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Please give an overview of the size ‘uncrewed’ – that looks at the dramatic strategy to expand our operations and and shape of uncrewed maritime sys- acceleration and expansion of our ap- research in that realm. This new re- tems currently in the ‘? eet’ or at the plications of these systems. We rely signing of an annex of a broader MOU disposal or NOAA, and discuss how heavily on partnerships, and the goal is is to implement a recent act signed by you see this expanding and evolving to make all of our ships ‘Mother Ships’ the president – the CENOTE Act or in the future. of these types of systems, to include un- the Commercial Engagement Through

There is a rich array of capabilities. In crewed air systems, too. Ocean Technology Act – that has specif- my agency, we have a ? eet of about 100 ic provisions about the Navy and NOAA platforms; with our partners – primar- The impetus for this interview was partnering, leveraging the Navy’s infra- ily the Navy – we have a ? eet of about the recent agreement between structure and best practices as well as 300 to 500. It offers a range of capabili- NOAA and the U.S. Navy “to jointly other assets on the Gulf Coast. This in- ties from long endurance to deep div- expand the development and cludes a new Ocean Enterprise facility ing to surface vessels and gliders. We operations of unmanned maritime in the Port of Gulfport which is being partnered with (iXblue’s) DRiX, which systems in the nation’s coastal and built, and is intended to be our base of is a USV with a wave piercing bow world’s ocean waters.” Why is this operations for uncrewed maritime sys- capable of 14 knots. I would not have agreement signi? cant, and perhaps tems. This partnership with the Navy is dreamed that we could collect IHO Or- more importantly, why wasn’t this one of about a dozen that we have signed der One bathymetry with a USV at that type of agreement already in place? or will sign in the coming months (with speed in signi? cant sea states, but it can. NOAA has been working with the commercial, philanthropic and academ-

Then we’re advancing our deep diving Navy, in fact they’ve been working with ic organizations) – surrounding Ocean 6000m ROV capabilities and we’re go- the Navy since I was in the Navy as the S&T, ocean exploration or autonomous ing to move more into AUV applications head of all Navy oceanography assets. systems. It’s exciting to see how we’re too. We have developed an unmanned Growing our autonomous systems was leveraging all that’s out there in a smart systems strategy – soon to be renamed a goal then, and I developed a similar way.

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MTR #7 (18-33).indd 31 9/11/2020 8:47:42 AM