Big Things

So, what’s the next big thing for the Navy?

That was the question asked last year by the “Navy’s Next Big Thing subcommittee” of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Executive Panel. What’s that, you ask? Like the Defense Science Board, it’s a board of outside advisers set up under the Federal Advisory Committee Act -- a law designed to ensure the public has a means of seeing what such advisory panels do.

Unless, of course, it’s classified. As are the Next Big Things, apparently; last October the subcommittee met in closed session to talk about “what actual threats and opportunities are ‘Navy’s Next Big Things’ for the United States Navy in terms of ‘game changers’ and technology disruptors.

Got that?

They also talked about “ways to ameliorate the effects of these ‘Navy’s Next Big Things’ or to develop/enhance them for Navy’s own use.”

And that’s the sum total of what the Navy deems it appropriate for the public to know about that meeting, according to the official minutes. Though to be fair, they do tell you who was there.