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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.

The international science challenge launched by the Office of Naval Research Global selects four teams with revolutionary concepts.

In a first-of-its-kind transatlantic hybrid event, the Royal Navy and U.S. Navy recently converged at His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth and Downtown Norfolk, Virginia, to explore how cutting-edge computer vision technologies can revolutionize the maintenance and sustainment of platforms across air, land, and maritime domains, bolstering overall warfighting capabilities.

The U.S. Office of Naval Research Global (ONR Global), in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Singapore, is proud to announce the launch of the GlobalX Innovation Joint Challenge: AI for Advancing Maritime Security. This nine-month international science challenge offers significant research partnerships to encourage groundbreaking research from around the world.

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.

I recently heard a lecture claiming that 90 percent of the scientists our planet has ever hosted are still working in science today. That is a remarkable number.

As the lead of curriculum for the Naval Aviation Maintenance Center for Excellence Training (NAMCE-T) unit at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), Point Mugu, California, Master Chief Avionics Technician Andrew Karsten wanted to give his students more than just PowerPoint instruction. He wanted them to get a feel for the parts of the plane they were going to be tasked with repairing – the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. However, obtaining parts for that hands-on experience was going to be a challenge. Karsten reached out to TechSolutions and asked, if there was a way to potentially obtain a 3D printer or connect him to somebody who could provide 3D printing services. TechSolutions is the Department of the Navy’s (DoN) rapid response program that addresses warfighter needs by quickly developing science and technology-driven solutions. Although the request was out of scope for the program, which does not facilitate getting commercially available products, TechSolutions took immediate action to help. Dr. Scott Steward, then-deputy director of TechSolutions, connected with colleagues in their network to find someone who may be able to support the warfighter’s request. Sailors and Marines interested in learning more about TechSolutions may email the team at ONR_TechSolutions@navy.mil.

A research project from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global is providing valuable information about the effects of melting glaciers in Patagonia that feed into coastal fjords, transporting sediments, freshwater and nutrients. Dr. Chris Konek, science director at ONR Global in Chile, said the research will help the Department of the Navy (DoN) understand the effects of a changing climate on the coastal environment. “That’s the kind of the thing the Marines need to be able to handle,” he said. “It’s basic research and so it will help provide a fundamental understanding of this aspect of coastal systems where you can expect more things like this to happen in the future – more glacial melting as opposed to less.” Cristian Escauriaza, professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, is the principal investigator along with his university colleague, Megan Williams. They are working with the Filantropía Cortés-Solari, a conservation organization that owns and manages the Melimoyu Elemental Reserve in northern Patagonia. Patagonia is largely remote with a diverse ecosystem and a rich array of wildlife, including penguins and blue whales. Konek said ONR Global is interested in Escauriaza’s project for its potential to inform what’s happening to that ecosystem, which can also help inform what’s happening to other coastal regions experiencing the same challenges.

In the world of science and technology (S&T), getting a new product to warfighters in less than five years is nearly unheard of—unless you are talking about the TechSolutions program, which puts newly developed prototypes into warfighters’ hands in 12 months or less.

Scientific collaboration was front and center as Capt. James Borghardt, commanding officer of the Office of Naval Research Global, officially inaugurated a new location in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 6.