“NGODI will improve the Navy’s understanding of the maritime domain,” said Jeffrey Ellen, PhD., research scientist at the NIWC Pacific Basic and Applied Research Division. “This technology will provide an unprecedented level of awareness, enhancing our ability to monitor vast bodies of water and detect vessels, aircraft, and marine life within them.”
 
Building on the foundation developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Ocean of Things (OoT) program from fiscal years 2017-2022, NGODI was funded by the Office of Naval Research (Code 322) from fiscal years 2023- 2025.
 
The program leverages years of research and development in edge processing algorithms, machine learning, and cloud computing to deploy a cost-effective, scalable network of adaptable sensors, according to Ellen. These sensors gather critical data for a range of applications across meteorology and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
 
The program is currently transitioning to the Naval Oceanographic Office at John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss., with the Naval Research Laboratory and Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division partnering on the project.
 
NGODI’s effectiveness has already been demonstrated in five recent exercises, including operations with the 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 and smaller deployments with Navy and Marine Corps commands. The sensors have proven particularly adept at vessel detection and tracking.
 
The network relies on compact, basketball-sized sensor units designed for autonomous operation for up to a year. These units transmit data via satellite to a central command center, and their bidirectional communication capabilities allow the Navy to remotely adjust priorities and duty cycles, according to Ellen.
 
“This distributed approach provides comprehensive coverage of areas between traditional, high-cost sensors like Navy ships and hydrophone arrays, offering a more cost-effective and enduring solution than sonobuoys,” he said.
 
Each unit houses a diverse array of sensors, including environmental sensors for measuring temperature, pressure, and wave patterns, as well as specialized sensors for detecting underwater acoustics, radio frequencies, and even magnetic anomalies.
 
NIWC Pacific recently unveiled the next phase of NGODI – the Attritable Cost Effective Lagrangian Ocean Observation Platform (ACELOOP) – presented as a Pre-Solicitation Collaboration opportunity during a recent Information Warfare Research Project (IWRP) Consortium Quarterly Industry Day.
 
Using an Other Transaction Authority  – a special authority granted by Congress that allows the Department of Defense to streamline agreements with non-traditional defense contractors and academic institutions – the planned ACELOOP IWRP effort will fast-track the development and delivery of a prototype batch of 10 to more than 100 updated sensor units, according to Ellen.
 
“The planned ACELOOP IWRP phase is a crucial step towards realizing the full potential of NGODI,” he said. “We anticipate future funding will allow us to scale production to thousands of units, creating a robust and adaptable network.”
 
This next generation network promises to significantly enhance the Navy’s ability to monitor and understand the vast ocean environment, solidifying NIWC Pacific’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions for the Navy's most critical challenges and further securing our nation's most vital waterways.