Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Alexander Hess, from Ft. Wayne, Ind., stands watch in the combat information center aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65). US Navy Photo
After seeing how effective it is for an information warfare commander to operate within a carrier strike group, the Navy will now experiment with placing an IWC in its Maritime Operations Centers. Read More
The Forge software factory was set up in Riverdale, Md. — just off the University of Maryland College Park campus — in March 2021 to begin using a rapid software development and testing approach to bring maintenance fixes and new capabilities to the fleet. USNI News photo.
RIVERDALE, Md. – The Navy’s potential enemies are quickly increasing the size and sophistication of their fleets, which means the Navy needs to move faster too in bringing in new capabilities. Read More
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) transits the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 18, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to clarify remarks made by Rear Adm. Doug Small.
The Navy envisions a future fleet with manned and unmanned ships, submarines and aircraft operating in a dispersed manner and collecting a ton of data to fill in a common operating picture – which operational commanders could then use to, if ever needed, have the best sensor platform send targeting data to the best shooter to attack an enemy. That entire vision, though, would require a robust network that could withstand an enemy cyberattack; that could have enough bandwidth to manage video, voice, and targeting data coming and going; and could present a huge amount of data in a visual way that helps commanders make quick and good decisions. Read More
Medium displacement unmanned surface vehicle (MDUSV) prototype Sea Hunter is moored onboard Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. US Navy Photo
A longstanding slogan for the best use of unmanned systems is to perform “dull, dirty and dangerous” missions instead of humans. Read More
An F-35C Lightning II assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Dec. 8, 2018. US Navy Photo
The Navy’s plans to test a Battle Management Aid on one of its aircraft carriers, as the service pursues a tactical data network to link up its sensors and weapons. Read More
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) Sailors Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Salvatore Green, left, and Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class Jake Price prepare the MC-8C Fire Scout to launch from the Independence variant littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) on June 21, 2018. VX-1 Sailors embarked Coronado to conduct the first comprehensive Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout, the Navy’s newest unmanned helicopter. US Navy photo.
As the Navy secretariat and the chief of naval operations’ staff continue to map out how unmanned platforms would contribute to distributed maritime operations, the value of a good network – including one that can be accessed by the joint force and allies – is becoming more and more apparent. Read More
