The US Navy has launched a sector that will address the fleet’s growing need for field-ready technology.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the creation of the Disruptive Capabilities Office (DCO) during the 100th Anniversary Ceremony of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington.
The DCO is one of three US Navy initiatives that seek to bolster efforts in the field of military innovation.
Promoting Technological Growth
Del Toro explained the DCO will collaborate with stakeholders to focus on filling gaps in the fleet’s warfighting capabilities.
“This new organization will push the bounds of rapidly delivering warfighting capability through the innovative application of existing and new systems, and harnessing today’s exponential growth in technology,” he said.
DCO’s collaborations will include the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory’s Rapid Capabilities Office, which addresses the marines’ need for rapid transition and integration into newer technology.
Assisting in ‘Replicator’
The navy’s new office will help deliver the fleet’s contribution to the US Department of Defense’s Replicator Initiative.
The project, launched by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, aims to scale up the production of drones and get them in the hands of troops within 18 to 24 months.
Dubbed a “warfighting-centric” approach to innovation, the initiative will field thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles to deter aggression from China and other nations’ growing military forces.
