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The Office of Naval Research Global TechSolutions program recently demonstrated the latest advancement in surf observation (SUROB) technology at the Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

In February 2022, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global and Royal Air Force (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) conducted the first-ever drone flight using synthetic kerosene.

Known as the Layered Laser Defense (LLD), the weapon was designed and built by Lockheed Martin to serve as a multi-domain, multi-platform demonstration system. It can counter unmanned aerial systems and fast-attack boats with a high-power laser—and also use its high-resolution telescope to track in-bound air threats, support combat identification and conduct battle damage assessment of engaged targets.

Can the U.S. Navy’s current force structure model, which has been immensely successful since World War II, remain strong in the face of new threats—or does it require an overhaul? How can the Department of the Navy (DoN) meet future challenges and strengthen its ability to develop and adopt new capabilities?

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global, ONR’s international arm, welcomed new leadership today, as Capt. Andy “Big Tuna” Berner was sworn in as the new ONR Global commanding officer during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Berner takes over for Capt. Matthew Farr. Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus served as presiding officer of the change-of-command ceremony, as well as presenter of awards. “Learning from our partners and allies around the globe is critical to our mission of innovating for the Sailors and Marines we have the privilege of serving,” said Rothenhaus. “Thanks to the partnerships initiated by ONR Global, our Sailors and Marines have access to the latest naval research and development from around the world.” The mission of ONR Global is to strengthen the Department of the Navy’s partnerships with strategic allies around the world. The command’s origins began 80 years ago in London, England, its current headquarters. Through educational outreach, research sponsorships and collaboration with allied fleets/force commands, ONR Global is addressing the current and future needs of Sailors and Marines by cultivating, sponsoring and discovering innovation at home and abroad.

When in Rome, as the saying goes, do as the Romans do. So, when in Britain, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global does what the British do – take tea at least once a month with potential industry partners. Jeffrey Brewer, co-director, ONR Global London Tech Bridge (LTB), said the Tea and Tech engagement is more than just a fun event. Its aim is to find solutions to problems that have been identified by U.S. Navy and Marine personnel or by the Royal Navy. Most of the companies that are invited are based in the U.K., although other European-based companies as well as U.S. companies may be approached. “We meet with several innovative companies in a rapid-fire format,” said Brewer. “Companies have a limited time to make their pitches, and we have subject matter experts from both navies on hand to ask questions and provide feedback. It’s almost a “Shark Tank” format.”

In July 2023, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) partnered with the 144th Airlift Squadron of the Alaska Air National Guard to deploy five different types of weather buoys across more than 1,000 nautical miles of the Arctic Ocean. Such deployments are critical for maintaining the Arctic Observing Network (AON), which provides observations for weather and ice forecasting and related research. “Understanding ocean and weather conditions in the Arctic region is crucial to ensuring safe, effective naval operations in this challenging part of the world,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus. “Exercises like this buoy drop are a testament to the value of strong international scientific partnerships and collaboration, in order to share knowledge, resources and insights.” The buoy air deployment supported the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), a collaborative program comprising more than 32 different research and operational institutions from 10 different countries and four international agencies — including the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR), European Meteorological Network, World Climate Research Programme and World Meteorological Organization.

Gathered in a temporary maritime operations center in Arlington, Virginia, military, industry and political leaders watched multiple satellite images flash onto large monitor screens. These images showed three types of drug-running vessels hundreds of miles away in the Atlantic Ocean — a small, fast, highly maneuverable boat capable of transferring illicit cargo between ships on the high seas; a support ship with a crane for loading and unloading contraband; and a tugboat serving as the recipient ship for smuggling cargo into the U.S. The scenario was part of a larger July 2023 experimentation event designed to emulate drug-smuggling activities in the maritime domain as well as efforts to deter the flow of such contraband. Called the SCOUT Main Experimentation Event, the two-week exercise involved partners such as the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Joint Inter-Agency Task Force-South (JIATF-S), U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), and numerous naval warfare centers and industry and academic partners. Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus, who was one of several ONR leaders at the maritime operations center, said, “I’m truly impressed by the innovation, teaming and analytic rigor you’ve all brought to this exercise. Your pioneering approach is leading the way for us to learn faster with new partners to tackle the hardest operational challenges.”

Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus will moderate a panel of industry leaders at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition, April 8-10, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Assessing surf zone conditions has never been an exact science for the Department of the Navy. That’s about to change thanks to a recent request to TechSolutions, which has resulted in new surf observation (SUROB) technology to make operational forecasts more precise. For the past six months, a team of scientists and engineers from the Naval Research Lab (NRL) and the U.S. Army’s Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) have been developing the technological tools needed to create a more precise surf observation report. In order to gain greater insight into how the surf observation tool may improve warfighter operations, NavalX recently organized a workshop that brought together the science and engineering developers with the Sailors and Marines who would use it. TechSolutions received the request less than a year ago for a technology-driven solution for surf observation from Maj. Zachary Taylor, a technology officer with the Marines’ Warfighting Lab. Within weeks, TechSolutions began working with the development team at NRL and ERDC to come up with a prototype.