The U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet has revealed that the Navy’s Hybrid Fleet Campaign through Operation Southern Spear will commence later this month within the Southern Command area of responsibility and the 4th Fleet Headquarters at Naval Station Mayport.

Assessing Robotic and Autonomous Systems

The Department of the Navy said Tuesday Operation Southern Spear will evaluate the performance of unmanned air and surface vessels in combination with manned forces. The aim is to assess their capabilities to conduct maritime surveillance and counter-narcotic operations.

The operation involves deploying long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels into the USSOUTHCOM AOR while the 4th Fleet will integrate the unmanned systems with Coast Guard cutters at sea and the operations centers of the 4th Fleet and Joint Interagency Task Force South.

Operation Southern Spear is conducted in support of the Navy’s Project 33, which aims to operationalize robotic and autonomous systems, a.k.a. RAS. The project intends to enhance RAS presence and awareness in critical maritime regions to provide insights to decision-makers, boost sovereignty and promote regional cooperation.

Cmdr. Foster Edwards, hybrid fleet director of the 4th Fleet, said, “Southern Spear will operationalize a heterogeneous mix of robotic and autonomous systems to support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking while learning lessons for other theaters.”

Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of the Naval Forces Southern Command/4th Fleet, added, “Hybrid Fleet operations increase our collaboration with partners in the region while furthering the Navy’s tactics, techniques, procedures and processes.”

The Government Accountability Office is calling on the Department of Defense to issue guidance that would instruct combatant commands to identify training resource needs when proposing a security assistance package for Ukraine.

Training Disruptions

GAO said in a report released Tuesday that the measure would help DOD avoid problems that might disrupt associated training being provided to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion. According to the report, training disruptions were experienced due to insufficient training equipment, limited time to prepare for training, insufficient resources to repair training equipment and mismatches between the expertise of U.S. trainers and the training needs of Ukrainian forces.

Problems With Data Collection

The report also flagged DOD for deficiencies in the data it collected following the trainings. On one hand, training reports do not capture enough data to cover all the objectives of a given training, it said. On the other hand, the data that is required is sometimes not provided by units conducting the training. Just as critically, training data collection methods tended to change with each new training unit.

Documentation and Information Sharing

Data collection is key to assessing trends and identifying areas for improvement. In response to the challenges, GAO recommended that training assessment processes be properly documented. The office also recommended that relevant training observations be captured and shared via the Joint Lessons Learned Information System, a process mandated by DOD policy but which was not consistently applied or even reflected in the implementing orders for the training.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a new executive order to deploy and maintain a next-generation missile defense shield to protect the country and critical infrastructure from foreign aerial attacks.

Secretary of Defense’s Responsibilities

The White House said Monday the EO titled The Iron Dome for America will direct the secretary of defense to submit within the next two months a reference architecture, capabilities-based requirements and an implementation plan for the missile defense shield.

According to the EO, the reference architecture should include plans for U.S. defense against hypersonic, ballistic, advanced cruise missiles and other next-generation aerial attacks from adversaries; acceleration of the deployment of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor layer; and development and fielding of a custody layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

The secretary should review relevant authorities of the Department of Defense to build and deploy capabilities; work with the director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit a plan on how to fund the initiative; and cooperate with U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Northern Command to provide an updated assessment of the strategic missile threat and a prioritized set of locations to defend against a countervalue attack by nuclear adversaries.

Theater Missile Defense Review

The EO mandates that the DOD secretary order a review of theater missile defense posture and related efforts to identify ways in which the U.S. and its allies can improve theater missile defenses of U.S. troops and allied territories and enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation on the development of missile defense technologies, among others.

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, or NSWCPD, has deepened its collaboration with Rowan University of Glassboro, New Jersey, with the signing of a new education partnership agreement, or EPA. NSWCPD said Friday that its EPA with Rowan University is one of seven agreements with colleges around the U.S.

Potential Benefits of the Agreement

The new EPA is anticipated to help bolster Rowan University’s research capabilities and enrich its students’ educational experience. The agreement makes it possible for NSWCPD to loan to the university various resources, including unique and specialized hardware, for use in research to address challenges unique to the U.S. Navy. The agreement will also give subject matter experts from NSWCPD the opportunity to develop and assist in teaching science and engineering courses at the higher education institution.

Cultivating Innovators

Commenting on the new EPA, Steve Mastro, deputy chief technology officer at NSWCPD, said, “The U.S Navy’s partnerships with universities are essential for cultivating the next generation of leaders, innovators, and problem solvers. By forging this education agreement with Rowan University, we ensure a continuous pipeline of highly skilled individuals equipped with the knowledge and adaptability to meet the evolving challenges of national security. These collaborations not only strengthen the Navy’s capabilities but also contribute to the broader advancement of science, technology, and global diplomacy.”

Encouraging Interest in S&T

For his part, Nigel Thijs, technical director at NSWCPD, said, “Our functions at NSWCPD span the engineering spectrum from science and technology to research and development to acquisition and sustainment through the life of ship or ship system. Integral to long-term health are partnerships like this that develop our public-private relationship, create pipeline opportunities to future employment and encourage interest in science and engineering.”