The Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program has conducted its first capability demonstration for the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC).
The Stiletto is a unique, maritime demonstration craft developed by the Defense Department to test littoral warfare concepts. Engineers and technicians with specialized expertise in maritime technology from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock's Norfolk detachment maintain and operate the 88-foot-long, composite-bodied, m-shaped vessel.
"For this demonstration, NECC was assessing unmanned systems, solid-state radar systems, infrared, 360-degree awareness sensors, full-motion video systems, and command and control displays. So while our smaller craft simulated small boat threats, NECC sailors tracked items of interest from the Stiletto's Command Information Center, or CIC," said Rob Tutton, NSWC Carderock engineer and Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program manager. "Stiletto's CIC has six shock-mitigating seats, each outfitted with system controls and two flat screen monitors. Because these stations are easily reconfigurable, each day a new set of integrated sensors was installed and observed."
The program, designed to help accelerate the delivery of innovative maritime technologies across all of the armed services, provided NECC sailors an opportunity to observe new technologies developed by industry in a realistic maritime environment. The program also provided the 15 participating industry partners an opportunity to receive immediate end-user feedback toward increasing technology readiness levels.
"Warfighting needs are rapidly changing, and our interest is in looking at mature technologies and future capabilities that could be transitioned to fill an operational need sooner than later," said Dale Shiflett, NECC's deputy assistant chief of staff for strategy and technology. "Using the Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program allowed us to look at the realm of possibilities for new and improved technologies. What better way to do that, than to have both the warfighter and the system developers in the same environment using the systems and having discussions on how it could work better."
The second capability demonstration will be held in April for the United Kingdom Defense Science and Technology Laboratory.