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ynergy” is an overused word. problems,” said Schmidt. “We’re looking

But in the case of the “Ad- for technology to get out to the war? ghter “Svanced Naval Technology Ex- and providing that forum for DOD, indus-

The Naval Air Warfare ercises” that are held around the country, try and academia to participate and show-

Center Aircraft

ANTX is truly a sum greater than its parts. case capabilities and how they would in-

ANTXs are conducted by the Naval terface with a war? ghting environment.”

Division (NAWCAD)

Research & Development Establishment Schmidt said ANTX provides a realistic leveraged its ANTX (NR&DE) and hosted at the various environment for experimentation. “We’re events to demonstrate

Naval Warfare Centers to demonstrate very focused on technology. We want to emerging technologies and innova- solve a speci? c problem, and speci? cally its Blue Water tions aimed at solving Navy and Marine determine if that system or solution will

Unmanned Air System

Corps problems and addressing mis- work, and do so in that war? ghting envi- sion priorities and gaps. They are not so ronment for a Sailor or Marine.” to deliver supplies to a much exercises, which usually denotes Schmidt said the ANTX scenarios pro- ship at sea. training, but more like technology dem- vide the opportunity to “take technology onstrations. But while they culminate in and see if it works.” a demonstration of these newly devel- “We have a test wing with four squad- oped capabilities for stakeholders, those rons, 128 state-of-the-art labs, plus the demonstrations are often months in the Atlantic Test Range – thousands of square making involving the various teams. miles in the Atlantic Ocean – and its re-

According to the ANTX website sources and instrumentation. NAWCAD (www.antx.org), ANTXs bring indus- provides a world class venue for experi- try, academia, and government research mentation and test that is replicated no- and development organizations together where else in the world.” Schmidt said. to “align technical innovation with op- “We take advantage of Cooperative Re- erational needs,” and “evaluate the util- search and Development Agreements. ity of new technologies before decisions CRADAs let industry and academia use are made on investment priorities.” our test ranges and aircraft at no cost to

ANTX can bring participants repre- them, and we get to see their technology senting very different technologies and in a realistic and operationally relevant unique approaches together to form environment – at no cost to the govern- teams that can address larger problems. ment.”

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft “To test and fail is still a valuable learn-

Division’s (NAWCAD) recent ANTX ing experience,” Schmidt said.

featured more than 20 emerging warf- NAWCAD is experimenting with logis- ighter technologies at its Naval Air Sta- tics Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) tion Patuxent River headquarters. commercial vehicles to prototype a long-

According to Tony Schmidt, NAW- range naval ship-to-ship and ship-to-

CAD’s director for rapid prototyping shore cargo delivery system as part of the and experimentation, the ANTX aimed Navy’s “Blue Water” UAS capability. The to answer the question, “Will this work?” system was tested aboard the USS Gerald “NAWCAD successfully transitions R. Ford (CVN 78) during ANTX 2021.

much of its ANTX technology from ANTX Coastal Trident 2021 (ANTX/ demonstration to deployment because CT21), held at Naval Surface Warfare of our narrow focus on very speci? c ca- Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC pability gaps,” said Schmidt. “We typi- PHD) in California, encompassed more cally target a transition exit to the PEOs than 50 projects and 35 topics, and in- (program executive of? ces) and pro- cluded more than a dozen live exercises gram of? ces, to deliver a capability for occurring over a six-month period cul- the ? eet. We pose and de? ne problems, minating in some demonstrations held and leverage cooperation, to rapidly de- onsite in Septembers. One of the chal- liver solutions with a near-term focus.” lenges asked participants to examine the “We try to ? nd technology that ? lls operational and technical capabilities war? ghting gaps and solves war? ghting of port and maritime security organiza- www.marinetechnologynews.com 11

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