Science Solutions, From Cyber To The Skies
by David Smalley,
Contractor for Office of Naval Research January 5, 2018
An engineer steps into the cockpit of an FA-18 Super Hornet in
Norfolk, Virginia.
Meanwhile, another launches a huge
parasail from the back of a patrol craft off the coast of Florida,
complete with an intelligence package that gives the ship’s
commanding officer beyond-line-of-sight information.
June 20, 2017 - Lt. Jace Mirmak, Carrier Air Wing One Staff
Landing Signal Officer, familiarizes Dr. Marcus Tepaske, Office of
Naval Research Global science advisor to U.S. Fleet Forces Command,
with the controls of an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet assigned to Strike
Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211, prior to an orientation flight. Science
advisors are civilian scientists, engineers and technologists who
serve at a Joint, Navy or Marine Corps command as the senior liaison
with science and technology organizations in government, academia
and industry. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams)
And yet another works with her peers in Scotland on the
latest unmanned autonomous platforms.
These are the
science advisors (SAs) from the Office of Naval Research
(ONR) Global. And they play a key role in today’s naval
technology—connecting the warfighter to cutting-edge
capabilities in the air, at sea, on land and in the
information/cyber domain.
“These men and women augment the eyes and ears of the fleet and
force,” said Rear Adm. David Hahn, chief of naval research,
“connecting new technology to the warfighters, across the country
and around the world.”
All of the above examples are real.
And the work doesn’t stop—two more examples include pivotal
experiments during the Bold Alligator exercise, held last month at
Camp Pendleton, North Carolina; and assisting with an upcoming
demonstration of AACUS, the Unmanned Aerial Cargo Utility System,
designed to provide autonomous flight capabilities to helicopters.
The following video shows science advisor’s fast-paced
world. Viewers can see how each advisor is embedded with a Navy or
Marine Corps staff or command, aligning technology with naval
priorities; accelerating new technologies to Sailors and Marines;
and informing ONR where new operational research is needed.
“There’s an urgent need for the work of the science advisors,”
said Tom Gallagher, director of the SA program at ONR Global. “Being
embedded with commands, with Sailors and Marines and at command
levels, is essential for both sides of the tech equation.
“It
not only helps us understand warfighter needs—which leads to new
research and new capabilities—but it also helps us inform naval
leadership of technology they might not have known about that is
already out there.”
The men and women who comprise the SA
component usually come from technical or engineering backgrounds,
and often have prior experience at naval warfare centers, working on
research and development across a wide range of naval warfighting
disciplines.
In other words, they’re familiar with
technology, and not afraid to get their hands dirty—a key factor for
someone who will be working daily with different operational forces.
Some work with Marine Corps units in the field, others on surface
ships or submarines, while others focus on cyber warfare or naval
aviation.
“The new video being released this month from ONR
really does a good job of capturing what makes the science advisor
tick,” said Gallagher. “It takes a combination of engineering and
subject matter expertise, mixed with the energy that comes from
working with the fleet and force every day, and topped off with a
healthy dose of good, old-fashioned patriotism—these folks love that
what they do is an asset to national security.”
Science
advisors typically serve a maximum of two tours, each tour up to
three years long, before going on to other jobs. The experience,
they say, stays with you—and they grow professionally and personally
from the role.
“Being a science advisor is an incredible
experience,” says Dr. Marcus Tepaske, science advisor to Fleet
Forces Command. “It puts you out there as a central voice of
technology within the fleet—you work on everything from artillery to
aircraft carriers, cognition to cyber, and lasers to landing craft,
improving capabilities for our naval forces.”
By David Smalley, Contractor Office of Naval Research
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2018
