Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class John Hetherington | 220928-DC740-N-1066 SAN DIEGO (Sept. 28, 2022) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO — Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) and Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific leadership hosted Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III Sept. 28 at NIWC Pacific for a tour of its latest unmanned undersea and surface vehicle capabilities.
NIWC Pacific and its partners briefed the secretary on their innovations, many of which highlighted the Center’s constant collaboration with the warfighter.
“It’s crucial for the Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan that we deliver autonomy and autonomous systems,” NIWC Pacific Executive Director Bill Bonwit said. “The key we have at NIWC Pacific is our technical experts working hand in hand with the warfighters and operators to develop, prototype and evolve those systems quickly. That collaboration gets usable systems into the hands of the warfighter much faster than either team could’ve done by themselves.”
NIWC Pacific scientists and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Group One personnel led discussions with the secretary on NAVWAR’s support to Navy and Marine Corps teams using unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) for underwater reconnaissance and EOD. NIWC Pacific provides technical expertise, test and evaluation support, software development and support, systems engineering, acquisition support, operational implementation, and project leadership to the EOD UUV project.
“The environment we’re operating in is very sophisticated,” Austin said in response to one of the briefs. “We need every piece of collaboration we can get. You all are operating on the cutting edge here, and I challenge you to keep pushing yourselves and keep innovating for the warfighter.”
Surface Development Squadron One Commodore Capt. Shea Thompson and Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley led the tour of Sea Hunter, a medium displacement unmanned surface vehicle capable of long-range autonomous operations. NIWC Pacific provides program support, technology development, and testing and evaluation for Sea Hunter.
“What a great opportunity to demonstrate the power of teaming Sailors and Marines directly with scientists, engineers and program managers to deliver ever-improving warfighting capability at speed,” NAVWAR Commander Rear Adm. Doug Small said in comments after the event.
The tour concluded with a secretary of defense coin presentation recognizing five Sailors: three from NIWC Pacific, one from EOD Mobile Unit One, and one from Surface Development Squadron One. Each received the secretary’s personal challenge coin for their outstanding achievements.
“This country wouldn’t be where it is without you,” Austin said to recipients. “Keep doing what you do.”
NIWC Pacific’s mission is 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.
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2022 20:51 |
| Story ID: | 430312 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 892 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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