Naval Research Lab News

IOMAXIS, provider of technologies and mission-focused solutions for the intelligence, defense and civilian government markets, said it has been awarded a seat on an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract valued at up to $245 million to give technological support and assistance to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Through opportunities under this contract, IOMAXIS will provide research, development and technical support to strengthen the NRL’s initiatives in defense, intelligence and security technologies. “We are honored to have this opportunity to work with the Naval Research Laboratory,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of IOMAXIS.

It's a career-defining moment for 36 college and university faculty April 30, as the Department of the Navy announces the recipients of its 2015 Young Investigator Program, one of the oldest and most selective scientific research advancement programs in the country. Collectively, awardees will receive $18.8 million in grants to fund research across a range of naval-relevant science and technology areas. This is a banner year for the program, administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), which increased funding by 50 percent over last year. "These recipients demonstrate the type of visionary, multidisciplinary thought that helps the U.S. Navy anticipate and adapt to a dynamic battlespace," said Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR's director of research.

A new diesel generator simulator has been delivered to Pearl Harbor naval facilities by the TechSolutions program at the Office of Naval Research (ONR), officials at ONR announced March 18. High-fidelity 3D software will allow Sailors to use 50-inch touch screens to see and access all parts of the massive generators aboard Virginia-class subs. The Navy's Virginia-class submarines are among the most technically advanced vessels ever built. But even these cutting-edge, fast-attack, nuclear-powered boats need emergency generators on hand and Sailors trained to operate and repair them. "This will be a big help for the fleet, getting Sailors more training time and providing potentially significant cost savings," said ONR Command Master Chief Jessie Thomas.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert outlined his thoughts Feb. 4 on three science and technology objectives for the Navy and Marine Corps of the future, at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology (S&T) EXPO in Washington, D.C. Speaking before nearly 3,000 attendees from across government, academia and industry, Greenert charged his audience to reduce reliance on gunpowder; increase stamina for underwater unmanned vehicles' power and propulsion systems; and increase focus on cybersecurity. "Number one, you've got to get us off gunpowder," said Greenert, noting that Office of Naval Research-supported weapon programs like Laser Weapon System (LaWS) and the Electromagnetic Railgun are vital to the future force.

Scientists unveiled a firefighting robot prototype Feb. 4 at the Naval Future Force Science & Technology EXPO, revealing details about its successful demonstrations last fall. The Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR), sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), walked across uneven floors, used thermal imaging to identify overheated equipment, and used a hose to extinguish a small fire in a series of experiments Nov. 3-5, 2014 aboard the USS Shadwell, a decommissioned Navy vessel. Developed by researchers at Virginia Tech, the two-legged, or bipedal, humanoid robot is helping ONR evaluate the applications of unmanned systems in damage control and inspections aboard naval vessels…

For the first time ever, the general public will be admitted free to the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO general exhibit hall Feb. 4-5 where they will be able to see the Electromagnetic Railgun, an autonomous swarmboat, a firefighting robot and much more. Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., the EXPO is the Navy's premiere science and technology (S&T) event, held every two years to showcase some of the Navy's latest technologies and bring together the brightest minds from around the world to share information, discuss research opportunities and build S&T partnerships between the Navy, Marine Corps, industry and academia.

Interactive software that can dramatically cut the time it takes to plan safe submarine missions is crossing over to the surface fleet and is being installed this month on the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), officials announced Dec. 16. Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the technology adds speed and precision the process of finding the best routes around hazards in waterways around the world. Sailors spend days or even weeks planning a successful navigation route for a mission. They collect maps and charts, analyze them, double check them and cross reference information that comes in various hard copy and digital forms.

Focus Area Forums, are an initiative of Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, the chief of naval research. The goal: bring together experts and find new and low-cost ways to support Navy and Marine Corps priorities, and advance disruptive technologies for our Sailors and Marines. The first Forum was on unmanned systems. "The lifeblood of scientific research is generating new ideas and sharing information," said Klunder. Nearly 200 participants came to the recent forum from across government…

Transhield, Inc., a manufacturer of high-tech protective covers for commercial and industrial markets, announce that their patented Armordillo protective covers have successfully completed evaluation with the U.S. Navy. The evaluation of Transhield Armordillo advanced protective cover technology occurred over a nine-month period onboard several surface combatants and at the Naval Research Lab. As a result of the evaluation, Naval Sea Systems Command released a message to all Naval…

Navy Researchers Seek to Improve Weather Prediction for Global Operations. With the Atlantic hurricane season officially beginning this month, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is pursuing a number of projects to help Navy forecasters and meteorologists around the world predict storms better. ONR's efforts in funding ocean research are yielding enhanced weather and ocean prediction models-highlighted in a new video-that help Navy leaders understand how to route ships around the globe to avoid storms, reduce fuel consumption, avoid Arctic ice flows and promote safety at sea. "Weather is one of the most significant factors affecting naval operations at sea," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder.

With Sailors and Marines increasingly relying upon networked data and apps, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) demonstrated to Department of the Navy officials how a new suite of information technology tools could improve fleet operations during experiments Dec. 14 in Dahlgren, Va. "We're trying to take our prototypes and have them work in the actual environment they'll have to operate in aboard a ship," said Wayne Perras, the ONR project officer overseeing the two-week experiment at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren. The technology tools are being tested in a special laboratory containing shipboard combat systems and networks. The…

Enlisting the aid of experts from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), a Maryland-based nonprofit rolled out a series of educational science competitions for area middle and high school students Sept. 17. ONR program managers Kurt Yankaskas and Dr. Mike Traweek spoke with youth beside a 12-foot submarine at the Patriots Technology Training Center's (PTTC) back-to-school kickoff at Kenmoor Middle School in Landover, Md. The bright yellow, 300-pound, human-powered vessel dubbed "Sub Taxi"-which was built, designed and engineered by students-drew a steady stream of spectators during the five-hour event. "Some of the attendees were very young, and the excitement on their faces was clear as they took crew positions inside the submarine," said Yankaskas, who volunteered at the event.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) published new guidance Sept. 15, aimed at preventing conflicts of interest among companies competing for business with the science and technology organization. "This new set of guidelines levels the playing field for the contracting community when it comes to doing business with ONR," said Mark Bennington, ONR's executive director for acquisition management. "The new policy is effective immediately and is expected to ensure fair competition for companies selected to perform research and development (R&D) as well as systems engineering and technical assistance or other support services," Bennington said.

1833 - CDR Geisinger of Peacock negotiates first commercial treaty with King of Siam 1922 -USS Jupiter recommissioned as Langley, Navy's first aircraft carrier 1939 - Naval Research Lab recommends financing research program to obtain power from uranium. 2003 - U.S. began Operation Iraqi Freedom by launching cruise missiles from Navy ships in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. (Source: Navy News Service)

The U.S. Coast Guard said that Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and America’s security affairs, will deliver the Oct. 29 keynote address at the Maritime Domain Awareness Day event in New Orleans as part of the 2007 Coast Guard Innovation Expo. Other speakers include the Navy’s senior director for intelligence and the directors of global maritime intelligence integration and global maritime situational awareness and the Coast Guard’s director of maritime domain awareness and project manager for the automatic identification system. Representatives from the Naval Research Lab, the Maritime Administration, and Naval Forces Europe will also make presentations.

Twelve Navy researchers wrappped up a four-day underway period July 9 aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike), during which they conducted research for future improvement on U.S. Navy ships. The team consisted of nine researchers from the Naval Research Lab (NRL) and three from the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The team included electrical engineers, electronics engineers, a chemical engineer, meteorologist, research physicist and research chemist. One ship has been chosen every summer for the past three years for research opportunities and the current one-week underway period on board Ike offered a perfect opportunity for the team to conduct their research. “We are here to meet the challenges of ship improvement,” said ONR escort, Cmdr. David A.

University of New Orleans (UNO) researcher Al Daech is afraid of heights; not a good phobia to have when your research involves space shuttles, fuel tanks, and other, big, space-age equipment. He's been trying to conquer his fears since 1981. That's when his work on corrosion fighting collided with his fear of heights. As a Martin Marietta (now called Lockheed Martin) consultant, Daech found himself on a narrow bit of scaffolding 450 ft. in the air, inspecting one of the external fuel tanks on STS-I Columbia, the first space shuttle. Three days before the launch, a pool table-size blister formed in the external tank of the STS-I. Daech's inspection showed an oily rag wiped across the tank caused the blister. He and a crew immediately went to work.

Every Sailor who has made a deployment to the Persian Gulf can agree on one thing: it's blistering hot. At least two out of every three Navy ship deployments are made to high-temperature areas. Sustained operations in searing weather increase stress on both equipment and crew. To help lessen the load on shipboard cooling systems, NAVSEA's Corrosion Control Division (SEA 03M) is testing a new derivative of the anti-stain paints already being tested by the Navy — an anti-stain paint that also absorbs fewer of the sun's rays. This special characteristic is known as Low Solar Absorption (LSA). This coating incorporates LSA and anti-stain properties into the standard topside paint formulation, and is applied in the same manner as the old paint system.

From the Navy News Service 1833 - Capt. David Geisinger of the sloop Peacock negotiates the first commercial treaty with the King of Siam. 1922 - USS Jupiter is recommissioned as Langley (CV 1), the Navy's first aircraft carrier. 1939 - The Naval Research Lab recommends financing a research program to learn to obtain power from uranium.

1833 - Capt. David Geisinger of the sloop Peacock negotiates the first commercial treaty with the King of Siam. 1922 - USS Jupiter is recommissioned as Langley (CV 1), the Navy's first aircraft carrier. 1939 - The Naval Research Lab recommends financing a research program to learn to obtain power from uranium. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.