2025 Naval Research Laboratory Year in Review

Washington, D.C. – In 2025, scientists and engineers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) pushed the boundaries of what is possible, launching new instruments into space, advancing breakthrough technologies in the lab, and delivering capabilities that directly strengthen naval readiness and national security. From the sea floor to the far reaches of space, NRL’s research this year translated discovery into real-world impact for the Fleet and the Nation.

“In 2025, NRL continued its legacy of discovery and development of breakthrough technology in all domains,” said NRL Commanding Officer Capt. Randy Cruz. “Everything from seabed to space and cyberspace, our researchers have focused on how to become more efficient in battling corrosion, applying AI to various disciplines, understanding nanoscience and advancing quantum research. All of which are purposeful fields of science that yield warfighter advantage. NRL continues to be a national treasure.”

Patents and Partnerships

Turning discovery into usable technology is a core part of NRL’s mission, and in 2025, that transition reached record levels. With 1,179 active patents and 59 active licenses, NRL’s research efforts reflect both the strength of its innovations and renewed efforts to make sure those innovations reach industry, government partners and the fleet.

During this year, NRL researchers received 112 new invention disclosures and two new trade secrets for critical software capabilities. The Lab filed 221 new patent applications and received 55 new U.S. patents, protecting a broad range of advances across science, engineering and national security domains. NRL researchers published 985 unclassified articles in periodicals, chapters in books, and papers in various proceedings, 54 NRL formal reports, and 269 NRL memo reports.

Partnership played an equally central role. Through 49 active Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), NRL scientists worked directly with private industry and other organizations to mature technologies, test applications and accelerate the path from laboratory to operational use. These collaborations brought in $1.25 million in research funding and enabled joint development efforts.

In 2025, under the Non-Federal Entities program, NRL entered into 36 new agreements with outside entities for a total value of just over $6 million. These agreements are used when the materials and/or services NRL is providing can’t be acquired elsewhere in the private sector and is a way that NRL makes its singular expertise available to private industry.

As a Navy working capital fund organization, NRL operates on a revolving fund relying on revenue from partners rather than direct Congressional appropriations to finance operations. About 34% of our reimbursable funding comes from Office of Naval Research, 21% from the Navy, 18% from the Air Force, 1% from the Army, 22% from other Department of War agencies, 3% from other Federal agencies, and the remaining from non-federal agencies.

Top Stories

The year’s top stories and videos highlighted how NRL is leveraging artificial intelligence, advancing quantum technologies, strengthening materials research, and modernizing nuclear and advanced manufacturing – aligned with the Chief of Naval Operations priorities – to deliver real-world impact for the Department of the Navy and the Nation.

Below, find NRL news highlights from 2025.

FOUNDRY

Members of the Laser Plasma Branch at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory join visitors from fellows defense research agencies for a group photo in the NIKE target area in Washington, D.C., Oct. 25, 2024. The visit featured a tour of the NIKE laser facility to promote potential collaborative experiments in reactive materials research. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s NIKE Laser-Target Facility Helps to Advance Department of Defense Nuclear Mission Members of the Laser Plasma Branch at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory join visitors from fellows defense research agencies for a group photo in the NIKE target area in Washington, D.C., Oct. 25, 2024. The visit featured a tour of the NIKE laser facility to promote potential collaborative experiments in reactive materials research. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)-National Research Council (NRC) Postdoctoral Fellow with NRL’s Chemistry Division, Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering, Alex Johnson, studies the impact of corrosion from saltwater aerosols at the NRL Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR) Littoral Bay Wave Pool, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 2024.

SLIDESHOW | images | NRL Protects Naval Assets: Land, Sea, and Air U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)-National Research Council (NRC) Postdoctoral Fellow with NRL’s Chemistry Division, Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering, Alex Johnson, studies the impact of corrosion from saltwater aerosols at the NRL Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR) Littoral Bay Wave Pool, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 2024.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1 gathers for a group photo at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Md. April 28, 2025. VXS-1 conducts airborne scientific experimentation and advanced technology development in worldwide operations supporting U.S. Navy and national science and technology priorities and war fighting goals.

SLIDESHOW | images | The Navy’s Airborne Lab Puts Tech to the Test The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1 gathers for a group photo at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Md. April 28, 2025. VXS-1 conducts airborne scientific experimentation and advanced technology development in worldwide operations supporting U.S. Navy and national science and technology priorities and war fighting goals. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Computer Engineer and TREx Product Owner Brian Cassidy (left), and Lt. Col. Brian Kester (right) from Space Systems Command (SSC) complete the transfer of the Transmit/Receive Enterprise (TREx) service from NRL to SSC in El Segundo, California, August 7, 2025. TREx was developed at NRL and will now support the broader U.S. Space Force enterprise.

SLIDESHOW | images | TREx U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Computer Engineer and TREx Product Owner Brian Cassidy (left), and Lt. Col. Brian Kester (right) from Space Systems Command (SSC) complete the transfer of the Transmit/Receive Enterprise (TREx) service from NRL to SSC in El Segundo, California, August 7, 2025. TREx was developed at NRL and will now support the broader U.S. Space Force enterprise.

SLIDESHOW | images | NRL's Innovative TSN and TSRV Technology Enhances Navy Ship Readiness U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering Engineer Jimmy Tagert and Tim Wise, a Senior Engineer with Precise Systems and NRL contractor install an improved Thermal Spray Nonskid (TSN) on the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), with the new Thermal Spray Robotic Vehicle (TSRV), to further support U.S. Navy mission readiness, safety, and a well-equipped Fleet.

FLEET

SLIDESHOW | images | Everyday Innovations Powered by Navy Research In honor of the United States Navy’s 250th birthday, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is celebrating five Navy innovations that became groundbreaking technologies and shape the lives of people around the world. Graphic by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

SLIDESHOW | images | Above, Below & Beyond: Innovating Naval Science at NRL Discover how the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) drives innovation and scientific excellence in support of the modern U.S. Navy. Featured in the Navy's 250th anniversary video, this 90-second segment highlights NRL's pivotal role in advancing cutting-edge technologies that empower the fleet to operate above, below, and beyond the seas. Graphic by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

SLIDESHOW | images | Presidential Awards Spotlight Naval Research Excellence U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering Materials Research Engineer Mary E. Parker, Ph.D., receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers announced Jan. 14, 2025. Parker specializes in advanced materials, galvanic compatibility, and the many ways corrosion directly impacts Navy asset design, availability, and sustainability. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future. (U.S. Navy Photo)

Samantha Magill (NAA vice chair, center) awards the Collier Trophy to Nicki Fox (Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate, and former Parker Solar Probe Project Scientist), Andy Driesman (APL), Betsy Congdon (APL), and Bobby Braun (APL), June 12. The Collier Trophy is on display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum (Udvar-Hazy Center) and is engraved with the names of all past awardees.

SLIDESHOW | images | The Collier Trophy Award Samantha Magill (NAA vice chair, center) awards the Collier Trophy to Nicki Fox (Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate, and former Parker Solar Probe Project Scientist), Andy Driesman (APL), Betsy Congdon (APL), and Bobby Braun (APL), June 12. The Collier Trophy is on display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum (Udvar-Hazy Center) and is engraved with the names of all past awardees.

SLIDESHOW | images | Vanguard Award Recognizes Department of the Navy Office of Small Business Programs U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Chief of the Contracting Office Mr. Craig Barton (right) discusses contracting opportunities with an attendee during NRL’s Innovation Day for Industry held in the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research in Washington, D.C. May 16, 2024. The event promoted collaboration between researchers and discussion of emerging technologies for defense applications. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | Honoring a Pioneer: Dr. George Carruthers’ Legacy Reaches Space Again NASA launches the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory mission, honoring the late Dr. George R. Carruthers, whose groundbreaking work at NRL transformed how we observe Earth and space. Dr. George Carruthers (center) discusses the far ultraviolet camera/spectrograph with Apollo 16 Commander John Young (right).

The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s joint Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite launch from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fl, Dec. 2, 1995. (U.S. Navy Photo)

SLIDESHOW | images | NRL’s LASCO Marks 30 Years Transforming Solar Science and Strengthening National Security At 0808 on Dec. 2, 1995, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s joint Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite launched from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fl. Among the 15 instruments aboard the spacecraft was the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO). (U.S. Navy Photo)

FIGHT - SURFACE

Computer Scientist Adam Moses run a scenario through the NRL 3D computer-simulated mapping and modeling program called CT-Analyst®

SLIDESHOW | images | Computer Scientist Adam Moses run a scenario through the NRL 3D computer-simulated mapping and modeling program called CT-Analyst® Computer Scientist Adam Moses run a scenario through the Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) 3D computer-simulated mapping and modeling program called Contaminant Transport Analyst, or CT-Analyst®, Jan. 8, 2025. Data can be run through the program to illustrate the shape and direction of a plume from the release of chemical, biological, and radioactive substances to help first responders quickly and accurately plan for response coordination, a key priority in a densely populated metropolis like D.C.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Office of Naval Research-Global TechSolutions recently demonstrated the Marine Corps Surf Observation Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations during Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 (TCE 24.2) hosted by the Office of Naval Research at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., Aug. 20-23. Meteorology and Oceanography Battlespace Surveillance Company 1st Intelligence Battalion Marines and NRL Ocean Science Division engineers observe surf conditions and LittoralLens system performance during amphibious combat vehicle operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael Walls)

SLIDESHOW | images | Next-Gen Tactical Decision Aid: A Naval System-of-Systems Approach The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Office of Naval Research-Global TechSolutions recently demonstrated the Marine Corps Surf Observation Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations during Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 (TCE 24.2) hosted by the Office of Naval Research at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., Aug. 20-23. Meteorology and Oceanography Battlespace Surveillance Company 1st Intelligence Battalion Marines and NRL Ocean Science Division engineers observe surf conditions and LittoralLens system performance during amphibious combat vehicle operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael Walls)

SLIDESHOW | images | Naval Research Laboratory and NASA Launch Joint Effort to Study Wildfire-Induced Thunderstorms As wildfires grow more intense and frequent across the globe, scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are working to better understand a rare but powerful byproduct of these blazes: pyrocumulonimbus clouds, or pyroCbs. Graphic by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Principal Investigator Kevin Cronin (left) and U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office Science and Technology Analyst Capt. Joshua Ashley (right) train Marines with Combat Logistics Company 33 on the warfighting utility of hydrogen fuel cell systems during an exercise at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii, March 4, 2024.

SLIDESHOW | images | Naval Research Hydrogen Tech Goes Tactical U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Principal Investigator Kevin Cronin (left) and U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office Science and Technology Analyst Capt. Joshua Ashley (right) train Marines with Combat Logistics Company 33 on the warfighting utility of hydrogen fuel cell systems during an exercise at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii, March 4, 2024.

Nicholas Sirica, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory physicist, tunes a monochromator for an ultraviolet light source to characterize materials in a cluster system in Washington, D.C., Sept. 18, 2025. Sirica uses the cluster system to grow and characterize quantum materials for the fabrication of nanoscale devices with unique functionalities. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | Cluster System Nicholas Sirica, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory physicist, tunes a monochromator for an ultraviolet light source to characterize materials in a cluster system in Washington, D.C., Sept. 18, 2025. Sirica uses the cluster system to grow and characterize quantum materials for the fabrication of nanoscale devices with unique functionalities. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

Ashley Fulton, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory research chemist, poses for a photo with a trace explosive sensor testbed system in Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2025. Fulton’s research explores the development of non-contact fentanyl detection to increase the safety of first responders. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | Naval Research Laboratory and Florida International University Advance Non-Contact Detection of Trace Fentanyl Ashley Fulton, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory research chemist, poses for a photo with a trace explosive sensor testbed system in Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2025. Fulton’s research explores the development of non-contact fentanyl detection to increase the safety of first responders. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

NRL scientist Margo Staruch, Ph.D., working with the University of Virginia Commonwealth, has developed the first anatomically accurate rat brain phantom capable of measuring traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts in real time. The breakthrough model replicates the mechanical properties of brain tissue while embedding a piezoelectric sensor that converts impact forces directly into measurable electrical signals, offering unprecedented insight into how blast waves and impacts propagate through the brain. November 24, 2025, Washington D.C. (U.S. Navy Photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Develops Anatomically Accurate Rat Brain Phantom for Traumatic Brain Injury Research NRL scientist Margo Staruch, Ph.D., working with the University of Virginia Commonwealth, has developed the first anatomically accurate rat brain phantom capable of measuring traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts in real time. The breakthrough model replicates the mechanical properties of brain tissue while embedding a piezoelectric sensor that converts impact forces directly into measurable electrical signals, offering unprecedented insight into how blast waves and impacts propagate through the brain. November 25, 2025, Washington D.C. (U.S. Navy Photo by Sarah Peterson)

Javier Jimenez (Left), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory research chemist, answers questions to attendees during Military Medical Innovation Family Program at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, in Silver Spring, MD, April 26, 2025. Jimenez worked on Designing thermoreversible gels for extended release of mosquito repellent. (U.S. Navy photo by Jonathan Steffen-Arnold)

SLIDESHOW | images | NRL Showcases Novel Long-Lasting Insect Repellent Material Javier Jimenez (Left), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory research chemist, answers questions to attendees during Military Medical Innovation Family Program at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, in Silver Spring, MD, April 26, 2025. Jimenez worked on Designing thermoreversible gels for extended release of mosquito repellent. (U.S. Navy photo by Jonathan Steffen-Arnold)

FIGHT - AIR & SPACE

The Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload integrated with the Northrop Grumman Mission Robotics Vehicle (MRV) spacecraft bus sits outside the cryogenic thermal vacuum chamber after completing testing at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) in Washington, D.C., Sept. 3, 2025. NRL NCST, with funding support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is conducting final space-readiness testing on RSGS, a robotic payload designed to extend and upgrade satellites already in orbit.

SLIDESHOW | images | Naval Research Laboratory Robotic Servicing Payload Clears Thermal Vacuum Lab Test, Readies for Space The Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload integrated with the Northrop Grumman Mission Robotics Vehicle (MRV) spacecraft bus sits outside the cryogenic thermal vacuum chamber after completing testing at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) in Washington, D.C., Sept. 3, 2025. NRL NCST, with funding support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is conducting final space-readiness testing on RSGS, a robotic payload designed to extend and upgrade satellites already in orbit.

Roxana Leontie, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) computer research scientist, performs a reinforcement learning control test on free-flyer robots aboard the International Space Station from NRL headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 27, 2025. The test demonstrated the potential of reinforcement learning to improve robotic autonomy for space exploration and logistics. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | Reinforcement Learning is Making a Buzz in Space Roxana Leontie, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) computer research scientist, performs a reinforcement learning control test on free-flyer robots aboard the International Space Station from NRL headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 27, 2025. The test demonstrated the potential of reinforcement learning to improve robotic autonomy for space exploration and logistics. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

SLIDESHOW | images | Understanding Gamma Rays in our Universe through StarBurst Richard Woolf, Ph.D., U.S. Naval Research Laboratory(NRL) Research Physicist, holds a crystal detector unit that is part of StarBurst in Washington, D.C., February 18, 2025. StarBurst was fabricated and designed at the U.S. NRL and is a SmallSat instrument that will detect gamma rays from events such as the mergers of dense stellar remnants called neutron stars. (U.S. Navy photo by Jonathan Steffen-Arnold)

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SLIDESHOW | images | NRL's Narrow Field Imager Launches on NASA's PUNCH Mission The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Narrow Field Imager (NFI) was launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as a part of NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission on March 11 and deployed from Falcon 9 on March 12. Graphic by NASA

Images from NRL’s LASCO C3 coronagraph showing the ‘halo’ coronal mass ejection that caused the G4 geomagnetic storm on May 31, 2025. NRL’s LASCO instrument has been operating in space since 1996 and helped develop the field of space weather.

SLIDESHOW | images | Space Storm Captured by NRL Spurs New Era in CME Research Images from NRL’s LASCO C3 coronagraph showing the ‘halo’ coronal mass ejection that caused the G4 geomagnetic storm on May 31, 2025. NRL’s LASCO instrument has been operating in space since 1996 and helped develop the field of space weather.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Senior Electrical Technician, Renzo Benites completes final grounding of the Compact Coronagraph-2 (CCOR-2) after integration on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite.

SLIDESHOW | images | NRL's CCOR-2 Set to Boost Space Weather Forecasting Capabilities U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Senior Electrical Technician, Renzo Benites completes final grounding of the Compact Coronagraph-2 (CCOR-2) after integration on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite.

Mark Ketcham, Aerostar, provides warfighter feedback to Marines who attended a technical demonstration held at Outlying Landing Field Seagle in Twentynine Palms, Calif. May 19-21, 2025. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in conjunction with the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O) conducted the demonstration aiming to develop a technology for Navy vessels to "see over the horizon" using a combination of stratospheric high-altitude balloons (HABs) and unmanned aircraft. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Jozef Mejewski/Released)

SLIDESHOW | images | Above the Battle, Beyond the Horizon Mark Ketcham, Aerostar, provides warfighter feedback to Marines who attended a technical demonstration held at Outlying Landing Field Seagle in Twentynine Palms, Calif. May 19-21, 2025. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in conjunction with the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O) conducted the demonstration aiming to develop a technology for Navy vessels to "see over the horizon" using a combination of stratospheric high-altitude balloons (HABs) and unmanned aircraft. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Jozef Mejewski/Released)

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About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL, located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.

NRL offers several mechanisms for collaborating with the broader scientific community, within and outside of the Federal government. These include Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), LP-CRADAs, Educational Partnership Agreements, agreements under the authority of 10 USC 4892, licensing agreements, FAR contracts, and other applicable agreements.

For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at NRLPAO@us.navy.mil.

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2025 Naval Research Laboratory Year in Review