Post on 27-Jun-2020
Issue 06 — Jan 2018
Department of the Navy
Strategy and Innovation Newsletter
Highlighting innovative ideas in the DON
DISTRIBUTION A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.
Department of the Navy
Office of Strategy & Innovation
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, DC 20350
@navalinnovation
@navalinnovation
DON_Innovation@navy.mil
www.secnav.navy.mil/innovation/
Connect with Us!
History of Innovation 8
In this Issue Page
Introduction
Seed Funding: Law Enforcement
Analytics at NCIS
1
Seed Funding: Expeditionary
Manufacturing (EXMAN) 2
Tactical Advancements for the
Next Generation (TANG) 5
Post-MMOWGLI Workshop
Rolling Wave: A High-Velocity
Learning Product
6
PROJECT GRIFFIN: Low Cost
Drone
The Future of Unmanned Aerial
Systems in the US Navy
7
CENSECFOR Velocity Lab -
Creating the Future 4
Seed Funding: Navy School
Explosive Ordnance Disposal 3
Please provide your feedback comments at:
https://go.usa.gov/xRSf7
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBt
In 2015, the Naval Criminal
Investigative Service (NCIS) contacted
the Office of Strategy and Innovation
(S&I) with a request for seed funding
for a program to help the entire DoD,
and other local, state, and federal law
enforcement agencies rapidly identify
criminal threats, trends, and suspicious
activities.
The problem was that law
enforcement analysts required a
discovery and analysis tool to build
and share work related, situational
awareness concepts across the
different types of data that was being
collected. Due to the volume of
information available, identifying
specific threats can be a challenge. In
other words, while the haystack of
data was being freely shared, what
NCIS was looking for was a metal
detector to find the needle.
In 2016, after overcoming
administrative obstacles that delayed
the initial funding, NCIS finally
received S&I’s seed funding for the
Domestic Law Enforcement Awareness
Program (DLEAP). The one year grant
paid for an analyst to serve as the
program manager, as well as the
software and server infrastructure to
enable the first phase of
implementation, development, testing,
and analysis of DLEAP concept.
With DLEAP, a single analyst is able
to turn over one million reports a month
into multiple vetted Suspicious Activity
Reports (SARs) each week. This
capability did not exist operationally in
the law enforcement or criminal
intelligence communities. DLEAP has
the ability to identify early warning
signals, which are sometimes hidden in
the haze of millions of records that
identify potential terrorist, insider and
criminal threats to DOD members,
dependents and installations. DLEAP
manages existing data and displays only
relevant incidents.
Seed Funding Success: Law Enforcement Analytics at
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
This edition of the S&I Newsletter focuses on three success stories of Innovation
Seed Funding as well as projects that are implementing High Velocity Learning
throughout the Department. We have also included some articles on unmanned
systems and, of course, a look at the history of innovation within the Department.
2 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | Dec 2017 | Issue 06
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBe
In early 2016, the Office of Strategy
and Innovation (S&I) was approached
by 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st
Maintenance Battalion’s Marine Corps
Expeditionary Manufacturing (EXMAN)
for seed funding for its Mobile Test Bed
Initiative. The objective was to design,
build, and test an Advanced
Manufacturing (i.e. additive
manufacturing / 3D printing and
subtractive manufacturing / CNC milling
or lathing) facility that would perform
under actual operational conditions, and
would be tested during the Marine
Corps’ annual Exercise Steel Knight (SK-
17). Original funding for the Concept
Initiation Phase had been sponsored by
Space and Naval Warfare Systems
Command (SPAWAR) Headquarters, and
now seed funding was needed to build
a prototype for 1st Maintenance
Battalion at Camp Pendleton in time to
support the exercise .
Put simply, EXMAN is a deployable
3D Printing studio in a mobile
containerized shelter which can be used
anywhere in the world, supporting the
immediate needs of the Marines on the
ground during operations or combat.
3D printing has been around for a
couple of decades. However, the
Marine Corps’ objective was to make it
mobile so that during an operation,
whenever key parts break down,
replacement parts could be fabricated
on the spot, thereby eliminating well-
known supply line hurdles.
For the Concept Initiation Phase ,
the Marines’ requested seed funding
to create a mobile facility with an
Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem,
and which would be equipped with
end use components, Computer-Aided
Design (CAD) files, and technical data
packages developed by the EXMAN
team. After hearing the Marines’ pitch,
S&I gave them $250,000. Within short
order, the EXMAN prototype mobile
facility was designed and built to
support the continuous
experimentation, technology adoption,
and risk reduction of advanced
manufacturing tactics, techniques, and
procedures under actual operational
conditions. The mobile facility was
outfitted with a comprehensive
advanced manufacturing ecosystem
that included a 3D printer, professional
CAD software, professional Computer-
Aided Manufacturing software, a 3D
scanner, ruggedized laptops, and a
Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
mill/lathe.
For the next phase, Continuous
Experimentation, SPAWAR HQ was
both a sponsor and a partner,
providing engineering expertise for
the Marines.
During the Continuous
Experimentation Phase, EXMAN was
successfully deployed for Steel Knight.
Steel Knight is an annual exercise led
by the 1st Marine Division that spans
the western United States and
California coast. Focusing on ground
fires, maneuver warfare tactics and
command and control capabilities, this
exercise tests Marines and Sailors across
a range of environments and against a
thinking, opposing force (the 1st Marine
Division is the Marine Corps' largest,
most capable and most lethal combat
force in readiness) .
During the exercise, the team was
able to use the advanced manufacturing
equipment of EXMAN to fix more than
30 high priority end items. EXMAN
demonstrated that it can effectively
provide :
Timely restorations of critical
materiel requirements
Availability of long-lead time parts
Materiel solutions for obsolete or
unprocurable parts
Decentralized manufacturing to aid
in product improvements
Increased readiness and decreased
reliance
During the Ship-to-Shore Maneuver
Exploration and Experimentation
Advanced Naval Technology Exercise
(S2ME2 ANTX) in April 2017, 1st Tank
Battalion successfully installed a
"printed" metal impeller fan in an M1A1
Main Battle tank. This success was a
joint effort between the Marines,
SPAWAR, and commercial industry.
Following initial testing, the tank
Seed Funding Success:
Expeditionary Manufacturing (EXMAN)
171017-M-YG378-104 CAMP PENDLETON, CA -
U.S. Marines with 1st Maintenance Battalion,
Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics
Group, display the different production steps of a
vaneaxial impeller fan at Camp Pendleton, Calif.,
Oct. 17, 2017. The original wait time and cost of the
fan from the manufacturer is 36 months and
roughly $1,500. With the 3D printing process, the
wait time is reduced to 14 days and the cost is
$315. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph
Sorci)
Gunnery Sgt. Travis Arndt, a machinist with 1st
Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment
15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, explains the 3-D
printing capabilities to Richard V. Spencer, the
Secretary of the Navy, on Camp Pendleton, Calif.,
August 30, 2017. Spencer previously served as a
Marine Aviator for five years flying a CH-46 Sea
Knight transport helicopter. (U.S. Marine Corps
photo by Lance Cpl. Adam Dublinske)
Issue 06 | Dec 2017 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | 3
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBM
Back in 2015, the leadership and
staff at Naval School Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD)
envisioned a schoolhouse that could
leverage smart devices, employ a
cloud environment to host online
classrooms, and transit across mesh
networks using modernized education
techniques. They further imagined
online classrooms which hosted
individual study apps, virtual
laboratories, gaming, and ocular
immersion technologies. They
envisioned mesh networks which cut
th time required of instructors "off the
podium" and enabled electronic grade
books, programmable data analysis,
advanced analytic capabilities, and
electronic feedback reporting. They
also foresaw tailoring education and
technical training methods for a tech-
savvy generation accustomed to
immediate information access.
Today, thanks in part to seed
funding from Task Force Innovation
(TFI) and the Office of Strategy and
Innovation (S&I), much of
NAVSCOLEOD’s vision is becoming a
reality through the Scalable Mobile
Applications and Ready Training
(SMART) project. Further, even before
the project’s completion, many of the
anticipated benefits have been
realized and, in some cases, have
exceeded the original expectations.
To meet the goal of optimizing
student academic performance and
staff training processes through
mobile capabilities and technology,
NAVSCOLEOD students were issued e-
Tablets throughout the seven
divisions. Due to the high demand, the
initial project scope was increased and
more than 1,500 students were issued
e-Tablets for about 100 classes. The
result was that NAVSCOLEOD
experienced fewer student failures in
four out of the seven divisions, higher
peak student performances, and
positive student and staff feedback.
Most dramatically, NAVSCOLEOD saw
a drop in academic attrition of over 11
percent.
To achieve these dramatic results,
more was involved than just handing
out e-Tablets; it took a couple of years
of careful planning and preparation,
which is where S&I’s seed funding was
essential. In 2015 S&I gave
NAVSCOLEOD $485,000 to secure e-
Tablet prototypes and, with Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency
Transformative Apps program support,
configure up to 600 e-Tablets. The
seed funding also accelerated the e-
Tablet operating system design,
application development, and device
requirement development, as well as
incorporated automated advanced
analytics.
Building on this initial seed funding,
NAVSCOLEOD created 80 “YouTube-
like” videos and five apps, such as the
“Individual Study App,” for the e-
Tablet. These videos and apps
provided rich content, which improved
overall performance for students and
instructors alike, with students
frequently using the videos to review
previously taught skills. Students and
instructors also favored quiz apps and
other digital content, including slides,
curricula, and technical publications.
NAVSCOLEOD also was able to
migrate the school’s digital curricula
and evaluate a prototype for an
electronic gradebook .
Of course, along with the S&I seed
funding, a tremendous amount of
talented and motivated people
contribute to the SMART project’s
success as they worked diligently
toward furthering Ready, Relevant
Learning; a cloud-based collaborative
learning environment; and learning
management capabilities.
Incidentally, this was not S&I’s only
effort on behalf of the Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community.
This past summer one of S&I’s
Innovation Advisors was the project
lead at the Defense Innovation Unit-
Experimental (DIUx) in Silicon Valley
for EOD’s Learning, Talent and
Knowledge Management, and
Collaboration project. This effort
promises a cloud-based enterprise
software system for DoD forces
operating globally across several
networks .
For FY18 and beyond, the SMART
team is now working with DIUx and
OPNAV N95 on project “Jet Stream –
Learning.”
Seed Funding Success:
Navy School Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal Seal
161216-N-YW487-001 EGLIN AFB, Florida (Dec
16, 2016) A NAVSCOLEOD Instructor
demonstrates a Study Application on a student’s
tablet. NAVSCOLEOD, located on Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla. provides high-risk, specialized, basic
and advanced EOD training to U.S. and 97
partner nation military and selected U.S.
government personnel each year. (U.S. Navy
photo by Billy P. Martin/Released)
4 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | Dec 2017 | Issue 06
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBF
The Navy’s vision for Sailor 2025 is
clear, and Center for Security Forces
(CENSECFOR) is running full speed
ahead to make that vision real by
creating High Velocity Learning. In 2016,
the Center established the Velocity Lab,
an innovation cell focused on answering
two key questions: How might we
increase the mastery that we deliver to
our Sailors and the Fleet within existing
resources? How might we prepare our
Sailors to fight, win and return with
honor both now and in the increasingly
volatile, uncertain, complex, and
ambiguous (VUCA) world of 2025 and
beyond?
Guided by this vision, and employing
principles of Agile Development and
Lean Startup, the Velocity Lab works as
an integrator of government, academia,
industry, and open source tools to
rapidly bring solutions to our
instructors. The Center hosted an
innovation Summit with leadership from
all 12 learning sites to have a robust
dialogue about the vision. The Summit
included team activities that led to the
rapid development of products for the
learning sites. The CENSECFOR team has
embraced a growth mindset and
created a culture where every team
member, from deckplate instructor to
headquarters, is empowered to put
forward ideas, design a viable product,
and test its effectiveness at producing
student mastery.
Initial efforts include an online
student and instructor feedback tool
that integrated commercial survey
tools with automated content analysis
(AI) in order to ensure that we capture
and act on the best ideas of the 26,000
students the Center teaches annually
and our 500 experienced instructors.
These tools dramatically shorten the
timeline between feedback and
curriculum improvement. This directly
supports the vision of Ready Relevant
Learning. Two learning sites are
experimenting with different ways to
incorporate video cameras into
training scenarios in order to enable
near-real-time debriefing similar to
John Madden’s instant replay
drawings, and to curate a collection of
video training aids to be used across
several sites that teach the same
courses. This curation process will
dramatically reduce video production
timelines and costs, and increase the
Relevance at the instructor-student
interface .
A third team is developing concepts
for augmenting the capacity of our
firearms instructors to improve the
quality and frequency of firing range
feedback with the goal of developing
greater combat shooting mastery across
our Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection
(AT/FP) and Coastal Riverine training
curricula. Another group is exploring
ideas to reduce facilities acquisition and
maintenance costs for a variety of
training structures by pursuing an AR/
VR kill house that can be used to train
Sailors in a variety of environments,
from active shooter, to Visit, Board,
Search and Seizure (VBSS), to armed
sentries and shipboard security. The
Center’s culture of innovation isn’t just
about new projects; it informs ongoing
curriculum improvements in all 43
courses the Center provides. Underlying
every project is a parallel effort to
capture data and objectively assess
effectiveness in a way that will integrate
seamlessly.
Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR) Velocity
Lab - Creating the Future
160921-N-IA020-019 (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA) The graphic shows the Center for Security Forces
(CENSECFOR) vision and roadmap to achieve high velocity learning throughout the command by
employing principles of agile development and lean startup. (U.S. Navy graphic designed by CENSECFOR
Velocity Lab)
170515-N-IA020-002 (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA)
Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR)
Detachment San Diego Officer-in-Charge, LCDR
Ian Garrison, participating in a virtual reality
scenario in the CENSECFOR Velocity Lab during a
command innovation summit held at command
headquarters. (U.S. Navy photo by Brendan
Mooney)
Issue 06 | Dec 2017 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | 5
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEB6
In 2011, Program Executive Office
Integrated Warfare System 5.0 (PEO
IWS 5.0) established an approach to
innovation new to the Navy and has
ignited warfighter creativity to deliver
solutions. The initiative, dubbed
Tactical Advancements for the Next
Generation (TANG), employs a
customized suite of Applied Design
methodologies to tackle human-
centered challenges within DoD. The
collaborative process brings together
today’s warfighter with a diverse
group of stakeholders and experts to
solve complex challenges. Working
alongside the sponsor, multi-
disciplinary project teams conduct
immersive research to frame the
problem space and better understand
the pain points of a topic. To discover
unexpected insights, the team also
explores tangentially related fields that
provide different perspectives and
responses to similar challenges.
Following months of research and
discovery, TANG hosts an intense
Design Event that brings together
operators, stakeholders, technologists,
and strategic partners to co-create low
fidelity prototype solutions to the
challenge opportunities
In the Design Event, synthesized
research outcomes, relevant emerging
technology, and compelling case
studies set the foundation for
structured brainstorming and rapid
prototyping efforts. The power of real
time collaboration between end-users,
designers, testers, acquisition
professionals and senior decision
makers cannot be overstated as it
short-circuits more traditional,
lumbering paths of acquisition. By the
end of two cycles of concept
generation, a TANG Design Event
produces more than 20 human-
centered concept candidates for rapid
prototyping and refinement. In many
ways, however, the Design Event is the
start of the journey .
Following the Design Event, the
Sponsors, together with the TANG
Team and Stakeholders, selects the
highest-impact solutions and partners
with a network of performers to
deliver capability to the Fleet at speed.
These low fidelity prototypes
jumpstart the acquisition process,
leverage existing Programs of Record
(PORs), create opportunities for new
initiatives, and impact non-technical
areas such as policy and training. By
guiding the end-users, stakeholders,
and technologists through a
structured Applied Design process,
TANG is mitigating early risks and
accelerating solutions to the field,
resulting in a faster, more effective and
ultimately lower-cost development
cycle.
The TANG portfolio has expanded
to included Maintenance and Material
Management (3M) for the Surface
Navy, Integrated Air and Missile
Defense Mission Planning, Food
Service, Aviation Mission Support, and
Sailor Toughness; among others.
Tactical Advancements
for the Next Generation
(TANG)
160321-N-IA020-001 PEARL HARBOR (March 21,
2016) Tactical Advancements for the Next
Generation (TANG) participants of the Integrated
Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Mission Planning
Seminar post their likes, wishes, questions and
concerns about pre-event concepts to kick-off the
week. The TANG brings government civilians,
contractors, enlisted and officer personnel
together with commercial enterprises to tackle
challenges through innovation. (U.S. Navy photo
by TANG Team/Released)
161019-N-IA020-001 SUFFOLK VA (October 19, 2016) Submariners creating rough prototypes of their
solutions to improve information flow at a Tactical Advancement for the Next Generation (TANG) event
focusing on Submarine Information Exchange. (U.S. Navy photo by TANG Team/Released)
6 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | Dec 2017 | Issue 06
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBA
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBs
Innovators at Naval Surface Warfare
Center, Carderock Division; Space and
Naval Warfare Systems Command,
Atlantic; and Naval Postgraduate School
(NPS) have spent the last several
months curating the output from a
massive multiplayer online wargame
leveraging the Internet (MMOWGLI).
These examine how the Navy might
address the emergence of greater-than-
human intelligence from technological
means, otherwise known as “the
Singularity.”
The “Design for Maritime Singularity
MMOWGLI” took place in the spring
and asked players to collaborate on
responses to two distinct, yet
complementary questions: “What
concepts for human-machine teaming
might we develop as we approach the
Singularity?” and, “As complexity rises
all around us, what new organizational
constructs should we consider?”
According to Carderock’s Director
for Innovation Garth Jensen, who
designed the game, the impetus for
the MMOWGLI rose from a growing
concern that the Singularity represents
“a tidal wave of change approaching
the Navy. This wave presents us with a
binary choice. If we recognize this
wave in time, we can ride it and
harness its energy. But if we ignore
this wave, or try to resist it, we will get
washed up on the shoals of history.
There’s really no middle ground. We
either ride the wave or get crushed by
the pace of change.”
The game was hosted on NPS’s
MMOWGLI platform, playable on any
web browser or mobile device. Jensen
said the audience response to this
game was among MMOWGLI’s most
vibrant ever, with more than 21,000
YouTube views, 4,000 signups, 1,250
active players, 9,000 idea cards played
and 45 action plans developed by
participants.
When the Aircraft Carrier Tactical
Support Center combat system was
fielded in Aircraft Carrier (CVN) -
Tactical Operations Centers (CVN-
TOC) across the fleet, the system
represented a significant advancement
in multi-warfare area sensor data
collection and fusion. Despite this
advancement, the new capability was
fielded without a standardized
approach toward collective Anti-
Submarine Warfare (ASW) operational
system utilization. During observation
of CVN-TOC officer planning and
execution of Commander Naval Air
Forces Pacific (CNAP) Basic Phase ASW
training exercises, it was evident that
this standardization gap existed. To
fulfill these training requirements,
there are currently two acceptable
options: the Expendable Mobile ASW
Training Target (EMATT) or the
Coordinated ASW Exercise (CASEX).
While both options are invaluable
training methods, the CASEX
represents the option with significant
more integrated training value
The CASEX is a complex, multi-
player evolution that involves the
coordinated operation and integration
of naval assets and provides the best
training value. On the other hand, the
lack of a standardized planning
process has resulted in extensive
planning time, unnecessary re-work,
high-variability in training requirement
success, and ineffective training
practices. Since the EMATT is easier to
plan and execute in comparison to the
CASEX, those CVN-TOC officers who
plan during the EMATT exercises
sacrifice much needed training
experience and value. Given the
growing ASW capabilities of
adversaries, value added training is
now more important than ever.
Rolling Wave provides the first,
standardized high-velocity learning
(HVL) approach to CVN Basic Phase
ASW training exercises across the fleet.
The product also standardizes and
streamlines the EMATT and CASEX
planning processes for CVN-TOC
officers. The product has reduced
process time and the complexities
associated with CVN-TOC ASW
exercise planning. Rolling Wave has
also reduced unnecessary re-work,
high-variability in training requirement
success, ineffective training practices,
poorly defined roles and
responsibilities, and inadequate
expectation management .
Naval Innovators Prepare for the Coming Singularity
with Post-MMOWGLI Workshop
Rolling Wave: A High-Velocity Learning Product for
CVN-Based ASW Exercise Planning
This wave was designed as artwork for the Massive
Multiplayer Online Wargame Leveraging the
Internet (MMOWGLI) game taking place in March.
The 'Design for Maritime Singularity-MMOWGLI' is
meant to help design the Navy of the future. The
designer of the wave is Lt. Cmdr. Kristen Wheeler,
executive officer of Naval Operations Support
Center San Jose in California. (Released)
Issue 06 | Dec 2017 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | 7
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEBG
Full Article
https://go.usa.gov/xnEB7
Unmanned aerial systems provide
the Navy and Marine Corps with
revolutionary capabilities. However,
the Department of the Navy (DON)
should continue to utilize manned
systems and begin integrating
manned and unmanned aerial vehicles.
A new thesis by Midshipman
Matthew Oman argues both manned
and unmanned aircraft should be
integrated to combine the capabilities
of both systems, which will pave the
way for a more agile, adaptive, and
effective naval fleet. Unmanned
systems provide the ability to execute
dangerous missions without
endangering a pilot’s life. These
systems have the potential to
outperform fighter aircraft by
surpassing the acceleration limits of
the human body. On the other hand,
unmanned aircraft provide the ability
for combatant commanders to oversee
the aerial systems from a safe, more
secure position out of harm's way.
However, manned aircraft can afford
better decision making and quicker
responses in close-in aerial combat and
are superior to unmanned aircraft in
thwarting aerial defenses .
The integration of manned and
unmanned systems could implement
the advantages of both platforms in
naval aviation. In intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
applications, small, unmanned systems
deployed from a fighter could be carried
past aerial defenses, reducing the risk to
this asset. In aerial combat, a paired,
unmanned system could assist in a
dogfight. This would allow for the
officers in the manned system to make
rapid decisions, eliminating the delay
with remote authorization. In hunter-
killer applications, a smaller, unmanned
system deployed from a manned system
could fly closer to the enemy to use an
extremely precise munition and
minimize collateral damage .
PROJECT GRIFFIN began when
officers in USS ROSS (DDG 71) were
playing around with a commercially
procured toy drone while at sea.
Almost immediately, they noticed
unintended benefits by introducing
new methods and ideas to solve gaps
in maintenance inspections, training
scenarios, safety of equipment and
Sailors, public affairs initiatives, and to
provide a limited organic air asset.
ROSS's commercial-off-the-shelf
(COTS) drone has been nicknamed
"GRIFFIN ONE."
Since PROJECT GRIFFIN was
initiated, ROSS has been able to close
training and maintenance challenges
by incorporating GRIFFIN ONE into
routine evolutions at sea while
increasing the commander's
situational awareness (SA). The long-
term benefits of the program remain
undetermined, but initial results
indicate that it will have a positive
operational impact.
During Visit Board Search and
Seizure (VBSS) training events, GRIFFIN
ONE provided real-time video
feedback to the ship, which allowed
the Commanding Officer (CO) to
observe the VBSS Boarding Team in
action. It also provided video playback
after the training event, allowing the
CO and team members the ability to
review and critique the event to
improve future training or real world
operations.
During Crew Served Weapons
(CSW) live fire events, required sea
mammal watches face difficulties
locating and identifying mammals that
could potentially be harmed. GRIFFIN
ONE was able to rapidly scan the
required engagement areas, providing
additional support to the CO to
determine if any sea mammals were at
risk prior to allowing live fire events to
commence. It also allowed the CO's
safety representative to supervise gun
mounts that were normally out of view
from the bridge during execution .
Thesis Paper Review –
The Future of Unmanned
Aerial Systems in the
US Navy
PROJECT GRIFFIN: USS ROSS Discovers Low Cost
Drone is Useful for a Variety of Tasks
160823-N-FL768-02 MEDITERRANEAN SEA
(August 23, 2016) USS Ross (DDG 71) finds an
abandoned vessel, Griffin-1 is used to determine
if anyone remains on the vessel. (U.S. Navy photo
by LTJG Sean Mansfield/Released)
Midshipmen Matthew Oman on his first class
Aviation Cruise in front of an E/A-18 Growler.
Midshipmen Oman was assigned to VAQ-135 at
NAS Whidbey Island. Photo by MIDN 1/C Keaton
Fujii.
8 | Department of the Navy Strategy and Innovation Newsletter | Dec 2017 | Issue 06
historyhistoryhistory of innovation in the DON—Making a Difference
By Sarandis Papadopoulos, Ph.D.,
Secretariat Historian
CSS Virginia, the former steam
frigate Merrimack now an ironclad
ram, sailed into Hampton Roads to
attack the wooden-hulled Union
warships blockading Norfolk.
Commanded by Flag Officer Franklin
Buchanan, the Confederate vessel
quickly sank the USS Cumberland and
Congress, then damaged Minnesota.
Despite a barrage of fire by these
warships and shore batteries, Union
shots bounced harmlessly off the
ironclad's sloped armor. The next
morning Virginia sortied to finish off
the Minnesota. From nearby a new
vessel appeared, which one observer
described as “a gigantic cheese box,”
seemingly with “no sails, no wheels, no
smokestack, no guns.” The USS
Monitor was on the scene to intercept
the Confederate ironclad.
How had the Navy created its own
ironclad? Union sympathizers reported
the Confederates were rebuilding
Merrimack with iron protection, so the
U.S. Congress appropriated money to
counter it. Three types won approval,
the most unusual one designed by a
Swedish-born New Yorker, John
Ericsson. He proposed a low, armored
hull with a revolving gun turret
protected by iron 8” thick, and
mounting two 11” cannon. Ericsson
engineered his 900-ton ship to be a
small target, with its cylindrical turret
designed to deflect shot. As a final
innovation, his was the only design
without sails. The Chief of the Bureau
of Yards and Docks formally accepted
his proposal on 21 September 1861,
and Ericsson contracted for its
building.
Money mattered, however, and the
unusual design alarmed Secretary of
the Navy Gideon Welles. The Secretary
demanded a condition: if Ericsson’s
ship didn't perform well, he and its
builders would have to refund its cost
to the government. One partner
balked at assuming this risk, but
Ericsson pressed for its inclusion; he
knew his ship would remain afloat. The
contract was signed on 4 October for
$275,000, but preliminary work
allowed her keel to be laid just three
weeks later. The ship’s turret was built
separately, then shipped and
reassembled.
Materials’ delays challenged the
shipwrights, slowing progress by a few
weeks. Launched on 30 January 1862,
the ship was commissioned on 25
February, commanded by Lieutenant
John L. Worden, who led a crew of 48
officers and Sailors. Ericsson proposed
the name "Monitor" both to admonish
the Confederate government and to
warn Great Britain of the danger of
intervening in the sectional American
war. The first Assistant Secretary of the
Navy, Gustavus V. Fox, approved it.
The ship had its share of troubles: her
steering gear failed, needing repair
before she headed south on 6 March,
to arrive in Hampton Roads two days
later.
Monitor had arrived just in time to
fight CSS Virginia to a standstill in
history’s first all-ironclad naval battle.
Here was an innovative design arriving
at the crucial moment, equipped with
new protection and propulsion, and
flexible armament, all customized for
the type of war the Navy waged. The
Monitor been in service for 11 days,
and went from
contract to
commissioning in
just 17 weeks, a
problem quickly
solved. Today’s
Navy and Marine
Corps need just
such “unusual”
thinking to
overcome their
challenges in our
quickly evolving
world.
Before Speed to Fleet: Innovating just in time
NH 50954: General plan published in 1862, showing the ship's inboard profile, plan view below the upper deck and hull cross sections
through the engine and boiler spaces. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph)
NH 45964/45965/45966: Three page contract to
construct the USS Monitor's hull, made between
Thomas Fitch Rowland, on behalf of the
Continental Iron Works, and John Ericsson and
his associates, 25 October 1861. The original was
in the Office of Naval Records & Library
Collection at the National Archives, circa the
early 1960s. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage
Command Photographs)