The Navy's fledgling robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) office represents the service's first attempt at establishing the Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) structure directed by the Pentagon's acquisition overhaul memo, a senior service official said today. In August, service Secretary John Phelan directed the creation of the RAS office and tapped Vice Adm. Seiko Okano -- the principal military deputy to the assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition -- to lead efforts to consolidate wide-ranging robotic and autonomy efforts...
