Addressing an viewers largely composed of science and know-how professionals working with the Division of Protection, Assistant Vice Chief of Naval Analysis Billy Brief exhorted them to take inspiration from celebrated naval officer Rear Adm. William “Deak” Parsons.
In the course of the Thirties and Nineteen Forties, whereas serving as a liaison officer between the Bureau of Ordnance and the Naval Analysis Laboratory, Parsons noticed game-changing potential in two nascent applied sciences that will assist win World Struggle II — radar and proximity fuzes (which might explode shells within the proximity of targets). Regardless of going through bureaucratic criticism, skepticism and resistance, Parsons persevered in shepherding these improvements to the battlefield.
“In the present day, we dwell in an period of speedy technological innovation, the place synthetic intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology will finally change our world,” mentioned Brief. “But we nonetheless encounter the identical resistance to vary that Rear Adm. Parsons confronted many years in the past.
“Innovation requires not solely creativity and technical ability but additionally the braveness to pursue wild goals. Allow us to be like Rear Adm. Parsons and problem the established order, navigate bureaucratic hurdles and champion new applied sciences.”
Brief gave his remarks throughout Trendy Day Marine, held April 30-Could 2 on the Walter E. Washington Conference Heart in Washington, D.C. Trendy Day Marine is the most important navy gear, programs, companies and know-how exposition solely focused to the Marine Corps.
The Workplace of Naval Analysis (ONR) hosted a number of cubicles on the expo, showcasing a number of applied sciences being developed to assist Marines obtain mission success in an more and more complicated navy panorama, together with:
Marine Corps Surf Statement Instrument for Littoral Expeditionary Operations — This device ingests knowledge from varied unmanned programs and sensor feeds and shows them in a format that may be interpreted by customers primarily based on present coaching and techniques, strategies and procedures.
Augmented Reconnaissance and Estimate of the State of affairs (ARES) — ARES is a tactical choice assist created to permit small-unit leaders and commanders to instantly exploit geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) throughout planning processes. ARES evaluates uncooked GEOINT with analytical fashions for helicopter touchdown zone technology, tactical pathfinding and direct-fire battlespace optimization.
Autonomous Casualty Care and Evacuation — This technique, which features a “good stretcher,” is able to repeatedly monitoring an injured individual and offering therapeutic therapy, whereas enabling warfighters to autonomously transport a casualty to a better echelon of care.
A number of ONR audio system gave shows throughout Trendy Day Marine, together with Brief, whose discuss was titled “S&T Ecosystem: Rising Capabilities for the Future Marine Corps.”
Brief mentioned how ONR’s science and know-how (S&T) investments are structured, in addition to highlighted success tales akin to gallium nitride, a strong semiconductor materials utilized in varied digital programs.
He additionally harassed how the partnerships and collaborations fostered by occasions like Trendy Day Marine align with the brand new Naval S&T Technique launched in April by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.
The technique serves as crusing instructions for strengthening collaboration with trade, academia, and companions and allies, to domesticate groundbreaking scientific analysis and speed up supply of technological innovation to the Navy and Marine Corps. It is also a name to service for scientists, engineers, inventors and innovators to work with the Division of the Navy to unravel naval issues. The technique could be considered at https://www.navy.mil/Sources/Strategic-Library/.
“At ONR, we by no means cease researching, inventing and enhancing the way forward for fight functionality,” mentioned Brief. “We work with our warfighters — the true finish prospects of our designs — to speed up our studying with fleet-informed ideas of operation in addition to warfighter suggestions.”
Jason Payne, head of ONR World’s TechSolutions program, additionally spoke to attendees about options his workforce affords to the Navy and Marine Corps. TechSolutions is ONR World’s rapid-response S&T program targeted on producing near-term, low-cost prototype options to issues submitted by Sailors and Marines, sometimes inside 12 months.
“We provide efficient science and know-how options that handle near-term wants and challenges,” mentioned Payne. “This might contain new know-how or present know-how utilized in a brand new, progressive manner. Finally, we give Sailors and Marines an avenue for sharing their concepts for higher programs to make their jobs safer, simpler and simpler.”
Warren Duffie Jr. is a contractor for ONR Company Strategic Communications.
