Innovation is promoted in the upper echelons of the military. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld continues to promote a military culture that embraces and rewards innovation. The Navy's "Sea Power 21" vision and the Sea Trial pillar embrace the process of innovation from the fleet. Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Vern Clark has stated that the Navy will do everything possible to encourage innovation and the Navy "cannot have too many pilot programs under way."1

What does this means for individual war fighters, especially at the unit level? What roles do the individual warfighting units play in the innovation process? How are their contributions made, and what are the potential rewards for their efforts?

In September 2002, the Enterprise (CVN-65) Carrier Strike Group (ECSG) began an experimental innovation program. From the start, the goal has been to improve combat effectiveness by encouraging and capitalizing on unit-level innovation projects using a formalized process run at the strike group level. The motto Innovate to Improve is one of three priorities that guide the operations of the ECSG. Although still developing, the ECSG Battle Group Innovation Cell (BIC) has considered 32 projects, selected 22 for some type of evaluation or demonstration, and taken 8 of these projects to conclusion.

Creating an Innovative Environment

Creation of the innovation cell came from a simple vision that a high priority would be placed on innovation from all members of the strike group and that a formal process would be created to support this vision. The goal was to expend no more than a 10% combined effort on innovation projects, keeping the focus on the number one priority, preparing for combat. A cadre of people was named from the staff to establish the BIC. The innovation process is a collateral duty for all involved.

VOXTEC The user speaks English into the Phraselator, which then translates into several selectable languages. Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and run in cooperation with a destroyer squadron, air wing, and SEAL team, the prototype translator is an example of the partnerships being created by the innovation team.

The creation of a formal innovation process and the associated instruction literally started with a clean sheet of paper. An innovation instruction was developed and distributed across the strike group to guide the BIC and keep the innovation road easy to navigate. Staff members with experience in the test and acquisition world, the CNO's Deep Blue project, other innovators within the strike group, and the newly formed Commander, Second Fleet (C2F), experimentation and innovation shop were tapped for input. Successful models of innovative processes in civilian industry also were researched. Four main principles emerged that helped define the innovation road map:

Maximize the traffic

Keep the traffic moving

Make the road easy to navigate

Minimize the speed bumps

To maximize traffic, participation has been promoted to the strike group as an all hands effort. Project proposals of any scope or magnitude are accepted by the BIC at any time and from any member of the ECSG. Some projects have been evaluated at no cost to the Navy and in less than a week's time. Others are much broader in scope, such as the Spartan unmanned surface vehicle (USV), a multiyear, multinational, and multimillion dollar project.

After evaluating new project proposals during monthly video teleconferences, BIC members make recommendations based on feasibility, uniqueness, and most important, how the projects will support the two top priorities of the strike group, Preparing for Combat and Serving our People. A lead unit (such as a ship, squadron, or detachment) is selected to develop a plan of action and milestones (POA&M) and execute the project. Emphasis is placed on avoiding duplicating the efforts of other Navy projects. The final products might include published articles, development and demonstration of new tactics, urgent need letters or mission needs statements, and submission of results through the Sea Trial process.

Finally, an effort has been made to minimize the number of speed bumps in the process. There are few restrictions on the types of projects and paperwork required to submit a proposal to the BIC. This helps minimize resistance to new and creative thinking. Templates also have been developed to reduce the effort required to submit and critique the innovation projects. POA&Ms from previous projects are distributed to highlight best practices and streamline administrative requirements. To minimize the effect on operational units executing the innovation projects, the strike group staff assumes a managerial role, handling programmatic and bureaucratic issues that would otherwise bog down progress. Close liaison and frequent interaction with innovation partners within C2F and Fleet Forces Command has proved invaluable in keeping the process on track.

Project execution is not the only goal. To foster creative thinking, a Staff Innovation Fellowship was created. The fellowship allows one officer (ensign to lieutenant commander) to be placed on temporary duty to the strike group staff for 60 days. While on the staff, the Fellow assists in the daily execution of the innovation program and is exposed to the full range of strike group capabilities through a comprehensive training syllabus.

In addition, the strike group staff has taken advantage of the CNO's Chief's Program: Warriors at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) program. This fellowship has paid dividends by providing projects such as the E-Wasp micro-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), hand-held language translators, personal water purification filters, and other classified projects.

Products of Innovation

AEROENVIRONMENT The E-Wasp is a micro-UAV project being developed between Department of Defense labs and a civilian company. Conference calls between civilian engineers and the innovation team helped bring the warfighter's perspective to the design and possible missions for the vehicle. The prototype is now being evaluated by innovators on the Philippine Sea (CG-58).

The true promise of this program rests with the outcome of individual projects. The innovation team has taken a baseball approach to determining overall success. Many projects are considered, a fraction actually pursued, and of that, a smaller fraction provides some potential for improved combat effectiveness. Like a world-class hitter, if even one-third of the projects actually come to fruition, the resulting .300-plus batting average would constitute success. The following descriptions provide a sampling of four diverse innovation projects:

The Phraselator is one of five DARPA-sponsored innovation projects under evaluation. The Phraselator is a ruggedized personal digital assistant that translates spoken English into one of several selectable languages. The user chooses the desired language, speaks into the Phraselator, and the Phraselator then sounds off the translation. The intelligence department on the Enterprise is running this program in cooperation with Commander, Destroyer Squadron 18, Air Wing One, and SEAL Team Ten. The Phraselator is being used by boarding teams from the Philippine Sea (CG-58), and has potential applications for maritime interdiction operation (MIO) boarding teams, Naval Special Warfare personnel, and during liberty visits.

Spartan Scout is a first-generation unmanned surface vessel sponsored by the Gettysburg (CG-64) and is considered the "flag ship" of the innovation team. Spartan is a product of the Department of Defense's Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) process and is slated for numerous future spiral developments. The initial spiral that has been accelerated to support the ECSG is an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance version. This prototype features an electro-optical/infrared surveillance turret, a surface search radar, a digital imagery transmission suite, and a command-and-control suite for unmanned operations. Future developments will include mine warfare, undersea warfare, and even armed versions. Spartan was delivered to the Gettysburg while forward deployed and installed during a port visit to Bahrain. It is going through operational testing and is expected to become fully integrated into future operational force protection, surface search and control, and MIO plans. Numerous Navy departments, the U.S. Army, and the Singapore Navy have been involved in this promising effort.

Prisim is an interactive force protection simulator designed by Advanced Interactive Systems and is an example of one of the commercial-off-the-shelf projects being evaluated. This high-fidelity simulator has been designed into a mobile trailer, complete with an operator's control station and a video screen supporting a simulated range. Training uses customized, real-life scenarios that can be modified on the fly by the instructor based on the actions of the trainees. Trainees benefit from using real weapons outfitted with air-firing mechanisms to enhance realism. The simulation characters return fire using plastic pellets that are targeted and controlled by the instructor. Prisim was placed on board the Enterprise for evaluation and has been used to train force protection personnel, watch-standers, Naval Special Warfare members, staff members, and aircrew.

E-Wasp is a micro-UAV being developed by DARPA, the Naval Research Lab, and Aeroenvironment. The BIC initiated contact with the project lead to discuss the status and feasibility of fielding a system during the later stages of the turnaround training cycle. This contact was followed by several conference calls between the BIC and Aeroenvironment project engineers to discuss ease of launch and recovery, range, navigation and control, sensor capability, and data transfer paths. These discussions between fleet operators and developmental engineers provided focus and direction for future design and potential missions of the vehicle, and set an achievable timeline for integration into the innovation process. Once the project was determined to have merit, it was handed off to the innovators on the Philippine Sea(CG-58) for operational execution and evaluation.

Innovation Challenges

The greatest challenge to running an innovation process is funding. Without some type of discretionary funding available to the strike group commander, many innovation projects fail to transition. For example, the strike group attempted to procure a low-cost commercial-off-the-shelf UAV for maritime missions. This project was well studied, UAVs were flight-tested, and the proposal was submitted through the Sea Trial process. Unfortunately, this promising initiative eventually was dropped because of a lack of a funding source. There are ways around the funding issue. Organizations such as DARPA, the Navy's NonDevelopmental Item program, and the ACTD program have their own funding sources for warfighter-driven innovation initiatives. Commercial companies also might provide short evaluation opportunities at no cost to the Navy.

One other funding option would be to provide each strike group commander with a discretionary funding source to promote innovation projects. Secretary of the Navy Gordon England suggested this idea during a news conference at the Naval War College in 2002.2 Oversight from numbered fleet commanders could make sure that Navy spending regulations are met and duplication of efforts is avoided.

Other secondary challenges to the innovation process include identifying the various Navy requirements and regulations affecting innovation projects, integrating innovation projects into operational schedules, and working within the limitations of prototype systems. Most of these challenges can be overcome through aggressive planning and tapping into the experiences of subject matter experts from within the strike group and the C2F experimentation and innovation organization.

Lessons Learned

Inject Operators into the Development Process. The benefits of injecting operator input into the development and procurement process are numerous. Operators provide early design feedback, allowing refinement before a system is delivered to the fleet. Operators also share the latest warfighting needs from evolving combat mission areas. In some cases, war fighters identify an application or tactic that had not been previously considered.

Build It and They Might Come. Establishing the innovation team required time and effort. The early months of this experimental process often were slow, with few projects and some disappointment over other derailed projects. With continued senior-level support, however, the number and quality of ideas and proposals have steadily increased as all commands in the strike group gain exposure to the innovation vision. Individual war fighters have become comfortable proposing ideas to the BIC that might otherwise have been considered programmatically risky and dismissed. The innovative spirit has spread into other departments such as operations, logistics, and planning. Further, as word spreads throughout the Navy, other research and development agencies and several government contractors have contacted the BIC with project proposals, hopeful of working hand-in-hand with the war fighters.

Measured Expectations. ECSG has adopted a measured expectations approach to evaluating many of these innovation projects. Evaluators are encouraged to visualize the potential of prototype tactics and systems while making allowances for areas that might still need refinement. The other side of this challenge is to encourage evaluators to provide honest feedback, even in cases where doing so might mean that participation in the project is ended. This takes us back to the philosophy that not all projects need to end successfully for the overall program to be a hit.

Know When the Emperor Has No Clothes. As projects are developed and evaluated, it is important to avoid becoming emotionally involved. The essence of a solid innovation program is the courage to assess an experiment as a failure. The strike group has an evaluation cell using the Center for Naval Analyses representative as an independent, metrically based evaluator.

Conclusion

The Navy will embrace the innovative process for the foreseeable future. It is less clear how much the potential for innovation will be exercised at the deck plates by the war fighter and not limited solely to the test, research, and development organizations of the Navy. As other carrier and expeditionary strike groups begin to engage in experimentation and innovation, benefits will compound. Our sea services must continue to embrace innovation as we chart a course through the turbulent waters ahead.

1. Admiral Vern Clark, USN, "Sea Power 21: Projecting Decisive Joint Capabilities," U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, October 2002, p. 33

2. Gopal Ratnam, "$1M Offered to Battle Groups for Innovations," Navy Times, 24 June 2002.

Commander Tamblyn is the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group air operations officer. Lieutenant Commander Quarderer is assigned to the Enterprise Strike Group as an assistant air operations officer with the Cruiser Destroyer Group 12 staff.

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