General Dynamics Mission Systems Continues Support of Trident II Strategic Weapon System with New Contract
II D5 Life Extension 2 (D5LE2) FCS will occur under this contract, as well.Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (87%); Bangor, Washington (1%); Kings Bay, Georgia (1%); Loanhead, Midlothian, United Kingdom (4%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (3%); Groton, Connecticut (3%); and Quonset Point, Rhode Island (2%). If all options are exercised, work will continue until December 2032
Retiring the R/V Endeavor: Celebrating a Lifetime of Accomplishments and Memories
In September 2025, R/V Endeavor, the University of Rhode Island's (URI) research vessel, sailed on her 736th and final voyage, bringing 50 years of service to a close. Rhonda Moniz, host of the DEEP DIVE podcast, sat down with Endeavor's Port Captain Brendan Thornton and Scientific Service Manager Erich Gruebel to celebrate the vessel's accomplishments and talk about what's next.Built and rebuilt to serveEndeavor joined URI's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) in 1976 as one of the first purpose-built research vessels in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System
DOLGO Launches AI Platform to Document, Share Workforce Knowledge
DOLGO, a Florida-based maritime tech start up, has launched its new AI platform to help combat maritime’s skills crisis at the recent Blue Innovation Symposium in Rhode Island.DOLGO founder Nithesh Wazenn explained that the platform, which can be uploaded to a phone or computer like ChatGPT, will tackle one of the biggest challenges facing maritime—the vanishing aging workforce. As a measure of the scale of the problem in the United States today, the average age of shipyard workers is 55-years-old. This is against a backdrop of shipbuilding demand being set to double over the next decade.
NUWC Division Newport Leaders Provide Wartime Readiness Insight During Workshop
high-end conflict, leaders at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport say success will depend not only on technology, but on how well government and industry work together.That message was front and center during the Ocean State Workshop, an event hosted by Division Newport and the Rhode Island chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NMCA). More than 250 people attended the workshop held Jan. 27 at Naval Station Newport’s Officers’ Club. The event brought together Division Newport personnel and private-sector partners from more than 80 companies to network
URI Computer Simulations Show How Strong Ocean Currents Reduce Size of Surface Waves
Using advanced computer simulations, researchers from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) have concluded how and why strong ocean currents modify surface waves.“Our primary finding is that hurricane-generated ocean currents can substantially reduce both the height and the dominant period of hurricane waves,” said Isaac Ginis, URI professor of oceanography. “The magnitude of wave reduction depends strongly on how accurately ocean currents are predicted. This highlights the importance of using fully coupled wave-ocean models when forecasting
NUWC Division Newport Looks to Build Partnerships, Hosts Rhode Island Commerce Officials
As the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport looks to expand on its “Mastery of the Seas at All Depths” strategic vision, collaborating with industry partners will be a vital piece to success. To that end, the command hosted Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor for discussions and tours at the warfare center on January 16.Also visiting Division Newport were James Bennett, president and chief executive officer of the R.I. Commerce Corp.; Christopher Albert, the state director for U.S. Sen. Jack Reed; and Kevin Czinger, founder and executive chairman of Divergent
FarSounder Awarded Manufacturing Innovation Voucher to Advance AI‑Based Sonar Capabilities
FarSounder, a leader in 3D Forward Looking Sonar technology, has been awarded a Manufacturing Innovation Voucher by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. The award will support advanced research and development focused on integrating automatic target recognition into FarSounder’s end‑user sonar software.Under the Innovation Voucher program, FarSounder will build on an existing proof‑of‑concept to bring machine‑learning target recognition into a fully integrated software prototype. This work will introduce automated classification of key sonar targets, focusing on seafloor features, wake‑related
Retiring the R/V Endeavor: Celebrating a Lifetime of Accomplishments and Memories
Brendan Thornton, Port Captain for the R/V Endeavor, and Erich Gruebel, Scientific Service Manager for the vessel, both in the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, joined Rhonda Moniz on the DEEP DIVE podcast to discuss the vessel and its accomplishments ahead of its retirement after 50 years of service.
Vatn Systems Acquires Crewless Marine
Vatn Systems, a defense technology company building autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for the US military, allied nations, and commercial customers, announced the acquisition of Crewless Marine, a Rhode Island-based company specializing in advanced underwater acoustic sensing and signal processing.Founded by former Navy engineers, Crewless Marine brings experience in torpedo acoustic systems, hydrophone manufacturing, and real-time signal processing. The acquisition strengthens Vatn's strategy to vertically integrate its tech stack to control critical technologies, reduce supply chain dependenci
February 2026
