NRL and ONR to Showcase Defense Technologies at Sea-Air-Space 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C.  –   From airborne research to electronic warfare and space science, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will showcase redefining defense technologies, alongside the Office of Naval Research (ONR), at the Sea-Air-Space Conference and Exposition in booth 1653 and outside at T1209, held at the Gaylord Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., Apr. 20-22.

NRL and ONR are crucial for naval superiority and maintaining operational advantage; NRL discovers and pioneers new technologies while ONR helps develop and transition them to the fleet.

NRL plays an integral role delivering the Department of War special knowledge, capabilities, and agile flexibility to succeed in today’s dynamic warfighting environment. A key part of this mission is enhancing maritime dominance by developing core science and technology to augment naval power with a combination of advanced battleships, distributed small combatants, and affordable unmanned systems for comprehensive sea control.

As a scientific and engineering command, NRL conducts foundational science, experimentation, and applied research that drives future naval capability, propelling innovative advances from the seafloor to space. These innovations serve as a strategic catalyst for revitalizing the nation's maritime industrial base, providing a clear technological foundation to modernize shipyards and expand workforce development.

Join us on the exhibit floor at the Command Central Stage - PG Expo Floor for two dynamic discussions about the Naval Research Enterprise:
 

Naval Research: From Discovery to Deployment Monday, April 20 3:00 PM – 3:45PM	Hear directly from NRL Commanding Officer Capt. Randy Cruz and special guests about current research areas, cutting-edge technologies, and collaborative efforts with the Fleet, Warfare Centers, Academia, and Industry that are making our Naval forces a decisive combat power.
Doing Biz with ONR and NRL Tuesday, April 21 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM	Connect directly with ONR and NRL contracts, tech transfer, and small business experts. This panel is a prime opportunity to learn about available resources and the different ways to work with us. The panel will be followed by a Q&A and a dedicated networking session.
From Concept to Capability: Aligning Autonomy Across our Maritime Forces Tuesday, April 21 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM	As autonomous systems redefine maritime operations, the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are converging on shared platforms and mission sets. This panel explores joint integration efforts, highlighting operational synergy and policy alignment across the services. Industry leaders join the discussion to showcase how modular design, AI, and scalable production are accelerating capability delivery. Together, we examine the path from experimentation to deployment in building a truly hybrid maritime force.

Visit booths #1653 and #T1209 to learn more about NRL technologies and capabilities:

CCOR: The Compact Coronograph is a space borne solar imaging sensor that continuously searches for massive, large scale, and fast-moving concentrations of Earth-directed solar plasma. Analysis of CCOR image plasma concentration content is used predict geomagnetic storm severity and onset times.

LARADO: Light sheet Anomaly Resolution and Debris Observation, and its space-based design concept for using satellite and laser technology to detect orbital debris in sizes that currently are not detectable from the ground.

LASR: The Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research contains a number of specialized high bays and laboratories to support our multidisciplinary research and development. The high bays recreate important environments and allow us to reduce the cost of research and development. The environments help to bridge the gap between bench science, where real-world conditions

PROTEUS: PROTEUS is used to identify, query, and filter maritime vessels based on user-defined criteria and provides near-real time global maritime situational awareness.

TEW: The Tactical Electronic Warfare Division (TEWD) is responsible for research and development in support of the Navy's tactical electronic warfare requirements and missions. These include electronic warfare support measures, electronic countermeasures, and supporting counter-countermeasures, as well as studies, analyses, and simulations for determining and improving the performance of Electronic Warfare systems.

VXS-1: Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1 conducts airborne scientific experimentation and advanced technology development in worldwide operations supporting U.S. Navy and national science and technology (S&T) priorities and war fighting goals. Supporting broadly based, multidisciplinary programs across the full spectrum of scientific research and applied technologies, their focus is toward the maritime application of new and improved airborne data collection techniques, experimental equipment, and system demonstration.  

Sea-Air-Space is the premier maritime exposition in the U.S. and brings together the defense industrial base, government officials, private-sector companies and key military decision-makers from the sea services for an opportunity to innovate, educate, and connect.

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.