Mine and Expeditionary Warfare Advanced Technology

Mission — Mine and Expeditionary Warfare Advanced Technology source

Explosive ordnance disposal is a critical naval mission vital to the safety of service members and civilians. Highly trained Sailors and Marines utilize their knowhow and courage combined with state-of-the-art technology to remove unexploded ordnance, land/sea mines and even chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5160.62 "DoD Executive Agent for Military Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology & Training" guides research in this Program Element (PE). Unique needs and capabilities identified by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) and the DoD EOD Program Board are also addressed by this PE and provide the vision and key objectives for the essential science and technology efforts that will enable the continued supremacy of U.S. Naval and Joint EOD forces in the 21st century. The strategy focuses and aligns Naval S&T with Naval missions, Joint Service EOD S&T with Joint EOD missions and future capability needs that address the complex challenges presented by both rising peer competitors and irregular/asymmetric warfare. This PE primarily develops and demonstrates prototype Mine Countermeasures (MCM), Expeditionary Warfare and Joint EOD system components that support capabilities enabling Naval and Joint EOD Forces to influence operations ashore. Adversarial nations have the capability to procure, stockpile and rapidly deploy all types of naval mines, including new generation mines having sophisticated performance characteristics, throughout the littorals. They also have the capability to develop or modify explosive devices such as mines and unexploded ordnance to construct Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for the purpose of targeting Joint Forces. Real world operations have demonstrated the requirement to quickly counter the mine threat. Current operations have also demonstrated the requirement to quickly counter the threat from explosive hazards and IEDs during DoD operations. Advanced technologies must rapidly detect and neutralize all mine types, from deep water to the inland objective. Advanced technologies must enable Joint EOD forces to detect/locate, gain access, diagnose, render safe, neutralize, recover, exploit and dispose of a broad spectrum of explosive hazards including unexploded ordnance and IEDs. This program supports the advanced development and integration of sensors, processing, warheads, and delivery vehicles to demonstrate improved Naval Warfare capabilities. It supports the advanced development and integration of sensors and tools for standoff capabilities such as detection and location of IEDs (particularly in dismounted operations), dismounted diagnosis of buried munitions and other explosive hazards, precision render safe and neutralization of surface munitions and other explosive hazards, and enhanced access to IEDs. It supports the Expeditionary Maneuver and Undersea Warfare-related FNC Enabling Capabilities (ECs). Today's Sailors and Marines are enabled by naval Science and Technology (S&T). Since 1946, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has fostered scientific research related to the maintenance of maritime superiority and national defense. ONR manages the Department of the Navy's (DON) portfolio of naval Basic and Applied research, and Advanced Technology Development investments to ensure naval forces can effectively deter conflict, but when called upon, fight, win and come home safe. Current investments hedge against uncertainty, providing solutions to commanders today, and options for the future. The Naval S&T budget supports higher guidance defined by the National Defense Strategy, and responds to requirements identified by the Secretary of the Navy through research priorities set by the Chief of Naval Research, coordinated across the Naval Research Enterprise (NRE), and outlined in the Naval R&D Framework. This Program Element (PE) funds Advanced Technology Development (ATD) that includes development of subsystems and components and efforts to integrate subsystems and components into system prototypes for field experiments and/or tests in a simulated environment. Efforts in this PE generally have Technology Readiness Levels TRL) of 4 (component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment.), 5 (component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment.), or 6 (system/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment).

Mission — Shallow Water MCM Demos source

This Project develops and demonstrates prototype technology for Mine Countermeasures (MCM), US Naval sea mining, and Expeditionary Warfare and Joint EOD system components that support capabilities enabling Naval and Joint EOD Forces to influence operations ashore. Adversarial nations have the capability to procure, stockpile and rapidly deploy all types of naval mines, throughout the littorals including new generation mines having sophisticated performance characteristics. They also have the capability to develop or modify explosive devices such as mines and unexploded ordnance to construct Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for the purpose of targeting Joint Forces. Real world operations have demonstrated the requirement to quickly counter the mine threat. Current operations have also demonstrated the requirement to quickly counter the threat from explosive hazards and IEDs during DoD operations. Advanced technologies must rapidly detect and neutralize all mine types, from deep water to the inland objective. Advanced technologies must enable Joint EOD forces to detect/locate, gain access, diagnose, render safe, neutralize, recover, exploit and dispose of a broad spectrum of explosive hazards including unexploded ordnance and IEDs. This program supports the advanced development and integration of sensors, processing, warheads, and delivery vehicles to demonstrate improved Naval Warfare capabilities. This Project supports the advanced development and integration of sensors and tools for standoff capabilities such as detection and location of IEDs (particularly in dismounted operations), dismounted diagnosis of buried munitions and other explosive hazards, precision render safe and neutralization of surface munitions and other explosive hazards, and enhanced access to IEDs. It supports advanced development for battlespace shaping weapons including advanced undersea weapons. It supports the MCM related FNC Enabling Capabilities (ECs).

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)