The Us Naval Research Laboratory News

The U.S. Navy uses unmanned and robotic underwater vehicles for a multitude of functions, including environmental sensing, mine hunting, and salvage. The Navy plans to evolve an unmanned systems operating concept that is platform agnostic and capable of operating in highly complex contested environments with minimal operator interaction.The most recent edition of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Roadmap was issued in 2018, and a new version is expected in the near future. The 2018 document states that UxS will operate in every domain…

A pigment package designed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to slow discoloration of the exterior coating on surface ships has started to make its way into the fleet and is producing early, positive results.NRL researchers created the pigment combination to satisfy the fleet requirement for the Navy standard "haze gray" paint that will remain color stable for longer than current coatings. While many paint manufacturers had produced new coating technologies that solved a variety of other problems…

Florida-based SeaRobotics Corporation, which specializes in small, smart vessels that are remotely or autonomously operated, has completed its factory acceptance testing of its new entry into the autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) workboat market — the SR-Endurance 7.0 meter (22.96′) system.According to a press release from the the innovator behind the HullBUG, a groundbreaking hull cleaning ROV, and the HYCAT, the system is optimized for sonar research through the utilization of an optionally manned helm configuration and a serial diesel electric propulsion system.Outfitted with an instrumented launch and recovery system (LARS), and supporting hydrographic winch system…

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.

The Electrolytic Cation Exchange Module (E-CEM), developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), provides the Navy the capability to produce raw materials necessary to develop synthetic fuel stock at sea or in remote locations. The NRL, Material Science and Technology Division, has been granted the first U.S. patent for a method to simultaneously extract carbon dioxide and hydrogen from seawater. This single process provides all the raw materials necessary for the production of synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

A Blyth Workcat patrol boat nearing completion for the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries Conservation Area (KEIFCA) has become the first vessel in the UK to be treated with Duplex fouling release. The silicone coating is manufactured by Fuji Smart Surfaces and was chosen by KEIFCA for its new 17-metre boat, the FPV Nerissa, because it is able to prevent the adhesion of fouling without the use of toxins that would be harmful to the fisheries. It also provides the benefit of a long lifespan that eliminates the need for the boat to be regularly hoisted-out for fresh coats of antifouling to be applied. This saving in operational costs will…

Small orbital debris objects can threaten vital space-based assets. The Navy's patented compact debris detection device can detect debris in near real-time and provide essential trajectory data for future use. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Geospace Science and Technology Branch, received U.S. patent (#8976245), March 10, for the Optical Orbital Debris Spotter - a compact, low power, low cost, local space debris detection concept that can be integrated into larger satellite designs, or flown independently on-board nano-satellite platforms. Man-made debris orbiting the Earth continues to increase at an alarming rate - with objects smaller than one centimeter (cm) exceeding 100 million.

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) along with Mercury Continuity (MC) have demonstrated the Tactical Reachback Extended Communications (TREC) system in the port of Miami. The NRL-developed communications technology, which provides a very high data rate transmission over long ranges, was tested as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with MC and Intelligent Designs, LLC. The full-duplex connection was set up between a node on top of a 760-foot-tall building near the harbor and another on board the vessel Norwegian Sky…

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR), partner in the Navy's Damage Control for the 21st Century project (DC-21), recently hosted robotics research teams from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to demonstrate the most current developments of advanced autonomous systems to assist in discovery, control, and damage control of incipient fires. Fighting fires…

Dr. Jason Jolliff is an oceanographer with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). "The emphasis here," he says, "is on developing models of the ocean environment to help the naval warfighter." His most recent paper, published in Ocean Modeling (March 2014), shows NRL can also forecast where oil will go following a major spill. "If you're going to do forecasting," he says, "you have to get the ocean circulation correct. It's fundamental to all else." Jolliff plugged the distribution…

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) & the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) within the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have entered into a formal agreement that results in NCEP using Navy developed global ocean forecast model technology to make environmental ocean forecasts for public use. “Development of an advanced global ocean prediction system has been a long-term Navy interest,” said Dr. Gregg Jacobs, head, NRL Ocean Dynamics and Prediction Branch.

An all-electric, fuel cell-powered, unmanned aerial system (UAS) aircraft has been successfully launched from the submerged 'USS Providence' (SSN 719) & flew a several hour mission demonstrating live video capabilities streamed back to the submarine, surface support vessels and Norfolk base before landing at the Naval Sea Systems Command Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), Andros, Bahamas. From concept to fleet demonstration, the Navy says this idea took less than six years to produce in a collaboration between the U.S.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is developing the chemistry for producing jet fuel from renewable resources. Refueling U.S. Navy vessels, at sea and underway, is a costly endeavor in terms of logistics, time, fiscal constraints and threats to national security and sailors at sea. In Fiscal Year 2011, the U.S. Navy Military Sea Lift Command, the primary supplier of fuel and oil to the U.S. Navy fleet, delivered nearly 600 million gallons of fuel to Navy vessels underway, operating 15 fleet replenishment oilers around the globe.

Saltwater is the ever-present, costly enemy of Navy ships – a major cause of corrosion. A new weapon in the anti-corrosion arsenal, Sherwin-Williams Polysiloxane XLE-80 HAPS Free, was showcased at Mega Rust 2011, held June 6-9 in Norfolk, Va. A Navy project using the coating was reported on during the presentation, “Time & Cost Savings Associated with the Application of MIL-PRF-24635 Type V Polysiloxane to the Freeboard of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6),” delivered by Gordon Kuljian, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Consultant; Paul Slebodnick, U.S.

OceanServer Technology announced that it has received purchase orders for 12 new Iver2 AUVs from seven different customers during the last two months. Vehicle orders span four different defense related applications with the majority of these vehicles going to overseas customers. Research related vehicles will be delivered to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), University of Michigan, YSI Environmental and the US Naval Research Laboratory. The University of Michigan will be taking delivery of their third Iver2 AUV…