When requested in regards to the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) position in the event of autonomous and unmanned programs, Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Dr. Rachel Riley highlighted some of the command’s most profitable investments: REMUS underwater automobiles in the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, swarmboats in 2014, LOCUST aerial automobiles in 2015, and the Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk floor automobiles in 2017.
“I don’t say all this to brag but rather to let you all see really great examples of how ONR does its mission,” mentioned Riley. “We begin with fundamental analysis and companion with business to coach them on what the Navy and Marine Corps want in phrases of readiness and lethality.
“As technologists, we’re futurists,” she continued. “That gives us a unique opportunity to share a slightly different demand signal than some of our partner organizations. We not only think about near-term capabilities but also the naval needs of the future. We think in decades.”
Riley gave her remarks throughout an April 21 panel dialogue held on the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Exposition on the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
Titled “From Concept to Capability: Aligning Autonomy Across our Maritime Forces,” the panel explored how autonomous programs are redefining maritime operations — significantly joint integration efforts, operational synergy and coverage alignment throughout navy providers.
Moderated by Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute, the panel’s audio system included:
- Anthony Antognoli, assistant commandant and program government officer for Robotics and Autonomous Systems, U.S. Coast Guard
- Nicholas Bergeron, deputy director, Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS)
- U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Dustin J. Byrum, vice chief of naval analysis (VCNR)
- Duane Fotheringham, president of Unmanned Systems at HII-Mission Technologies
- U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, director, Joint Interagency Task Force 401
The panel lined numerous subjects concerning autonomous and unmanned programs, together with extra streamlined and standardized testing and analysis, tips on how to higher incorporate warfighter suggestions in the event course of, and shortening the time wanted to get software program approvals and authorizations.
Riley pressured ONR’s dedication to rising its partnerships with business. She highlighted the command’s current announcement about its upcoming collection of Innovation Industry Days (I2D), that are designed to advertise collaboration with business and highlight the Navy and Marine Corps’ most urgent analysis wants. The first I2D will happen on Thursday, May 14.
“We’re going to brief out ONR’s 11 S&T [science and technology] focus areas,” she mentioned. “This involves the technology that we believe the Navy and Marine Corps will need in the next 15 years. We hope to encourage greater industry investment as well as educate our own folks about capabilities that could be well served by industry.”
VCNR Byrum, who additionally serves as commanding normal of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL), echoed Riley’s endorsement of larger collaboration with business.
“At MCWL, we look at the future operating environment and what equipment and technologies Marines will need to succeed,” he mentioned. “When we discover that know-how, we place it in the fingers of Marines to allow them to take a look at it and even break it — then we work out tips on how to repair it and make it higher.
“A crucial part of this involves working with industry, which plays an important role in helping us move at speed and at scale, so our adversaries always have a bad day.”
The CNR’s and VCNR’s panel participation was only one side of ONR’s presence at SAS. To strengthen collaboration with business, whereas enhancing warfighter readiness and lethality, ONR — to incorporate the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and ONR’s worldwide arm, ONR Global — hosted an exhibit on the occasion.
The exhibit featured ONR- and NRL-sponsored applied sciences, interactive shows and informational supplies. In addition, ONR, NRL and ONR Global program officers and different personnel engaged with business, authorities and navy leaders to debate methods to advance slicing-edge S&T capabilities to the Fleet and Force.
In addition to the CNR and VCNR, different ONR and NRL leaders participated in panel discussions:
- On Monday, April 20, Capt. Randy C. Cruz, NRL commanding officer, gave a presentation titled “Naval Research: From Discovery to Deployment, Delivering Science and Technology for Naval Dominance.” He highlighted how NRL is a scientific and engineering command devoted to analysis that drives modern advances for the Navy and Marine Corps, from the seafloor to house and in the knowledge area.
- On Tuesday, April 21, ONR Mission Support Director Arveice Washington, SES, moderated a panel titled “Doing Biz with ONR and NRL,” which featured Naval SBIR/STTR Director Brian Shipley, ONR Small Business Director Andrew Chappell, ONR Contracting Director Jamie Thompson and NRL Technology Transfer Director Kerry Leonard. The panel mentioned numerous mechanisms, similar to licensing agreements and contracts, for collaborating with the broader scientific neighborhood, inside and outdoors of the federal authorities.
Hosted by the Navy League of the United States, Sea-Air-Space is the premier maritime exposition for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and protection business. With 16,000 attendees and 297 senior federal executives and flag officers, the convention brings collectively senior navy management, authorities determination makers, business companions and analysis establishments to showcase rising applied sciences, talk about operational challenges and spotlight priorities throughout naval warfare domains.