In August 2021, HAV and NPS signed a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) that enabled Cohen and Schmaltz to explore the potential impact of civilian hybrid aircraft technologies and evaluate the potential to adapt Airlander for U.S. Marine Corps-led scenarios and multiple geographies as well as both logistics and mobility applications. The CRADA brings together HAV's industry expertise and knowledge of Airlander and NPS students’ experience with the challenges of the modern battlefield and Expeditionary Advanced Basing Operations (EABO).
The students collaborated with HAV to gain a deeper understanding of hybrid aircraft technology and the commercialization process from prototype to production. Cohen and Schmaltz's research emphasized the importance of digital technology, particularly digital twins, and expanded the opportunities for DOD applications of hybrid aircraft technology.
NPS’ Modeling Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute partnered with the Energy Academic Group to analyze the Airlander 10's potential for surface surveillance missions in the Arctic Ocean. The collaboration resulted in the development of a virtual reality view of defense-unique missions using hybrid aircraft.
The MOVES Institute is continuing this research, using the Airlander 10 concept for EABO and Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE) modeling, which is crucial for ideating new concepts and examining how new technologies integrate with existing infrastructure. The MOVES Institute is planning to model other environments for HAV to showcase hybrid aircraft capabilities in both the civilian and defense sectors.
NPS serves as a critical tech scouting platform and plays a vital role in driving innovation for the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense, allowing warrior scholars like Cohen and Schmaltz to connect with industry leaders and leverage cutting-edge commercial technologies for national security challenges. The collaborative agreement between NPS and HAV is a prime example of how ground-breaking projects can start with NPS students and ultimately provide unparalleled capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense.
About Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership, and warfighting advantage of the Naval service.
For more information, please visit https://nps.edu/research
Contact:
Hybrid Air Vehicles
Marketing and Communications Department
Email: media@hybridairvehicles.com
SoCal Tech Bridge
Capt. Ben Cohen, Director
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navalx-socal-tech-bridge/