard Duldulao, NSWC Port Hueneme Division’s Chief Engineer, Mike Confessore, lead software program engineer with Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, and NSWC Port Hueneme Division engineer Fatima Alba and pc scientist Nick Bernstein, members of NSWC Port Hueneme Division’s Augmented Reality Maintenance System (ARMS) workforce, represented ARMS and the NR&DE at Lab Day.
The workforce offered dwell demonstrations and mentioned the system with a joint-service viewers all through the occasion. Team members additionally highlighted the capabilities of the cross-programs instructions workforce behind ARMS and established potential avenues for future cross-service collaboration. ARMS was developed by a workforce led by undertaking supervisor Ryan Bowersock and Confessore at NAWCAD’s Creative Lab in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
In addition to the ARMS workforce, NSWC Port Hueneme Division’s Hugo Ontiveros, an motion officer for Department of the Navy exhibitions supporting the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (DASN) for Research, Development Test and Engineering (RDT&E), additionally attended.
Directed Energy: Next Evolution in Countering Threats: NSWC Dahlgren Division: Representatives from NSWC Dahlgren Division’s Integrated Engagement Systems Department, together with Mick Williams, Alan Overby and Chelsea Duncan-Bumpers participated in the occasion, showcasing directed power capabilities, and mentioned ongoing High Energy Laser (HEL) and High Power Microwave (HPM) efforts. The occasion offered alternatives to have interaction straight with senior DoW management, together with discussions with Pamulapati, concerning HPM and HEL applied sciences.
Discussions centered on the rising function of directed power programs in countering trendy threats such as unmanned programs and coordinated swarm and raid threats. The occasion offered a superb discussion board to coach policymakers on directed power capabilities and deal with questions via direct one-on-one engagement with NSWC Dahlgren Division personnel. Attendees expressed enthusiasm for using directed power to value-successfully counter trendy threats, significantly in a single-on-many engagements.
Magnetic & Acoustic Generation Next Unmanned Superconducting Sweep (MAGNUSS): Autonomous Minesweeping with Advanced Materials: NSWC Philadelphia Division: Engineers Peter Ferrara, Naval Superconducting Technologies Applied Research (N-STAR) workforce lead, and Theresa Vaites, N-STAR technical undertaking supervisor, represented NSWC Philadelphia Division at DoW Lab Day, presenting “Autonomous Minesweeping with Advanced Materials.”
Their poster highlighted the Magnetic & Acoustic Generation Next Unmanned Superconducting Sweep (MAGNUSS) system. MAGNUSS focuses on route or space clearance of magnetic and acoustic affect mines through the use of a compact superconducting electromagnet that matches into the current payload space on unmanned floor automobiles. It is a non-towed payload with the skill to function in shallow or cluttered operational areas, and its efficiency is impartial of salinity or backside kind. The effort displays NSWC Philadelphia Division’s function in growing naval equipment, energy and power applied sciences that help Navy readiness and scale back operational danger for Sailors.
“The DoW event was a good opportunity to interact with the Naval Research and Development Establishment, highlighting new technologies being worked on by Navy labs for the fleet,” Ferrara mentioned.
The occasion at the Pentagon offered NSWC Philadelphia Division with a platform to debate the superconducting and cryogenic expertise behind MAGNUSS and different functions for the Navy. In addition, it gave the N-STAR workforce a possibility to spotlight the command’s technical depth in superconductivity and programs integration. The N-STAR workforce is only one of the groups inside NSWC Philadelphia Division’s Energy Conversion R&D Branch, which works to transition superior science from the laboratory to sensible naval functions.