Wright-Patt research agreement will enhance collaboration, benefits

Leaders of the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Coast Guard Research and Development Center signed a memorandum of understanding April 12 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base that allows the two organizations to collaborate in areas of mutual benefit.

While the memorandum of understanding specifically authorizes cooperation in research dealing with unmanned systems and modeling and simulations, along with other research focus areas, it is broad enough to include any other area of mutual interest.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Greg Rothrock, USCG RDC commanding officer, sees the agreement as a good deal for the Coast Guard.

“We get the opportunity to collaborate with a world-class, military lab that shares a lot of common interest areas with us, and it helps both of our services explore and adopt technology, hopefully, faster,” Rothrock said.

Tammy Collins, AFRL Partnering Division alliance manager, also sees benefits to joining forces with the Coast Guard’s New London, Connecticut, facility.

“The Coast Guard has access to resources that we don’t have and, through the collaboration, we will be able to access those resources – like different test platforms,” Collins said.

As he prepared to sign the memorandum, Maj. Gen. William Cooley, AFRL commander, said it is important, and in the interest of national security, for the Air Force and Coast Guard to work together. He expressed satisfaction that there are already projects in the works.

“I am glad we could cement this partnership and get productive research and capability deployed for national security,” Cooley said.

Rothrock echoed the mutual benefit of collaboration.

“It has just been so heartening to be able to work with another service that is so open to collaboration,” Rothrock said. “I just think working together we can do so much more for each of our services than we can working separately.”

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