{"id":12367,"date":"2017-09-11T20:17:04","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T20:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/11\/naval-exercise-seeks-to-advance-multidomain-collaborative-tech\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:53:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:53:24","slug":"naval-exercise-seeks-to-advance-multidomain-collaborative-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/robotics\/2017\/09\/11\/naval-exercise-seeks-to-advance-multidomain-collaborative-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Naval exercise seeks to advance multidomain, collaborative tech"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite rapid advancements in technology within the last few years, the transition from maturing technology to employment in operations can be lengthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy recently wrapped up its annual Advanced Naval Technology Exercise, or ANTX, in August. These exercises seek to provide low-risk environments to demonstrate technology capabilities under the purview of naval military concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s ANTX\u2019s theme \u2014 \u201cBattlespace Preparation in a Contested Environment\u201d \u2014 \u201callows all participants to explore how different technologies can complement each other to provide the war fighter with the most comprehensive operational picture in real time,\u201d Don McCormack, executive director for Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers, wrote in the playbill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBuilding on the success of last year\u2019s ANTX, this summer the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport Division has joined forces with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama City Division for a multisite event with fleet operators participating from Submarine Development Group Five in Keyport, Washington, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit One in Panama City,\u201d McCormack continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year\u2019s ANTX <\/a>focused on cross-domain communications and command and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of next steps, some technologies might be ripe for acquisition opportunities while others might need additional testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cData collected will be aggregated and evaluated, and collaboration needs to be fostered through the next ANTX and beyond,\u201d Jessica Shaffer \u2014 an ocean engineer for NUWC Newport Division\u2018s Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department and lead technical planner for ANTX \u2014 told C4ISRNET in written responses, noting what comes after is just as crucial as the event itself. \u201cFirst, we\u2019re collecting everyone\u2019s data from ANTX in a technical report. Next, we\u2019ll follow up with our participants to facilitate any continued collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to facilitate that hand-off to the next logical step, which will be different for every project,\u201d Shaffer continued. \u201cIt may mean acquisition opportunities or it may mean scaling up and additional testing. These technologies need to continue to evolve and it\u2019s our responsibility to keep that momentum going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During these exercises, participants from industry demonstrate their technologies and platforms for government onlookers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cANTX is an important venue for scientists and engineers to collaborate on naval technology. In a very short time, it\u2019s become a crucial step in the development of naval technology, and its impact is far-reaching,\u201d Brian Mckeon, head of the Undersea Warfare Weapons, Vehicles and Defensive Systems Department at NUWC Division Newport, told C4ISRNET in a written response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the Navy, ANTX provides an opportunity to get these new technologies developed, tested and into the fleet much faster. For industry, it opens up direct lines of communication to the fleet; it gives these companies \u2015 whether they\u2019re large or they\u2019re small \u2015 a time and a place to hear from fleet operators about what they need, and ANTX allows them to explain what they can do in a really collaborative, productive way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McKeon noted that the chief of naval operations is looking for rapid integration of capability into the fleet and ANTX provides for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the things that [Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development, test and evaluation] DASN RDT&E did was came up with these Advanced Naval Technology Exercises that really demonstrate the potential \u2014 at least from a Navy perspective \u2014 of how we\u2019re going to employ technology and it doesn\u2019t matter what domain it is,\u201d Frank Kelley, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for unmanned systems, said at the Defense News conference September 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I will tell you, over the last year and a half, we\u2019ve really seen an emphasis on unmanned systems in every domain, but the more important thing is how all unmanned systems in every domain, those systems themselves are working together, collaborating together, sharing data \u2026 So it\u2019s really showing us the art of the possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy has made an emphasis of adopting unmanned systems in all domains of warfare they operate: air, sea surface and undersurface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Kelley outlined<\/a> the service\u2019s eight goals for unmanned technology \u2014 noting they\u2019re not interested in unmanned systems for unmanned systems sake, but are seeking technology that can smoothly integrate with other programs and platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Navy outlines a path forward on unmanned systems<\/i><\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goals include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n