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36 MTR June 2011 mixes, so it is too early to speculate on any specific budget issues.

What is your timeframe for enacting the improve- ments to Unmanned Underwater Systems to meet the Navy's needs? (ie. 2 years or 20 years).

Adm. RougheadWe are engaging on all fronts to achieve these capabilities as soon as possible. We are working on critical capabilities such as energy, sub- merged precision navigation, autonomy, and com- mand & control. Our plan is to incorporate these advances into operational prototypes. We will then put those prototypes in the hands of our operators to develop the tactics, techniques, and procedures neces- sary to support warfighting needs.

Can you put in perspective your vision of the Navy 20 years from now, specifically commenting on the desired evolution of Unmanned Underwater

Systems in context of all U.S. Navy assets (both hardware and human).

Adm. RougheadI don't think anyone 20 years ago would have predicted some of the capability that we have today - so predicting twenty years into the future is not easy. I envision, however, a mixed force com- posed of manned and unmanned naval capabilities over, on, and under the sea delivering combat capa- bility from the sea for the nation. I foresee a force in which unmanned systems are not tied to a single host platform, but can operate seamlessly to provide net- worked information across the battlespace. Those unmanned platforms will be sufficiently robust, inte- grated, penetrating, and persistent to ensure that the most valuable information is available, accessible and employable by decision-makers and commanders.

Most importantly, the individual unmanned systems will be sufficiently autonomous so that they assist our

Sailors through highly advanced processes that takes in the flood of data and turns it into actionable infor- mation. This last piece is critical - we cannot merely pull in vast amounts data that overwhelm our opera- tors and analysts. Our systems will provide processed, correlated, synthesized information that streamlines the decision processes of our sea-based leaders.

On the longer-term issue of developing a large, powered UUV, this year we have demonstrated in-water testing to include underwater navigation and multi- day missions. These are being developed in a coordinated, phased approach to meet my goals of a fleet operational capability with several weeks and even months of endurance by the end of this decade.

The Admiral on investing in the future (U.S. Navy photos by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Tif fini Jones V a nder wyst/Released)

Admiral Roughead accepts Marine Technology

Reporter’s Seamaster of 2011 Award.