U.S. Navy pilots and naval flight officers flying specialized aircraft are helping scientists collect data for airborne research. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Scientific Development Squadron One (VXS-1), based in Maryland at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, operates worldwide…
Triton Deployed: The Navy’s MQ-4C’s Western Pacific Overwatch Continues Into Second Year
The U.S. Navy’s MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle has been deployed for more than a year to the Western Pacific and by all accounts is impressing the fleet with its capabilities and is in high demand by…
Q&A: Ron Tremain, VP Maritime Domain Awareness, Saildrone Inc.
Ron Tremain hails from Sherwood, Oregon, and is the vice president of Maritime Domain Awareness for Saildrone Inc. Prior to coming aboard Saildrone, Tremain led the maritime business development team at Insitu and consulted on aviation programs at Boeing. Tremain’s…
High Achievers: Test Squadrons, Pilots and Engineers Make Good Systems Work Even Better
Special aviation squadrons conduct developmental and operational testing, as well as scientific research. These squadrons have specialized aircraft along with test pilots, naval flight officers (NFOs), test engineers and other specialists. Qualified test pilots, aircrews and engineers make up a…
From Saving Habitats and Endangered Species to Preserving Ancient Artifacts, the Department of the Navy is Responsible and Proactive
The Department of the Navy is steward to some of America’s most precious archeological sites as well as natural habitats for migratory and endangered species. On the archeological front, there are some spectacular examples. At Naval Air Weapons Station China…
Forecasting for the Fleet: Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Monitors Weather, Ocean and Atmospheric Conditions to Keep the Navy in the Fight
Everyone wants accurate weather predictions, but for the military, and the Navy in particular, they can be crucial — typhoons can sink ships and bad weather can force operational delays. Providing timely and accurate weather predictions and information about the…
Space Mission Support: Coast Guard Patrols Restricted Areas Around Launches, Re-Entries
The world was transfixed with the images of the NASA Perseverance rover landing on Mars in February. Like all space missions, it involved a myriad of partners and collaborators. Even the U.S. Coast Guard plays an important but little-known role…
Adding to the Fleet: Navy Evolves to Counter Changing Threats
Last December, then-Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced plans to bring back the U.S. Atlantic Fleet in a name change that was a deliberate message to the world — in particular the near-peer competitor nations of Russia and China as…
Navy Aims to Fast-Track Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning to Maintain Dominance
Like a bolt from the blue, the Navy has a new modernization priority — Project Overmatch, a campaign to accelerate delivery of artificial intelligence, machine learning and tools needed to allow the fleet to disperse forces, mass fires, integrate unmanned…
Fatigue at Sea: Researching How Lack of Sleep Can Affect Sailors
Lack of sleep is problem that’s long dogged sailors at sea. Insomnia and general fatigue often are blamed for leading to mistakes, mishaps and collisions at sea, some fatal. It’s not just anecdotal. Recent research studies have found long workdays…