Focus Areas

Program 38 Activities are aligned to organizations, functions, or liaison. Focus areas generally support one major customer in the Naval Research Establishment, although in some cases one Focus Area Coordinator (FAC) may manage several related customer relationships. The present focus areas are:

Improvised Explosive Device (IED):

The improvised explosive device focus area coordinator(s) supports high-priority S&T efforts that draw on the unique capabilities of Program 38 personnel to support projects intended to counter the use of IEDs by insurgents against U.S. and coalition forces. This effort is the top science and technology priority for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Naval Research Labotory, and consequently has the highest priority for Program 38 personnel and resources.

Urban Asymmetric Operations (UAO):

The urban asymmetric operations focus area coordinator(s) supports high-priority science and technology efforts that draw on the unique capabilities of Program 38 personnel to enhance the warfighting and force protection capabilities of operat-ing forces in urban environments against non-traditional enemy forces. This requires close coordination with ONR Code 30 and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Va,

Future Naval Capabilities (FNC):

The focus area coordinator(s) supports high-priority science and technology projects by drawing on the unique capabilities of Program 38 personnel to support ONR projects projected to transition to an operational environment. Specifically:

  • Future Naval Capabilities are explicitly identified ONR science and technology projects planned to transition to an ac-quisition program of record managed by a systems command (i.e., NAVSEA, NAVAIR, or SPAWAR).
  • ACTDs are joint projects with combatant commander sponsorship and Office of the Secretary of Defense funding to meet emergent operational requirements within four years. ONR participation in ACTDs can vary dramatically from supplying a small piece of tech-nology to acting as ACTD technical manager for the entire effort.
  • The Rapid Technology Transition Program at ONR, which is designed to identify commercially available technology with military applications that can be fielded within 2 years.

Sea Trial

One of the six components of Sea Power 21, the mission is to assess the potential of new technologies to transform war fighting through:

  • Participation in the planning, execution and analysis of operational experiments, technology demonstrations, and war games that are of high interest to the ONR and NRL.
  • Participation in Warfare Innovation Development Teams at the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) in Newport, R.I.

Fleet Assessment ⁄ Test Evaluation

Performing rapid formal evaluations of new technology through:

  • Planning and coordination of development and operational testing for Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Code N912, Arlington, Va.
  • Participation in the planning, execution, and analysis of operational test and evaluation activities by Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR), Norfolk, Va.

Joint S&T ⁄ Air Force Research Laboratory

Coordinates inter-service S&T Reserve Component support for high-priority projects, including support by members of other reserve components for ONR and NRL projects and support by members of Program 38 for Navy-Marine Corps S&T projects as well as collaborative efforts with other services, including:

  • Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington D.C.
  • Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL), Quantico, Va.
  • First Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
  • Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Dayton, Ohio
  • Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), Washington, D.C.
  • Coast Guard Research and Development Center, Groton, Conn.

Unmanned Vehicles

Provides support for independent and multi-unit projects involving the research and development of unmanned vehicles. Current projects include:

  • Silver Fox Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
  • Surveillance Targeting Acquisition Network (STAN) experiments at Camp Roberts, CA which involve multiple UVs networked together

Maritime Domain Awareness

Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is defined as "the effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime environment that could adversely impact the security, safety, economy or envi-ronment of the United States". The MDA focus area coordinator(s) supports high-priority S&T efforts that draw on the unique capabilities of Program 38 personnel to increase awareness of the global maritime environment to enhance homeland security and the security of US operat-ing forces.

Innovative Naval Prototypes

This focus area coordinator(s) supports high-priority science and technology efforts that draw on the unique capabilities of Program 38 personnel to support ONR projects identified as Innovative Naval Prototypes (INPs). These higher risk, potentially high payoff projects can be "game changers" in the area of naval warfare. Current INPs include the electromagnetic railgun and tactical satellite programs.

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