ARLINGTON, Va.—Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Mat Winter will unveil an update of the Naval Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy on Feb. 4 at the Naval Future Force S&T EXPO at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., officials announced Jan. 21.
The strategy guides Navy and Marine Corp research efforts that lead to breakthrough technologies for Sailors and Marines. Winter will offer his insights for the first time since taking the helm at the Office of Naval Research on Dec. 31, 2014. (See press briefing details below.)
Free to the media, the EXPO also will feature for the first time a panel discussion bringing together science and technology chiefs from the Navy, Air Force, Army and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In addition, Winter will moderate a panel featuring Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition; Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., assistant commandant of the Marine Corps; and Adm. Michelle Howard, vice chief of naval operations.
Other confirmed EXPO speakers include Dr. Pat Falcone, associate director for national security and international affairs, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations; Dr. Robert Ballard, famed oceanographer and discoverer of the Titanic; Dr. William Phillips, 1997 Nobel Prize winner for physics; and more. (See the complete agenda.)
ONR subject-matter experts will be speaking in special breakout sessions on topics ranging from directed energy to robotics.
The exhibit hall, sponsored by the American Society of Naval Engineers, will feature a range of state-of-the-art technologies, including:
- The Electromagnetic Railgun, a weapon that uses electricity to launch projectiles at six times the speed of sound
- Shipboard Autonomous Fire-Fighting Robot (SAFFiR), a bipedal humanoid robot designed to assist Sailors in the location and suppression of fires on board naval vessels
- An autonomous swarmboat used in recent demonstrations of unmanned boat operations
- Optical scans of the outer ear and 3-D-printed, custom molded ear plugs produced on site
- CQ-10B helicopter, an affordable and lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle capable of transporting up to 500 pounds of cargo
- An autonomous flying-wing underwater glider whose design allows for long-range persistent surveillance
The EXPO, formerly known as the Science & Technology Partnership Conference, is designed to open access to naval leadership and technology principals who will provide updates on the status of key programs and share new research opportunities. Participants will have multiple opportunities for two-way dialogue on science and technology requirements, challenges and new opportunities in key focus areas to the Navy.
For continuous updates on confirmed speakers, live demonstrations and tech talks, follow the Office of Naval Research on Facebook and Twitter, #NavyTechEXPO.
Media Access:
Members of the media are encouraged to register in advance to attend the chief of naval research's press briefing on the updated Naval S&T Strategy.
- Date and time of briefing: Feb. 4; 9:45-10:15 a.m. EST
- Location: Press/Media Room 305, located on the third floor of the convention center
- Access: Press briefing open only to registered media