Chapter 21
OPERATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE U.S.
NAVY: A GODAE PERSPECTIVE
John Harding and James Rigney
U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA
Abstract:
Operational oceanography, throughout its long history, has continually
evolved in order to remain relevant to the changing operational needs of the
U.S. Navy. This transformation continues today as operational oceanography
plays a key role in the rapidly shrinking tactical decision timelines of the naval
warfighter. Understanding the warfighter’s tactical questions and translating
the information available from the ocean sciences into tactically useful
answers is key to this transformation. Appreciating and applying advances in
oceanography, such as those provided by the international Global Ocean Data
Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), assures the highest technical quality of
these answers. We address these transformation and translation processes and
the nature of U.S. Navy operational oceanography today with specific
emphasis on its interaction with GODAE.
Keywords:
Operational oceanography, GODAE, U.S. Navy.
1.
Introduction
Transformation, in response to the U.S. naval warfighter’s changing
environmental needs, captures the essence of the evolution of U.S. Naval
operational oceanography. From its 19
th century genesis under Matthew
Fontaine Maury and his immediate predecessors to the 21
st century needs of
today, operational oceanography has continued to adapt. U.S. naval
oceanography first grew from Navy concerns for safety of navigation, more
specifically the creation and archiving of navigational charts.
By the middle of the 20
th century, World War II required increasing
oceanographic support for mine warfare (MIW), amphibious warfare (AW),
and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) (Pinsel, 1982). With the threat of
undersea launched nuclear missiles, ASW became the dominant concern of
naval operational oceanography in the last half of the 20
th century through
the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s.
467
E. P. Chassignet and J. Verron (eds.), Ocean Weather Forecasting, 467-482.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
OPERATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE U.S.
NAVY: A GODAE PERSPECTIVE
John Harding and James Rigney
U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA
Abstract:
Operational oceanography, throughout its long history, has continually
evolved in order to remain relevant to the changing operational needs of the
U.S. Navy. This transformation continues today as operational oceanography
plays a key role in the rapidly shrinking tactical decision timelines of the naval
warfighter. Understanding the warfighter’s tactical questions and translating
the information available from the ocean sciences into tactically useful
answers is key to this transformation. Appreciating and applying advances in
oceanography, such as those provided by the international Global Ocean Data
Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), assures the highest technical quality of
these answers. We address these transformation and translation processes and
the nature of U.S. Navy operational oceanography today with specific
emphasis on its interaction with GODAE.
Keywords:
Operational oceanography, GODAE, U.S. Navy.
1.
Introduction
Transformation, in response to the U.S. naval warfighter’s changing
environmental needs, captures the essence of the evolution of U.S. Naval
operational oceanography. From its 19
th century genesis under Matthew
Fontaine Maury and his immediate predecessors to the 21
st century needs of
today, operational oceanography has continued to adapt. U.S. naval
oceanography first grew from Navy concerns for safety of navigation, more
specifically the creation and archiving of navigational charts.
By the middle of the 20
th century, World War II required increasing
oceanographic support for mine warfare (MIW), amphibious warfare (AW),
and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) (Pinsel, 1982). With the threat of
undersea launched nuclear missiles, ASW became the dominant concern of
naval operational oceanography in the last half of the 20
th century through
the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s.
467
E. P. Chassignet and J. Verron (eds.), Ocean Weather Forecasting, 467-482.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.