Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division has established the Joint Operational Energy Innovation Prototyping and Experimentation Field Activity, or OE-I PEFA, to advance technology development through expertise and resource sharing.
The prototyping project aims to advance workforce development, explore the viability of an operational energy-focused university consortium and collaborate with service acquisition programs and international partners, NSWC Crane said Monday.
It was introduced in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment’s Operational Energy—Innovation Directorate, whose core mission focuses on enterprise-wide energy visibility and decision-making, operational energy resilience, operational energy demand reduction and nuclear power.
Accelerated Deployment of Operational Energy Capabilities
According to John Fassino, director of the OE-I PEFA and deputy director for Operational Energy Innovation, the initiative will focus on community engagement and warfighter integration through experimentation to accelerate the deployment of new OE capabilities to the joint force. The creation of OE-I PEFA “is a testament to our deep technical roots in energy storage and rapid innovation culture,” he noted.
“We are excited to partner with OE-I to establish OE-I PEFA to lead demonstration and experimentation events, provide modeling, simulation and analytic support, and lead efforts that will improve the warfighting capabilities of our military,” Capt. Rex Boonyobhas, the commanding officer at NSWC Crane, added.
NSWC Crane cites its scientific and engineering expertise, advanced facilities and laboratories, and close ties with the battery industry as key to integrating, deploying and sustaining advanced energy solutions.