News Stories

NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHY: At The Leading Edge of Unmanned Systems
March 13, 2023 — One of the premier innovators of the fields of meteorology and oceanography, the Navy is also a trailblazer in unmanned systems, notably METOC’s use of air, sea surface, and under¬water craft. The U.S. Navy’s development of unmanned systems dates to the Pioneer Era of Aviation. In 1911, the Navy contracted Elmer Sperry, inventor of the gyroscope (critical for stabili¬zation of all aircraft, manned and unmanned), to begin work on systems that would be used to usher in the first controlled unmanned airplanes. In September 1917, during the height of World War I, the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane, which the Navy called an “aerial torpedo,” took flight. The craft was one of the first unmanned aerial vehicles in history to fly. Just a few years later, in 1921, the Navy repurposed the battleship USS Iowa (BB-4) as a remotely controlled craft. Officially designated “Coast Battleship No. 4,” the vessel, one of the world’s first military unmanned surface vehicles, was used as a target ship. Decades later, the Navy helped develop, fully funded, and operated the world’s first under¬water unmanned vehicle. Called the Self-Propelled Underwater Research Vehicle, or SPURV, the program began in 1957 and was used to gather hydrographic information. ... MORE

JTWC Collaboration with International Space Station
March 13, 2023 — Joint Typhoon Warning Center is using data from NASA-Built weather sensors enlisted to track tropical cyclones via two newly installed sensors known as COWVR and TEMPEST. The duo is demonstrating that smaller, less expensive science instruments can play an important role in weather forecasting. NASA recently built two weather instruments to test... MORE

U.S. Naval Oceanography: Pathfinders of the American Military Part II
March 6, 2023 — Weather’s Impact on Military Campaigns Historically, weather events have played key roles in outcomes of battles and entire campaigns. This happened famously during the Revolutionary War when George Washington moved much of his army across the East River under cover of fog after the Battle of Brooklyn (also called the Battle of Long Island). Outnumbered and outgunned by the British, fog allowed Washington to move roughly 9,000 of his Continental Army troops across the East River—a move that many historians claim set the stage for victory over the British, as had fog not emerged and had Washington not used it as a cloak, the British would have destroyed his army. The fog was an unpredicted, serendipitous event, one that Washington utilized to his advantage on the spot. In subsequent years, military environmental forecasts have evolved to become much more tightly involved in planning processes. ... MORE

Naval Oceanography Expounds Its Sea Expertise at 2023 Oceanology Conference
March 2, 2023 — Rear Adm. Ron Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) gave an address as a co-keynote speaker and participated in an in-depth panel discussion during the San Diego-based ocean science, technology, and engineering conference—Oceanology International Americas (OiA) 2023, Feb. 14-16. Piret highlighted challenges and successes of the Naval Oceanography workforce family, comprised of 2,500 Sailors and Civilians, who are experts on everything science from the ocean floor to the farthest known star; using that expertise as a critical part of our nation’s Navy. ... MORE

Naval Oceanography Hosts Naval Information Forces for Operations Tour
March 1, 2023 — Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) recently visited Naval Oceanography for a two-day tour of its facilities and familiarization with its current operations, plans and programs. Ms. Elizabeth Nashold, Deputy Commander, NAVIFOR and CAPT Dave Kuehn, Chief of Staff NAVIFOR attended the visit and tour, engaging Sailors and Civilians for an in-depth look at how the Naval Oceanography enterprise conducts business. Nashold led an ‘All Hands’ call with the Naval Oceanography enterprise at Stennis Space Center, where she stood in-front of an intrigued audience——held at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO) ——for a detailed presentation of NAVIFOR’s structure and, its current and future operations. During the ‘All Hands’ call, Nashold made sure to communicate the ‘how’ and ‘why’ NAVIFOR executes its mission. As a tour stop, the Navy DOD Supercomputing Resource Center (DSRC) opened its doors to Nashold and company, featuring its newest High Performance Computer (HPC), the NARWHAL; combined with four other HPC systems as the largest unclassified HPC system in DOD’s modernization program. NAVIFOR generates, directly and through our leadership of the IW enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively deter, compete and win. 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 to make better decisions faster than the adversary. ... MORE

Henry Melson Stommel: Ocean Currents and Western Intensification
March 1, 2023 — Naval Meteorology and Oceanographic Command honors the work of Henry Melson Stommel for years spent in dedication to oceanography and meteorology. Henry Melson Stommel was an American oceanographer and meteorologist most recognized for work in identifying western intensification, advancing theories in global circulation, and establishing Panulirus Station. The 1940’s saw several enlightening discoveries giving way to theories of maritime environments still in practice today. At the head of these new discoveries was a theory called western intensification. Stommel recognized western boundary currents, such as Gulf Stream and Kuroshio Currents, having not only larger but steadier transport than corresponding boundary currents such as California and Canary Currents. Due to stronger currents on the western side of gyres in both hemispheres, currents on the east coast of continents are stronger than their western counterparts. ... MORE

Naval Oceanography, Naval Surface Warfare Center Collab to Advance Tech Innovations
March 1, 2023 — Naval Oceanography hosted Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) for an operational tour, capitalizing on the NavalX Gulf Coast Tech Bridge partnership, outlined by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the agencies involved, Mar. 1, 2023. The MOA is focused on collaborative innovations in areas of: coastal sciences and technology (S&T); assured maritime access; and operational oceanography. Reaffirming agency relationships and support of the MOA’s intent were representatives: Betty C. Jester, Chief Technology Officer at Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC); Holly C. Gardner, NavalX Gulf Coast Tech Bridge Director and Director of Strategy and Engagement at NSWC PCD; and Todd Bowers, CNMOC’s Innovation and Experimentation Lead. “Interagency collaboration is a necessary component to future interactions being efficient enough to facilitate successful development and transition of warfighting capabilities to the Navy,” said Jester. “Advancing our [agencies in MOA] mutual goals in coastal S&T, assured maritime access and operational meteorology and oceanography will provide the advantage over our adversaries.” ... MORE

Iceberg A-80D Has Calved from Iceberg A-80A in the Weddell Sea
February 27, 2023 — The U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) has confirmed that iceberg A-80D (figure 1, below) calved from iceberg A-80A in the Weddell Sea. As of February 24, A-80A was centered at 72°02' South and 59°17' West and measured 12 nautical miles on its longest axis and 8 nautical miles on its widest axis. A-80D was centered at 72°11' South and 59°20' West and measured 7 nautical miles on its longest axis and 5 nautical miles on its widest axis. The initial break was seen in satellite imagery on 24 February. A-80A first calved from the Larsen-D Ice Shelf in November 2022 along with A-80B and A-80C. A-80B and A-80C are no longer large enough to track... MORE

As Climate Shifts, U.S. Navy Focuses on Bolstering Arctic Ocean Operations
February 22, 2023 — First in a two-part series on how the Navy and its partners are working to improve Arctic operations as the sea ice melts due to warming temperatures. The Arctic is the next frontier for U.S. military operations, where the physical environment poses a major threat to achieving strategic dominance, managing assets and ensuring freedom of the seas. The importance of the Arctic will only increase each year as the decline of the perennial sea ice continues and the ice edge shifts. It is imperative to strengthen the ability to operate there in order to gain a strategic advantage. Effective operations will hinge on reliable environmental intelligence in a region where conditions can be severe. The U.S. most recently updated its strategy for the Arctic region last October with a new 10-year scope that seeks a peaceful, stable, prosperous and cooperative Arctic at the same time acknowledging strategic competition with Russia and China. Ongoing efforts include investing in technology that detects and tracks potential threats and improves our own capabilities to maneuver in the region. This is not a simple task due to the dominant role that Russia has in the Arctic, as well as the growing concern for China’s desire to be an influential nation there... MORE

WEST 2023: Naval Oceanography Answers Future Challenges
February 22, 2023 — Rear Adm. Ron Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (Naval Oceanography) and subordinate commands participated and attended AFCEA-USNI WEST (WEST) 2023 conference, Feb. 14-16. Considering global tensions, the premier naval conference and exposition—WEST—themed its 33rd iteration as: “Readiness, Capability and Capacity: How Do the Sea Services Match Up Against the Future Threat?” Piret answered the theme’s call when he addressed the audience in the Information Warfare Pavilion speaker series where he shared Naval Oceanography’s mission and capacity with industry professionals, academia, and other military leaders. ... MORE

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