The Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program partnered with the United Kingdom's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) for an unmanned aerial systems capability demonstration, June 10-20, off the Maryland coast near Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Md.

The Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program partnered with the United Kingdom's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) for an unmanned aerial systems capability demonstration, June 10-20, off the Maryland coast near Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Md.

The Stiletto is a unique, maritime demonstration craft developed by the Defense Department to test littoral warfare concepts. Engineers and technicians with specialized expertise in maritime technology from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock's Norfolk detachment maintain and operate the 88-foot-long, composite-bodied, m-shaped vessel.

"Stiletto [capability demonstrations] are conducted in partnership with a host warfighting command or government organization," said Rob Tutton, NSWC Carderock engineer and Stiletto Maritime Demonstration program manager. "For this event, DSTL wanted to observe the operation of UAV's from a small boat platform for maritime missions."

DSTL supplies science and technology services to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence within the defense and military counter terrorism arenas. Three different UAVs, specifically selected for this demonstration, were launched from Stiletto's flight deck, and DSTL personnel observed launch, payload operation and recovery.

"The Stiletto capability demonstration offered a unique opportunity to take a potent government/industry brew of good ideas, practical options and hard work, turning the mix into a genuine capability demonstration for the allied warfighter, which in turn shows how to solve existing and future operational problems. The UK has no equivalent facility, and we are grateful for the support of our U.S. colleagues on the Stiletto team in making this recent capability demonstration a reality," said Paul Mather, DTSL surveillance capability leader.

The Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program is sponsored by ASD Rapid Reaction Technology Office and managed by Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division's Norfolk Detachment, Special Projects Branch.

"This program was established to accelerate the delivery of innovative maritime technologies across all of the armed services," said Glenn Fogg, Rapid Reaction Technology Office director for the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Rapid Fielding. "It's open to any DoD commands, government agencies, industry, or academic institutions that have a need to observe or demonstrate their technologies underway in as relevant an environment as possible."

Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division's Norfolk Detachment, a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command, is located in Virginia Beach, Va., and provides full-spectrum, full-lifecycle engineering for combatant craft, boats, watercraft and associated hull, mechanical, electrical and electronic systems.

from : Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division Public Affairs

Source : http://www.navyrecognition.com