NOAA and the U.S. Navy recently inked a deal
to further develop the use of unmanned maritime systems, allowing NOAA to
expand its science, service and stewardship mission with the Navy’s expertise,
infrastructure, best practices and training.
“With the strengthening of our ongoing
partnership with the Navy, NOAA will be better positioned to transition
unmanned maritime technologies into operational platforms that will gather
critical environmental data that will help grow the American Blue Economy,”
said retired Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., assistant secretary of
commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator.
NOAA relies on unmanned systems and other
advanced technologies to enhance its ongoing research and data-gathering
efforts. The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, which is responsible
for defining the physical environment from the ocean floor to the stars so that
the Navy can defend and maintain freedom on the water, has been a leader in
developing and using unmanned systems for more than two decades.
“This agreement lays the foundation for
collaboration, engagement, and coordination between NOAA and the U.S. Navy that
our nation has never seen before,” said RDML John Okon, Commander Naval
Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “It will help us take advantage of each
other’s strengths to advance each of our strategic and operational mission
priorities.”
