NPS’ Warfare Innovation Continuum Fuels Students’ Breakthrough Ideas

The Naval Postgraduate School’s Wargaming, Modeling, Simulation, and Red Teaming initiatives are catalyzing advancements in naval concepts and technologies. Through the Warfare Innovation Continuum (WIC), students refine their combat skills while contributing to the Navy’s strategic innovations.

This year’s WIC campaign, “Integrated Naval Campaigning,” came to a successful conclusion. Retired Navy Captain Jeff Kline, NWSI WIC Director, praised the campaign’s role in briefing Navy leadership on sea control designs derived from the initiative. “The CNO’s staff is now looking at an alternative force design to their program forces, based on our campaign analysis,” Kline reported.

The NWSI embarked on this mission at the behest of the Navy’s Warfare Development Division (OPNAV N72). Their goal: to explore integrated naval campaigning—a series of linked tactical operations essential for achieving strategic objectives. These operations stretch from historical amphibious assaults to modern counter-piracy missions.

Given the advent of robotics in warfare, the FY 2024 WIC tackled the question: How can new technologies enhance integrated naval campaigning across conflict spectrums? Three flagship courses laid the groundwork—Joint Campaign Analysis, Information Warfare Systems Engineering, and Networked Autonomous Systems.

The 2023 WIC Workshop, held September 18-21, explored possibilities in eight critical areas of naval operations. Retired Marine Corps Colonel Randy Pugh emphasized the workshop’s impact, not just in developing concepts but in shaping over 200 officers’ strategic thinking.

The workshop drew contributions from a diverse group, bridging academics, military, industry, and governmental sectors. These collaborations led to actionable insights and new operational concepts, which were then funneled into further research and experimentation through NPS initiatives like the Naval Innovation Exchange (NIX) and Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX).

The Systems Engineering Analysis (SEA) 33 capstone team presented significant findings on advanced mining operations. Led by Navy Commander Erik Kowalski, the team developed self-mobile mines, emphasizing their potential over traditional static mines. “We could build self-mobile mines right now,” Kowalski affirmed, signaling a feasible leap in naval warfare technology.

Additionally, the workshop laid the foundation for disrupting current amphibious operations. Emerging concepts included a Highly Distributable Rapid Assault system and a network of autonomous vehicles for increased operational efficiency and safety.

The workshop wasn’t confined to theoretical constructs. It extended into expanding the operational doctrines and technological frameworks within various Navy and Marine Corps sectors. This broad-based approach to innovation underpins NPS’s commitment to driving naval strategies forward.

With the 2024 WIC Workshop planned for September 23-26, focus shifts to “Non-Permissive Global Sea Control.” This effort seeks to integrate emerging technologies and capabilities to strengthen the Navy’s dominance in contested waters.

The forthcoming campaign aims to produce cutting-edge strategies pivotal to maintaining maritime supremacy amidst Great Power competition. Cmdr. Chris O’Connor noted the workshop’s significance: “It will inform ongoing fleet design efforts for the U.S. Navy in this era of rapid technological change.”