When asked about the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) role in the development of autonomous and unmanned systems, Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Dr. Rachel Riley highlighted some of the command’s most successful investments: REMUS underwater vehicles in the 1990s and early 2000s, swarmboats in 2014, LOCUST aerial vehicles in 2015, and the Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk surface vehicles in 2017.
“I don’t say all this to brag but rather to let you all see really great examples of how ONR does its mission,” said Riley. “We start with basic research and partner with industry to educate them on what the Navy and Marine Corps need in terms of readiness and lethality.
“As technologists, we’re futurists,” she continued. “That gives us a unique opportunity to share a slightly different demand signal than some of our partner organizations. We not only think about near-term capabilities but also the naval needs of the future. We think in decades.”
Riley gave her remarks during an April 21 panel discussion held at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Exposition at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
Titled “From Concept to Capability: Aligning Autonomy Across our Maritime Forces,” the panel explored how autonomous systems are redefining maritime operations — particularly joint integration efforts, operational synergy and policy alignment across military services.
Moderated by Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute, the panel’s speakers included:
The panel covered various topics regarding autonomous and unmanned systems, including more streamlined and standardized testing and evaluation, how to better incorporate warfighter feedback in the development process, and shortening the time needed to get software approvals and authorizations.
Riley stressed ONR’s commitment to increasing its partnerships with industry. She highlighted the command’s recent announcement about its upcoming series of Innovation Industry Days (I2D), which are designed to promote collaboration with industry and spotlight the Navy and Marine Corps’ most pressing research needs. The first I2D will take place on Thursday, May 14.
“We’re going to brief out ONR’s 11 S&T [science and technology] focus areas,” she said. “This involves the technology that we believe the Navy and Marine Corps will need in the next 15 years. We hope to encourage greater industry investment as well as educate our own folks about capabilities that could be well served by industry.”
VCNR Byrum, who also serves as commanding general of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL), echoed Riley’s endorsement of greater collaboration with industry.
“At MCWL, we look at the future operating environment and what equipment and technologies Marines will need to succeed,” he said. “When we find that technology, we place it in the hands of Marines so they can test it and even break it — then we figure out how to fix it and make it better.
“A crucial part of this involves working with industry, which plays an important role in helping us move at speed and at scale, so our adversaries always have a bad day.”
The CNR’s and VCNR’s panel participation was just one aspect of ONR’s presence at SAS. To strengthen collaboration with industry, while enhancing warfighter readiness and lethality, ONR — to include the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and ONR’s international arm, ONR Global — hosted an exhibit at the event.
The exhibit featured ONR- and NRL-sponsored technologies, interactive displays and informational materials. In addition, ONR, NRL and ONR Global program officers and other personnel engaged with industry, government and military leaders to discuss ways to advance cutting-edge S&T capabilities to the Fleet and Force.
In addition to the CNR and VCNR, other ONR and NRL leaders participated in panel discussions:
Hosted by the Navy League of the United States, Sea-Air-Space is the premier maritime exposition for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and defense industry. With 16,000 attendees and 297 senior federal executives and flag officers, the conference brings together senior military leadership, government decision makers, industry partners and research institutions to showcase emerging technologies, discuss operational challenges and highlight priorities across naval warfare domains.