Page 64 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

NAVA L OP ERATIO NS AN D SU PPORT FUNC TIO NS 69

and private organizations. Consistent with its own effort, the Navy operational dominance, wherein advanced systems and technolo-
also cooperates with national and private organizations devoted to gies are developed that will give US. military forces a decisive edge
the study of the marine environment. over prospective enemies; and high-risk high-payoff technologies
Some of the Navy's work is carried out by private ocean- that will enable quantum leaps in US. military capabilities.
ographic organizations such as the Scripps Oceanographic Under the national-level problem areas are programs that
Institute in California and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute provide support for the global war on terrorism and protection
in j\llassachusetts. Other work is done by universities and various against biological warfare, among other things. Current operational
technical agencies. Much of the basic and applied research sup- dominance projects include development of advanced manned
ported by ONR relates closely to the programs of a number of and unmanned combat systems, advanced C4 (command, con-
other federal agencies. trol, communications, and computer) systems, and sensors. Areas
being addressed under high-risk high-payoff technologies include
advanced networking, brain-machine interface technology, bio-
Advanced Research chemistry and biomagnetics, and microelectromechanical systems.
Projects in advanced research are conducted by the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a special agency of
the Defense Department. The purpose of this agency is to prevent
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
technological surprise from harming US. security by sponsoring
research in areas of high risk in terms of commercial applicabil-
1. Who manages the Navy's R&D program?
ity and profit potential. Private enterprises are reluctant to take on
2. "Vhat is the mission of the Office of Naval Research?
such projects. DARPA's program is structured in three major areas:
national-level problems involving threats to US. national security; 3. What kinds of research does the Naval Research Laboratory
do?
4. A. What is DARPA?
B. What are the three main DARPA program areas?

CRITICAL THINKING
1. Should research and development efforts for the military
be done exclusively by government laboratories, by private
laboratories under contract to the government, or by both?
Give the rationale for your answer.

VOCABULARY

A new Navy sea control ship such as that shown here will handle ONR NRL
surface and undersea surveillance, antisurface and antisubmarine R&D DARPA
warfare, antiair warfare, and mine warfare, with V/STOL aircraft and
hel icopters.