Naval Postgraduate School
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Naval Postgraduate School Commencement Ceremony / Class of September 2025
No full textDate of Commencement ceremony: September 26, 202
AN EVALUATION OF PERCEPTUALLY-ENABLED TASK GUIDANCE TO ENHANCE TRAINING AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE U.S. MARINE CORPS
Get PDFI Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) recognized the growing importance of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/XR) technologies and sponsored research to explore their potential usages. This thesis presents potential applications of VR/AR/XR systems based on the Marine Corps Project Tripoli and examines the drawbacks associated with prolonged usage of these systems. The research method involves identifying Nakamir Augmented Reality Assistant (NARA) and Augmented Medicine (AUGMED) as two potential VR/AR/XR systems, conducting experiments to evaluate the capabilities of these two commercially developed systems, and presenting Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Perceptually-Enabled Task Guidance (PTG) capstone results which explored artificial intelligence (AI) applications in enhancing VR/AR/XR technologies. PTG is a potential AI solution that, when integrated with a VR/AR/XR system, enables computer vision (CV) technology to recognize user actions and deliver detailed instructions to accomplish complex taskings. I MEF intends to utilize research findings to see and understand what systems are available, what capabilities these systems have, and how these systems can improve training for the Marine Corps. We anticipate that AI-assisted VR/AR/XR technologies can support various military use cases across a wide range of mission areas.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States NavyNPS Naval Research ProgramThis project was funded in part by the NPS Naval Research Program
INTERPRETATION OF EMERGENT BEHAVIORS IN EVENT TRACES USING GENERATIVE AI
No full textEmergent behaviors are present in all complex systems, and some can cause harmful effects. Monterey Phoenix (MP) provides a way for modelers to identify those behaviors through exhaustive event trace generation based on a scope definition that places limits on event iteration. The identification of emergent behaviors allows engineers to design constraints for them and mitigate associated risk. However, the current method for inspecting MP event traces for system behaviors is a storytelling process that is limited to the past experiences and creative imaginations of the humans inspecting the traces. This research explores the question: could the current method for MP event trace interpretation be improved using generative artificial intelligence (AI) with a designed prompt? The stories created by an AI model increase the total number of stories, giving the modeler additional information to consider when conducting trace analysis for behavior validation. To accomplish this an iterative process was used to design a prompt that can be used for improving MP event trace interpretation. The results show that use of generative AI with MP suitably automates a behavior validation task that previously had to be done manually for every trace, with promising implications for enhancing speed and volume for trace analysis. Future integration of AI into MP is expected to increase scenario variant coverage, increase recognition of missed requirements and design constraints, and decrease risk.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Civilian, Department of the Nav
ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY OF JFHQ-DODIN
Get PDFAs the cyber landscape evolves, the effectiveness of U.S. military cyber operations has become increasingly critical to national security. In response, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 2025) directed Joint Force Headquarters–Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DoDIN) to transition into a subordinate unified command under U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). This thesis examines JFHQ-DoDIN’s current structure and analyzes the organizational challenges it faces during this transition. Research was conducted in four phases: a literature review, external environmental assessment, internal organizational analysis, and synthesis. Drawing from publicly available sources and interviews with personnel from JFHQ-DoDIN and USCYBERCOM, this study finds that while JFHQ-DoDIN exhibits strong strategic leadership and vision, it is hindered by high personnel turnover, communication barriers, and fragmented organizational cultures. To address these challenges, this thesis recommends: (1) aligning campaign planning with national priorities to secure enduring resourcing; (2) strengthening the workforce through targeted academic and interagency partnerships; (3) promoting unity through shared values and strong leadership; (4) standardizing terminology to improve communication; and (5) institutionalizing consistent training and knowledge sharing. These steps aim to position JFHQ-DoDIN for greater success and operational impact in the evolving cyber domain.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Lieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States Nav
Faces of NPS: Wenschel Lan, PhD
Get PDFFaces of NPS features interviews spotlighting the students, faculty, staff and alumni of our Nation's premier defense education and research institution
QUADCOPTER POWER OPTIMIZATION THROUGH PID CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTATION
No full textAqua-Quad is an NPS-developed aquatic quadcopter designed to take off and land from the ocean surface. It achieves long endurance using a solar array to recharge batteries while floating. A payload of interest utilized an acoustic sensor deployed to depth by a thin tether, allowing Aqua-Quad to fill the role of a sonobuoy with added air mobility for autonomous relocation. This research built on previous experimentation where side-thrusters were added to the quadcopter to allow for high-speed flight without having to pitch the quadcopter forward. The goal was to maximize cruise-speed efficiency in the presence of the solar array, which generated high drag, negative lift, and adverse moments when the quadcopter pitched forward. Initial results on a sub-scale model demonstrated a reduction in required power at higher speeds with the addition of side-thrusters. This research optimized the PID controller used to drive the side-thrust motors and further explored the flight envelope with an aerodynamically accurate sub-scale model. A series of experimental flight tests were flown to find the optimal PID gain values, refresh rate, and target pitch angle. Furthermore, an uncontrolled yawing behavior was discovered in the presence of crosswind. This behavior was found to be caused by the side-thrusters providing differential thrust. Future research will need to mitigate this yaw phenomenon and implement side-thrusters onto the full size Aqua-Quad to demonstrate capabilities.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Ensign, United States Nav
THE NEED FOR COGNITIVE CLOSURE AND UNCERTAINTY-IDENTITY THEORY: PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS FOR EVALUATING EXTREMISM
No full textThis thesis investigates how psychological responses to uncertainty contribute to ideological extremism in the U.S. It draws on a pair of theories from social psychology. The first is Need for Cognitive Closure (NFCC), which refers to a desire for definitive answers and an intolerance for ambiguity; the second is Uncertainty-Identity Theory (UIT), which posits that individuals reduce self-conceptual uncertainty through group identification: this study then specifically explores how cognitive and social motivations converge in extremist settings. NFCC drives a preference for order, uniformity, and authoritarian leadership, fostering ideological rigidity. UIT complements this by explaining how high-entitativity groups offer stability, clearly defined roles, and identity clarity. Using McCauley and Moskalenko’s two-pyramids model, this thesis distinguishes extreme opinion from extreme action and demonstrates how NFCC and UIT illuminate the psychological mechanisms underlying both. Findings suggest that extremism often fulfills epistemic and identity needs rather than being purely ideological. Together, these frameworks offer a multidimensional explanation for how individuals become attracted to extremist groups, especially in contexts of social, political, or personal uncertainty.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Civilian, District of Columbia Fire Departmen
Lasers Destroy Drones as Additive Manufacturing Builds Them, NPS Accelerates Emerging Technology at JIFX to Fulfill U.S. Navy and DOD’s Critical Needs
No full textUTILIZING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TO REVERSE ENGINEER A TURBO-GENERATOR
No full textThis research investigated the application of computed tomography (CT) scanning and additive manufacturing (AM) in the reverse engineering of gas turbine engine components. The disassembly of an industrial 30 kW gas turbine was conducted, and various component geometries were acquired using CT scanning. The resulting experimental data were processed and converted into stereolithography (STL) files, which were then imported into solid modeling software for virtual reconstruction. In parallel, select components were also modeled using physical measurements. A comparative analysis between CT-derived and physically measured data was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the CT scanning process.Using the experimentally acquired CT geometrical data, components were recreated via 3D printing in polylactic acid (PLA), resin, and stainless steel. Furthermore, the recuperation system of the gas turbine engine was digitally reconstructed from CT data and analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict heat transfer characteristics in a fluid flow software. This study demonstrates the applicability and feasibility of integrating CT scanning, CAD modeling, and additive manufacturing within the reverse engineering process.Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.Ensign, United States Nav