Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. – In their quest to solve current naval operational challenges and stave off future ones, scientists and engineers at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) develop new products and processes. Their innovative work and technical successes were recognized in a Section 219 Outstanding Project and Patent Awards ceremony here Sept. 14.

“We work to make our warfighters more effective,” said Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan, Commander, NAWCAD, and assistant commander for Research and Engineering, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). “That’s the business we are in, and that’s something to always keep in mind. What we do here at NAWCAD is about our men and women in naval aviation around the world.  We innovate, we test, we deliver things so that they can be where it matters, when it matters, and so they can execute their mission whenever they are called upon.”

Some of the unique work of NAWCAD scientists and engineers is funded through Section 219, so named because it is the section of the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act that authorizes Department of the Navy labs and warfare centers to fund innovative research that supports naval missions, develop programs that transition technologies into operational use, and invest in workforce recruiting and development. Through this program, NAWCAD has provided breakthrough research that has transitioned to the fleet.

The four winners of the Section 219 awards were chosen from among 392 projects funded in fiscal year 2017.

“Innovation and development of new technologies are core functions of the warfare center,” said Leslie Taylor, executive director, NAWCAD, and deputy assistant commander for Test and Evaluation, NAVAIR. “These awards highlight the technical expertise of our workforce who recognize a challenge and then set about to find a revolutionary solution.”

Inventors of six new patents and 17 invention disclosures were also recognized at the event. An application for a U.S. patent is started when the inventor provides an invention disclosure, which is a detailed description of the work-related invention and its intended use for government and, potentially, industry.

In a ceremony prior to the NAWCAD awards, NAVAIR elevated two fellows to the esteemed level and inducted 49 scientists and engineers as associates in the NAVAIR Fellows program. The program recognizes an individual’s significant technical contributions to naval aviation. There are currently 209 associate fellows, 46 full fellows and 13 esteemed fellows.

NAWCAD is the nation’s premier center for research and development, engineering, test and evaluation of all Navy and Marine Corps air vehicle systems and trainers using unique labs and facilities not found anywhere else in the world.

Patents issued:
Patent # 9,243,150 — Oxide Coated Metal Pigments and Film-Forming Compositions; Inventors:  Craig Matzdorf, Bill Nickerson
Patent # 9,243,333 – Coated Aluminum Alloy Pigments and Corrosion Resistant Coatings; Inventors:  Craig Matzdorf, Bill Nickerson
Patent # 9,366,611 – Apparatus for Mapping Liner Wear of a Bearing
Inventor: Noah Jung
Patent # 9,373,827 – Battery Compartment Insert
Inventor: Paul Teas
Patent # 9,377,080 – Method for Terminating a Rope
Inventor: Matthew DeFelice
Patent # 9,499,283 – Freeplay Measurement Device
Inventor: Anthony Olszewski

Section 219 Outstanding Project Awards
Overall winner: Compact Low Light Panoramic Camera (CLLPC)
Recipients: Ralph Smith, Jacques Severe, Matt Cusick, Alex Wendt, Aaron White, Sean Meagher, Gar Cheng, Michael Burger
Basic and Applied Research Category: A New Methodology for Non-Cooperative Target Identification (NCTI)
Recipient: Thach Nguyen
Technology Transition Category: Transition of Enhanced Galvanic Primer
Recipients: Brenna Skelley, Craig Matzdorf, Frank Pepe, Josh Walles
Workforce Development Category: EO/IR Modeling Expertise Recapture
Recipients: Ann Reagan, Grant Boruchowitz, Derek Alley, Mark Cavanaugh, Andrew S. Kijesky, Justin K. Nash, David Schuck, John Sugrim