NIWC Pacific announces Fleet VI Capture Challenge winners

Courtesy Photo | Image altered to add graphic representation of video recording elements to represent the intent of the Fleet Visual Information (VI) Capture Challenge. The altered image was used to promote the challenge competition on Challenge.gov and social media. (This photo is sized 5x7.) Image source: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6174880/irgcn-vessels-conduct-unsafe-unprofessional-interaction-with-us-naval-forces-arabian-gulf "NORTH ARABIAN GULF (April 15, 2020) Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. Military ships by crossing the ships’ bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. The guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) is conducting joint interoperability operations in support of maritime security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo)"  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

05.06.2021

Story by Jaime Ciciora 

Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific

SAN DIEGO — Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific partnered with the Office of the Navy Chief of Information (CHINFO), U.S. Fleet Forces Command, NavalX & BMNT to award the biggest Challenge.gov prize for the Center to date: $350k total.

The Fleet Visual Information (VI) Capture Challenge asked individual or team submitters, industry, or academia to pitch a solution for U.S. Navy and naval missions: "a standalone solution that can quickly and effectively capture broadcast-quality interactions between US Naval vessels and adversarial units."

Five teams comprised of small and midsize businesses participated in the demonstrations April 12–13, 2021. Judges and primary investigators reviewed scores against challenge criteria before announcing the winners — CACI International Inc., 2nd place winning $100K, and C360 Technologies Inc., 1st place winning $250K — at a virtual award ceremony April 19, 2021.

“The U.S. Navy’s Operational Task (OPTASK) VI is a no-fail mission,” said Brian Boone, Navy VI Activities Program manager at CHINFO. “Unsafe and unprofessional interactions by foreign militaries against our U.S. assets demand that we win the battle of the narrative. In order to counter propaganda and disinformation, video and still photos must show facts and context of the encounter, be cleared for public release, and disseminated as soon as possible.”

For more information on the Fleet VI Capture Challenge please visit the challenge page on the Challenge.gov website at https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/fleet-vi-capture-challenge/. Please contact Jim Fallin, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs director, at [e-mail] or [phone] to request interviews with NIWC Pacific subject matter experts.

NIWC Pacific’s mission: To conduct research, development, engineering, and support of integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, and space systems across all warfighting domains, and to rapidly prototype, conduct test and evaluation, and provide acquisition, installation, and in-service engineering support. https://www.niwcpacific.navy.mil/

• Date Taken: 05.06.2021
• Date Posted: 05.06.2021 21:00
• Story ID: 395864
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US