DVIDS – News – NSWC Dahlgren Chief Technology Officer Cites Naval Innovative Science Engineering Portfolio as ‘Outstanding Work’

DAHLGREN, Va. – Regardless of the general challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientists and engineers executing the Naval Floor Warfare Middle Dahlgren Division’s (NSWCDD) Naval Modern Science and Engineering (NISE) portfolio had been capable of proceed their analysis and growth tasks and ship the modern work they’re recognized for over the course of 2020.

The 12 months culminated in a poster session for all of the NISE tasks, lately held nearly on the division the place presenters had been capable of focus on their tasks and take questions from attendees. Though many presenters missed the hands-on points of demonstrating a bit of apparatus, all agreed the displays and digital demonstrations had been the most effective consequence given the circumstances. “Our NISE investments resulted in capabilities designed to keep up maritime superiority, together with innovative discoveries in synthetic intelligence and machine studying. We additionally efficiently moved lots of our capabilities to expertise readiness degree 6 or increased, offering alternatives to speed up functionality transition to the fleet,” mentioned NSWCDD Technical Director John Fiore. “Most significantly, NISE enabled the coaching of our workforce in crucial expertise areas enhancing the Navy’s core warfighting benefits.”

“I’m extraordinarily happy with the excellent work our scientists and engineers achieved this 12 months. However the challenges introduced by COVID-19, lots of our technologists exceeded their FY20 objectives in areas resembling collaboration, expertise transition, workforce growth, and invention disclosures,” mentioned NSWCDD Chief Know-how Officer Jennifer Clift.

The strategic worth of the NISE program is confirmed by the accomplishments of principal investigators who lead efforts in 4 fundamental areas: primary and utilized analysis, workforce growth, revitalization and recapitalization, and expertise transition to straight assist the warfighter, based on Clift. The NISE program was established within the Duncan-Hunter Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) in 2009 as a mechanism for protection laboratory technical administrators to make use of 2 to 4 % of reimbursable funding for the 4 fundamental areas. The main focus of this occasion was primary and utilized analysis, mentioned Clift. “These tasks maintain and develop the Navy’s technical capabilities and put together for future wants by enabling authorities researchers to develop options to complicated issues whereas growing the talents vital to keep up the slicing fringe of technological development,” she mentioned.

A measure of success for the NISE program is the expertise transition to a program of file, the place the Navy can make the most of the expertise to straight profit the warfighter, based on Melanie Lunney, NSWCDD NISE lead. Lunney mentioned this previous 12 months included many important expertise transitions, together with the Superior Doctrine Visualizations for Aegis Fight System (ADVACS) challenge led by Megan Kozub, software program lead within the NSWCDD Built-in Fight Methods Division. This technique helps the warfighter with higher planning, coordination and execution by automated visualizations of superior doctrine ideas for improved operational efficiency. Variations of the challenge had been put in on the USS Monterey (CG-61) as a part of the Virtualization Pilot Ship (VPS) throughout 2020 and are being integrated as a part of the Navy’s Aegis Coaching Readiness Middle (ATRC) coaching capabilities and curriculum.

Clift added the collaboration with trade, academia or different authorities companies is usually key to elevating the extent of success a NISE challenge achieves by uniting the most effective expertise with the fitting folks to develop a product helpful to the warfighter. For instance, Dahlgren’s Augmented Actuality (AR) Bridge Navigation Seamanship Coach developed what’s referred to as the Superior Navigation Staff Shipboard Simulation (ANTS2). The ANTS2 leveraged AR, digital actuality, and safe wi-fi capabilities to mature these capabilities to assist floor ship unit-level coaching. The system offers the ship’s bridge and lookout groups a completely immersive visible coaching atmosphere, onboard their precise ship, and integrates with the remainder of the scenario-based simulation. Clift mentioned this program was a real collaboration with the Navy Steady Coaching Setting, the Workplace of Naval Analysis (ONR), Program Govt Workplace Built-in Warfare Methods (PEO IWS), in addition to non-public trade companions Aurora Corp. of America (ACA), Huntington Ingalls Industries, Stereolabs, Alion, Varjo, and HPi Federal LLC. This expertise is at present deliberate to transition to be used by the Navy Steady Coaching Setting, PEO IWS, and the Navy’s Naval Schooling and Coaching Command, based on Clift.

NSWCDD additionally made a number of inner investments to switch present techniques to supply further capabilities to the fleet, mentioned Clift, resembling bettering present floor weapon techniques which permit for enhancements at minimal price. Particularly, efforts to evaluate hypervelocity projectile lethality and effectiveness in opposition to new floor and air threats brings potential new capabilities to the present floor gun techniques. Choices to enhance hearth management options and examine seeker choices for improved efficiency had been additionally analyzed in fiscal 2020. Lastly, the necessity to present in-flight updates tremendously improves weapon system efficiency in opposition to dynamic targets. NSWCDD developed a hearth management structure idea to discover elevated projectile functionality with out important modification to present hypervelocity projectiles. Plans for an illustration will proceed into fiscal 2021. NSWCDD additionally has demonstrations deliberate for floor engagements with present gun techniques in opposition to new targets to supply further offensive and defensive capabilities to the fleet.

The Knowledge Hyperlink Assisted Navigation (DLAN) Maturation NISE challenge led by John Fraysse, Jr., an aerospace engineer with the division, offers an instance of a profitable demonstration occasion geared toward satisfying Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) goals. This multi-year challenge sought to show a miniature, low-cost expertise for semi-active Radio Frequency steering, fuzing and communications; with its preliminary concentrate on guided projectiles. The near-term want for DLAN was developed to assist gun system enhancements, which elevated gun system effectiveness. NISE investments enabled the event of a low-cost DLAN sensor able to offering this efficiency to a guided projectile with out a projectile redesign, saving the Navy’s eight-year funding on this strong multi-mission guided projectile.

Lunney added different main accomplishments showcased on the Finish of 12 months NISE Poster Session additionally included 5 patent disclosure functions together with the quantum gyroscope challenge, led by Garrett Josemans, quantum physicist within the NSWCDD Electromagnetic and Sensor Methods Division, which resulted in an utility for a patent based mostly on developments in weak worth amplification. Within the class of Know-how Transition, Gunendran Sivapragasam, expertise system security lead within the NSWCDDD Readiness and Coaching Methods Division, and Andrew Simpson, electrical engineer within the NSWCDD Electromagnetic and Sensor Methods Division, submitted a patent utility for a standard firing circuit for laser weapons, and Timothy Peng, senior mechanical engineer within the NSWCDD Gun and Electrical Weapon Methods Division, developed an improved mounting technique for gun rotors, which resulted in an utility for a patent in July 2020. Dr. David Hubble, mechanical engineer within the NSWCDD Gun and Electrical Weapon Methods Division, submitted a patent utility for discoveries in excessive power laser check instrumentation and Dr. Terry Foreman, principal engineer within the NSWCDD Electromagnetic and Sensor Methods Division, submitted a patent utility within the space of sensor techniques. Clift mentioned these technical achievements are milestones for Dahlgren, and show the innovation of the Dahlgren workforce.

The NISE program additionally supported 10 staff pursuing superior levels in fiscal 2020, based on Lunney. Two staff acquired their doctorate levels by the NISE fellowship program, a workforce growth effort which funds full-time doctoral analysis in areas of research and matters crucial to Dahlgren technical capabilities. Dr. Eric Stacy, physicist at NSWCDD, centered his work on attaining an understanding of ion transport mechanisms in polymer electrolytes, which has a major technological influence throughout the area resulting in improved battery expertise for weapons techniques. Dr. Jose Diaz-Santos, electrical engineer within the NSWCDD Electromagnetic and Sensor Methods Division, acquired his doctoral diploma in engineering for his work in supply enumeration utilizing giant arrays in coloured noise when environmental circumstances change.

As well as, Lunney mentioned a complete of 13 tasks, supported revitalization and recapitalization tasks to make sure Dahlgren has the laboratories and state-of-the-art gear vital to answer present and future challenges in directed power, quantum computing, speedy prototyping, sensor techniques, and autonomous techniques.

“It was an impressive 12 months for NSWCDD’s NISE program,” added Clift. “We’re wanting ahead to 2021.”