The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) has released a brand new Science and Technology Strategy outlining the way it plans to prioritize analysis and speed up the supply of latest applied sciences to the US Navy and Marine Corps.
It goals to enhance how ONR selects analysis tasks, allocates funding, and transitions applied sciences from the laboratory to operational use.
Under the technique, ONR will place larger emphasis on analysis areas the place industrial trade is unlikely to develop options independently, focusing as an alternative on capabilities distinctive to naval operations.
AI is anticipated to speed up scientific discovery and shorten analysis timelines, offered it’s appropriately validated and overseen.
At the identical time, the initiative seeks to hurry the transition of applied sciences from analysis to operational use by requiring clearer transition plans for each program and strengthening coordination with acquisition organizations and operational instructions.
“In this important moment in time, we have embarked on a journey to refine how we do every part of our business — to make transparent what we are solving for, what bets we will place across our portfolio, and how we will measure whether and how they have paid off,” mentioned Chief of Naval Research, Dr. Rachel Riley.
Focus on Faster Technology Transition
A central factor of the technique is a framework referred to as “FEED at Speed.”
It focuses investments on high-impact naval applied sciences and seeks to enhance coordination amongst researchers, army operators, policymakers, trade, and academia.
Success will likely be measured by applied sciences that transition to operational use fairly than remaining laboratory demonstrations.
The technique additionally targets the so-called “Valley of Death,” the hole the place many protection applied sciences fail to progress from profitable prototypes to procurement and fielding.
To tackle this, ONR plans to work extra carefully with acquisition organizations, operational instructions, and private-sector companions, together with by devoted trade engagement occasions.