“As the U.S. Navy’s laboratories, the Warfare Centers work to accelerate research, development, test and evaluation for the fleet.” fleet of long-endurance unmanned systems operating across all domains and alongside surface and undersea platforms. Convergent technology initiatives are joining autonomy, artificial intelligence, machine learning, in-formation science, cognitive science and human systems integration as this future fleet develops. The CNO’s focus areas provide the foundation for the S&T workforce. Creative freedom to experiment while operating under the CNO’s guidance will ultimately ben-efit the warfighter and advance the U.S. Navy’s capabili-ties. It is how Warfare Center S&T elevates the Navy now and 30 years from now. ST Capabilities: Deliver a More Lethal, Better-Connected Fleet Developing the Navy’s best capabilities is what the Warfare Center enterprise does every day. Several initia-tives are designed to bring forth innovation quickly and effectively provide structure and accelerated timelines for the S&T community. One example is the Undersea Rapid Capability Initia-tive, which the submarine force leverages for good ideas across the naval research and development enterprise, including ONR, Warfare Centers and university-affiliated research centers. Another initiative is “Mega Projects,” under the lead-ership of the NAVSEA’s Surface and Undersea Warfare Center chief technology officers. Established in FY 2021, this plan directs internal investment funds to develop in-novative prototypes for fleet demonstration. The focus is on warfighting capabilities, with an emphasis on work-ing across the Warfare Center enterprise. Mega Projects currently underway encompass a wide range of research efforts, from surface mine delivery and the aforemen-tioned use of LiDAR technologies. Capacity: Deliver a Larger, Hybrid Fleet The advice that “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything” certainly applies to Navy S&T. Collabora-tion with industry, academia and allied navies is a force multiplier. University partnerships yield outstanding results, as some of the best ideas come from scientists and engi-neers who may have never thought of a Navy problem before. The Naval Engineering Education Consortium program has awarded more than 50 grants to U.S. uni-versities. Cutting-edge projects range from developing autonomous navigation systems for undersea vehicles in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to evaluating un-der-ice acoustics at the Great Lakes. In addition to connecting with academia, the Navy’s S&T community continues to work with allied partners to learn how others are solving similar challenges through bilateral agreements and partnerships. Recognizing the value of these partnerships, the CNO issued a fragmen-tary order in December 2019 calling for building allianc-es and partnerships with U.S. allies. Navy S&T nurtures innovations that support a hybrid 18 ST | January 2022 Review&Forecast Mapping a Strong Future For Ocean Science and Technology By Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) Chairwoman Committee on Science, Space, and Technology U.S. House of Representatives W e are at a pivotal time for ocean science and protec-tion, and we must take action. This next decade provides an opportunity for the U.S. to clarify, define, priori-tize, and accelerate ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes science and technology goals to strengthen our blue economy and improve the health and resilience of our water resources. The past year marked the beginning of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, or the Ocean Decade. According to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Ocean Decade will focus on initiatives across the globe to drive the science needed to ensure sustainable use of ocean resources and long-term ocean health. The U.S. has already shown leadership in defin-ing the goals of the Ocean Decade, and it is imperative that the U.S. lead the international effort to achieve those goals in cooperation with other nations. We must use this opportunity to invest in our domestic ocean science and technology to advance solutions, which will require extensive public-private partnerships, coordination and collaboration across the scientific enterprise, and partic-ipation from diverse stakeholders and under-represented groups. As a nation, we have taken positive steps this year toward protecting our oceans and combating climate change. The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized climate and ocean solutions since day one. From a wide range of executive orders on climate change and the en-www.sea-technology.com