CNO Visits Stennis Space Center

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday talks to Aerographer’s Mate 2nd Class Kevin Rolka in the oceanographic high bay of Fleet Survey Team headquarters during his first visit to Naval Oceanography and Meteorology Command at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, Jan. 20. *NAVAL METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY / Lt. Bobby Dixon*

STENNIS, Miss. — Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday and Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare and director of naval intelligence, visited Navy commands at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, Jan. 20, the CNO’s public affairs officer said in a release.

Gilday met with Sailors and civilians and toured Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) facilities where he received updates about unmanned capabilities, electromagnetic maneuver warfare and undersea warfare.

“As we find ourselves in the breach of strategic competition, the Navy’s role in this competition remains clear,” said Gilday. “We need to control the seas and project power across all domains, and to support that we will leverage innovation, technology and our people to maintain our competitive advantage.”

During the visit to the Glider Operations Center, Gilday observed glider pilots directing unmanned littoral battlespace gliders deployed worldwide using satellite communications. The Naval Oceanographic Office, a subordinate command of CNMOC that maximizes seapower by applying relevant oceanographic knowledge in support of U.S. national security, currently has the largest fleet of gliders in the world.

Throughout the visit, Gilday received updates about unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned sensor operations and various ocean projects.

“Unmanned systems have and will continue to play a key part in future operations on, above and under the sea,” Gilday added. “I’m thankful for the work and dedication of Naval Oceanography who continues to help ensure the Navy can meet the demands and challenges of today and tomorrow.”

This visit marked CNO’s first trip to CNMOC, the Department of Defense’s authoritative source for environmental characterization and transforming knowledge of physical battlespace into winning decisions.

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command directs and oversees more than 2,500 globally distributed military and civilian personnel who collect, process, and exploit environmental information to assist fleet and joint commanders in all warfare areas in making better decisions faster than the adversary. The Sailors and civilians who support the mission serve in a wide range of operational, technical, scientific and service support billets around the globe.