At WEST 2025, the panel AI-Enabled Warfighters and Warfighting explored how AI can enhance decision-making and operational effectiveness at speed and scale for a standing room only crowd. Moderated by Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, USN (Ret.), President of the Naval Postgraduate School, the discussion brought together DOD leaders, researchers and operational AI practitioners to examine AI’s role in modern warfare.
Panelists included: Rear Adm. Mike Brookes, USN – Commander, Office of Naval Intelligence,Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, USN – Director, Integrated Warfare (N9I), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Lt. Col. Charlie Rowan, USA – Interim Director & Assistant Professor, MOVES Institute, NPS, Capt. Ace Padilla, USMC – Operations Analysis Master’s Student, NPS,Lt. Artem Sherbinin, USN – Chief Technology Officer, Task Force Hopper, U.S. Naval Service Forces and Howard Pace – Professor of Practice, Acquisition Management, NPS
Panelists included
Key takeaways:
• AI must be integrated to enable faster, more informed decisions while ensuring safety and security.
• Investing in talent is critical — AI development can’t be outsourced entirely. The DOD must co-develop solutions to stay ahead.
• NPS plays a critical role in bridging warfighters and AI innovation, ensuring operational needs drive research and adoption.
With the right mix of technology, talent and partnerships, the Department of Defense will maintain a decisive advantage in an AI-driven battlespace. Read more.
During AFCEA West in San Diego, California, NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau describes NPS as a hub for “warrior scholars” – experienced military, international, civilian government and industry professionals – who work together to address real challenges facing DOD. She added that the school’s curriculum is also continuously updated based on feedback, ensuring relevance and responsiveness to evolving needs like AI, quantum and other emerging technology. Rondeau added that the school not only supports innovation, but lays the foundation for creative thinking, collaboration and finding real-world solutions to support the Defense Department. Listen here.
How is Naval Postgraduate School fostering partnerships & an innovative culture to meet United States Department of Defense needs? Kaitie Penry, Director of Emerging Technology and Innovation at NPS, elaborates on the progress of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)-Naval Postgraduate School Memorandum of Understanding aimed at cultivating future leaders equipped to manage innovative solutions. She emphasized its significant role in developing leadership competencies among students, particularly in the areas of acquisition and innovation, preparing them for senior roles within the DOD. Penry also addressed her initiatives to promote an innovative mindset that aligns with the needs of both the DOD and military students. Watch here.
"Time and time again, the disruptors who came to work for me were graduates of the Naval Postgraduate School. Time and time again, NPS has delivered leaders capable of adopting new capabilities in a rapidly changing environment."
These were the points that Retired USMC Lt. Gen. Matthew "Jerry" Glavy drove home during his remarks at the WEST 2025 NPS Alumni reception hosted by the NPS Foundation & Alumni Association on Jan. 28 at the San Diego Convention Center. Speaking to a group of over 150 NPS alumni, current students and faculty and industry members, Glavy and NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau highlighted the incredible work of NPS students, faculty and alumni and the vital role that NPS has to play now and in the future fight.
Both Rondeau and the NPS Foundation leadership team highlighted the changes occurring on campus, from modernization of several buildings to the Naval Innovation Center at NPS. They also encouraged attendees to stay connected and get involved in the growing NPS Innovation Network focused on collaboration and solutions for the warfighter.
Save the Date for our Sea Air Space 2025 NPS Alumni Reception on April 7 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD.
The Naval Postgraduate School is advancing AI-driven drone defense using high-energy lasers, developed in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and the Air Force Research Laboratory to improve how drones and other threats are detected, classified and engaged.
This research is part of a larger effort to integrate AI into defense applications, helping warfighters respond faster and more effectively. NPS is expanding its AI research and educational initiatives with the through the NVIDIA AI Technology Center Program and supported by a $1 million gift from the NPS Foundation to support initiatives that advance AI capabilities, reinforcing our commitment to critical defense technologies. Read more.
Operational Impact:
• Increases precision and speed in drone defense, reducing operator workload and improving engagement success rates.
• Provides a cost-effective alternative to missile-based air defense by enabling high-energy lasers to autonomously track, classify and engage threats.
• Enhances shipborne defensive capabilities against evolving UAS swarms and hypersonic threats, ensuring mission continuity.
• Supports future autonomous weapons integration, laying the groundwork for AI-driven defense systems across the force.
Naval Postgraduate School researcher retired Navy Cmdr. John Joseph led a research effort in collaboration with Seatrec to develop a self-powered underwater drone for long-term ocean acoustic monitoring. The Persistent Smart Acoustic Profiler Voyager was deployed off the coast of Hawaii in November and is already transmitting real-time oceanographic and acoustic data for naval research.
Key Impacts:
Enhancing Undersea Surveillance: Provides persistent, real-time acoustic data critical for anti-submarine warfare, sonar performance and maritime domain awareness.
Reducing Operational Burden: Eliminates the need for ship-based monitoring and battery swaps, freeing up fleet assets for other mission priorities.
Improved Battlespace Awareness: Supports detection and tracking of underwater threats, contributing to fleet survivability and decision-making in contested environments.
Advancing Naval Deterrence: Strengthens the Navy’s ability to monitor undersea activity in strategic regions, ensuring dominance in an increasingly contested maritime domain.
Developing Future Warfighters: Provides NPS students in undersea warfare and oceanography with real-world data, directly linking research to operational applications.
This research directly supports Department of Defense priorities in force readiness, maritime security, and undersea warfare, equipping the fleet with new capabilities for persistent ocean monitoring while reducing costs and operational constraints. Read more.
The National Reconnaissance Office - in partnership with NPS and the New Zealand military’s Defence Science & Technology unit - launched Otter, an NPS CubeSat suite aboard the commercial SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter 12 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Dr. Wenschel Lan, interim chair of NPS’ Space Systems Academic Group, is serving as the NPS team lead and principal investigator, with more than 20 NPS students contributing to the effort. Supported by the NPS maintained and operated Mobile CubeSat Command and Control (MC3) network, Otter carries NPS-built payloads, the X-band transmitter and LOOP projects, which employ the latest in rapidly developing commercial technology. Now that Otter is launched, its operations will be undertaken by NPS faculty and students. Read more.
Last week, the NPS Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) at Camp Roberts focused on defense technology prototyping for Sustained Operations. Participants, including emerging technology companies, industry leaders, and Naval Warfare Center researchers, explored advancements in autonomous systems, energy resilience, predictive logistics, and advanced communication. JIFX fosters innovation by lowering barriers to entry for defense technology development. Join for the next JIFX, happening May 12-16, will focus on Command, Control, & Countermeasures. Learn more.
On Feb. 6, NPS recognized more than 120 faculty and staff members for their dedicated service, with awards ranging from five to 45 years. NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau and Provost Jim Newman joined colleagues, friends and family in honoring their contributions to the institution’s education and research mission. Dr. Dan Nussbaum, chair of the Energy Academic Group, received the longest service award at 45 years.
Dr. Robert Barton, MS in Electrical Engineering ’95, is a retired U.S. Navy captain and technical director for the Maritime Surveillance Systems Program Office at Naval Sea Systems Command, Undersea Warfare Systems. Barton and his team are focused on developing the future Integrated Undersea Surveillance System, which will play an important role in advanced undersea vehicle detection. During a visit to the NPS campus last week, Barton offered project details and research needs during classified lectures and meetings with students and faculty from NPS’ Undersea Warfare Academic Group and across campus.
"The Naval Postgraduate School’s unique combination of talented students, world-class research faculty and facilities, and a focused interdisciplinary curriculum in undersea warfare (USW) create a unique environment and resource for addressing USW warfighting as well as technology and S&T gaps,” said Barton.
NPS secured its first patent of 2025 for research on additive manufacturing with oxide-reinforced titanium powders. Led by faculty and a former student, the project enhances titanium alloy strength, improving naval readiness and aircraft durability.
Since this project’s execution, the establishment of the Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) at NPS has significantly increased the institution’s related research capacity and capabilities, focused on delivering innovative material solutions to the fleet, faster. Read more.
Visit TechLink to view a list of NPS Technologies available for licensing.
Adapting New Technologies for the Future Battlefield
By Lt. Col. Hassan M. Kamara, MA in Security Studies ‘15
It is Time to Build Small Warships
By Shelley Gallup, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Information Sciences, and Ben DiDonato, Systems Engineer, Naval Postgraduate School, LMACC Program
Interview with Maj. Bobby Strain, MS in Defense Analysis ‘24 and Maj. Tim Marti. MS in Defense Analysis ‘24
By Cmdr. John Orr, MBA Financial Management ‘20
The Biodefense Oligarchy and Its Demographic Defeats
By USMC Lt. Col. Joe Murphy, Space Systems Fundamentals Certificate ‘23
Thinking Together, Winning Together: The USNA Warfighter-Centered Design Challenge
By Cmdr. Ken Maroon, Jered Heimingway, Lyla Englehorn, Faculty Associate, and Lt. Cmdr. Adam Johnson, MS in Defense Logistics Management ‘24
Engineering the Future: Tamika Richardson’s Mission to Advance Warfighter Readiness
Interview with spotlight on Tamika Richardson, MS in Systems Engineering ‘21, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division
Interview with Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb, MS in Security Studies '16, and Battalion Chief Dena
California’s New Fuel Standards Hurt the Poor, With Little Environment Benefit
Professor David Henderson, Associate Professor of Economics
Building Resilience: Closing the Climate Knowledge Gap in the U.S. Military
By Emily Pesicka, PhD, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) postdoctoral research fellow in the NPS Energy Academic Group
Terence G. Emmert, MS in Aeronautical Engineering’95, has been appointed Acting Secretary of the Navy. Emmert most recently served as the director of the Adaptive Capabilities Office for the Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency where he focused on accelerating technology development for high-priority national security needs and warfighter operations.
Retired Navy Capt. Janet H. Days, MBA ’05, who retired last year after 37 years of naval service, started her new position on Feb. 7 as director of Suffolk’s economic development department. A graduate of Old Dominion University and former commander of a guided missile destroyer, Days was the first Black commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk, where she led 89,000 active-duty military personnel and more than 50,000 civilian employees. She served in the Navy for 37 years.
Dominick Vincent, MS in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography‘03 and PhD in Meteorology ‘06, has been promoted to Metron’s vice president of advanced mathematics applications (AMA) division. Vincent has held research and development leadership positions since his move to Metron in 2019. He led the development of operational risk management decision-support systems and helped transition such technologies to the U.S. Navy. His more than 25-year career in the Navy included time holding leadership roles within Naval Oceanography, where he provided risk management support across applied warfare areas.
U.S. Navy Cmdr. James Koffi, MS in Operations Research ‘13, relieved U.S. Navy Cmdr. Chance Smith as commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) during a change of command ceremony on Jan. 9.
After a lengthy public service career working in Guam’s executive and judiciary branches, recently elected Sen. Eulogio Shawn Gumataotao (R) is now serving in the 38th Guam Legislature after being sworn in on Jan. 6.
William Wells, PhD Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation ‘05, joined the Institute for Defense Analyses as a Research Staff Member in the Information Technology and Systems Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center.
Governor Wes Moore appointed Harry Coker, Jr as acting secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce. Coker most recently served as the United States National Cyber Director from 2023-2025, serving as principal advisor to the President of the United States on cybersecurity strategy and policy.
Retired Rear Adm. Joseph A. "Digger" DiGuardo Jr. was recently appointed to the Ocean Power Technologies Advisory Board. He currently serves as Chair and Professor of Practice in the NPS Undersea Warfare Academic Group.
Pleasanton’s new Chief of Police Tracy Avelar, MA in Homeland Security '17, was sworn in during a ceremony last Wednesday, officially making her the city’s first ever permanent female police chief.
RIIG, an AI driven risk intelligence and cybersecurity solutions provider, announces the addition of Marvin "Ben" Haiman, Executive Leadership ’19, to its advisory board.
Major Christopher Huff, USMC, MS Candidate in Nuclear Operations, MS Program Management ’24, has been selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the Naval Strategic Studies Group, announced by the Department of the Navy Office of Strategic Assessment.
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Seatrec + Naval Postgraduate School Achieve Historic First by Collecting Acoustic Data in Real-Time with Underwater Drones
CHDS Alum Spearheads Effort to Establish OSAC Public-Private Partnership Transforming the Electrical Grid Starts with Researcher’s ‘Building Blocks’
