Ensuring Combat Effectiveness

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), with its mission to ensure the continued combat effectiveness of the Navy and Marine Corps, is taking the challenge of emerging technologies head on. Naval Warfare Studies Institute (NWSI) supports the Naval Education Enterprise and the Naval Research and Development Establishment along three lines of effort: people, concepts, and capabilities. At NPS, we develop the future leaders of the future force.

Integrating Cutting-Edge Technology into Naval Warfighting

Artificial Intelligence

In response to the Department of the Navy’s strategic concerns around Artificial Intelligence (AI), and for advanced AI development, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is integrating the ongoing efforts of researchers and students involved in over 100 current projects with a unique consortium focused solely on AI applications. Through the university’s education and thesis research initiatives, NPS students will be primary agents translating AI into naval operations. .

Current Research Programs

Space-based Capability

The Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, is an interdisciplinary academic association providing direction and guidance for the Space Systems Engineering and Space Systems Operations curricula. The SSAG is also the focal point for space-related research performed at the Naval Postgraduate School. A major goal of the SSAG is to couple NPS space research efforts with the graduate education of military officers. This is typically done through thesis research topics but also includes the small satellite project which was created specifically for officer student involvement.

Quantum S&T

Quantum mechanics, the study of nature at an atomic and subatomic level, is a quickly emerging field of research and technology. This new way to look at the world can improve how we navigate, communicate, compute and calculate, and Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Physics Professor Frank Narducci is at the forefront of the technology, especially in researching quantum technology with Navy applications.

Narducci and his team of graduate and post-doctoral students currently focus their efforts on quantum sensors that could detect and track platform motion in the absence of GPS capabilities, such as underwater or in space.

Current Research Programs
  • Dual atom interferometer accelerometer/gyroscope
  • A T3 atom interferometer
  • Quantum states of light
  • Quantum key distribution
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Autonomous Systems

NPS has a wide range of excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities that support underwater, surface, ground, aerial, space systems propulsion; guidance, navigation and control; combat systems design; electronic warfare; electro-optics; MEMS sensors; and many other areas. In addition to that, a well-established field experimentation program provides a unique opportunity to test a developed autonomous system or its sensor in a restricted airspace, 100 miles South from NPS or in Monterey Bay. These facilities are available for thesis research and joint projects between NPS, other service or agency laboratories, and industry through cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs).

Current Research Programs

Hypersonics

The Naval Postgraduate School has several unique research facilities. These facilities have been developed to provide faculty and students with a dynamic research environment to work on problems of special interest to the Department of the Navy/Department of Defense. Classified facilities at NPS allow research up to the Secret Compartmented Information (SCI) level.

Propulsion Laboratory

This lab includes the marine propulsion lab, the rocket propulsion lab, and the turbopropulsion lab. Read more about the Propulsion Lab

Cyberspace

Understanding the role of cyberspace in military operations is not limited to just the cyber experts and practitioners, especially in this modern era of Great Power Competition. With this in mind, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is launching the all-new CY4000 “Cyberspace and Military Operations” course, a new one-credit online class and it is open to all students. Read more about NPS cyberspace research:

Additive Manufacturing

The Center for Additive Manufacturing at NPS, provides interdisciplinary research in additive manufacturing (AM) with special emphasis on the needs in the naval domain. Our vision is to integrate additive manufacturing with an array of emerging technologies to help achieve the highest levels of warfighters’ mission readiness, agility, self-sustainment, reach and overall power projection in its operations on the sea, shore, and air. Read more:

Current Research Programs

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