A Conversation with Andy Jarrett, President and CEO, McLaughlin Research Corporation (MRC)

UTIC Intersections–Conversations with Ocean and Undersea Tech Leaders: Conversations with influential leaders in the undersea technology community, soliciting their industry input, guidance and mentorship.

We asked Andy for his thoughts on some important undersea technology questions:

From your perspective, what undersea technology innovations are—or will be—game changers, and why?

I see the most significant change coming not from a single technology, but from the convergence of autonomy, artificial intelligence, collaborative networks, improved energy storage, and high-fidelity modeling and simulation. Let’s dig into each of these:

First, long-endurance autonomous underwater vehicles will fundamentally change how we operate in the undersea domain…Read More

As autonomous underwater vehicles become capable of remaining deployed for months rather than days, they can provide persistent surveillance, environmental characterization, infrastructure inspection, mine countermeasures, and other mission support without requiring continuous connection to a manned platform.

Next, it’s clear that artificial intelligence at the tactical edge will also be a game changer…Read More

Underwater communications are constrained, so it is difficult for undersea systems to transmit large amounts of data back to a human operator for analysis. The ability to process acoustic, optical, magnetic, oceanographic, and other sensor data onboard—and then independently identify what matters—will dramatically increase operational effectiveness. The real breakthrough will occur when systems move beyond following a predetermined route and can responsibly adapt their mission based on what they sense.

I also see collaborative networks of relatively affordable systems increasingly complement exquisite, high-cost platforms…Read More

A distributed network of unmanned vehicles, fixed sensors, deployable arrays, and manned platforms can create a broader, more persistent, and more resilient picture of the undersea environment for crucial naval and commercial missions.

Advances in underwater navigation, communications, energy, and docking will continue to be critical enabling technologies…Read More

Persistent undersea operations depend on vehicles knowing precisely where they are, exchanging critical information, managing limited energy, and potentially docking underwater to recharge, transfer data, or change payloads.

Finally, digital twins and high-fidelity modeling and simulation will shorten development cycles and improve operational decision-making…Read More

Undersea testing is expensive, logistically difficult, and highly dependent on environmental conditions. Digital environments that accurately represent the vehicle, payload, communications network, and ocean environment can allow engineers and operators to evaluate far more alternatives before going to sea.

The organizations that create the greatest advantage in the undersea environment will be those that successfully integrate these technologies into dependable, producible, and operationally relevant systems.

In your view, what does it take to build a successful partnership to advance undersea technology?

A successful partnership begins with a shared problem and a shared definition of success, but it must become much more disciplined than a general statement that two organizations intend to work together.

At MRC, we are using Strategic Alliance Frameworks to create that discipline. Our objective is to establish enduring relationships with organizations whose technologies, market access, facilities, intellectual property, or production capabilities complement MRC’s undersea domain expertise, engineering services, operational experience, government relationships, and program execution capabilities. Here are a few key attributes of our Strategic Alliance Frameworks:

Importantly, these frameworks are intended to move the relationship beyond transactional teaming for a single proposal…Read More

They establish the areas in which the organizations intend to collaborate, the capabilities each partner brings, the markets and customers they may pursue together, and the mechanisms for identifying and evaluating opportunities.

They also provide a structure for addressing complexities and potential issues between the partners…Read More

These challenges and issues can include treatment of intellectual property, customer ownership, investment accountability, proposal responsibilities, workshare agreements, exclusivity, communications, and governance before a specific opportunity creates time pressure.

These frameworks also define the technical interaction between the people who will perform the work and early demonstrations that prove the organizations can create more value together than either could create independently.

A framework is only the starting point; successful alliances require accountable leaders, shared priorities, regular reviews, and clear expectations for investment, risk, workshare, and return. MRC aims to build a trusted network of complementary partners that can combine capabilities quickly, accelerate technology to operational use, and deliver stronger mission solutions.

In the undersea market, no single organization possesses every capability required to move from ocean science and concept development through engineering, testing, production, deployment, and sustainment. The organizations that learn to collaborate effectively—and repeatedly—will have a significant competitive advantage.

What is some good career advice you would like to pass on to the next generation of undersea technology engineers?

After a few decades in the industry, I have learned that the best undersea engineers combine technical curiosity with humility, judgment, persistence, and a genuine understanding of the people who will rely on what they create. With that in mind, here are a few recommendations to undersea engineers as they plot their career path:

Become excellent in a technical discipline, but do not allow your expertise to become a boundary…Read More

Undersea systems are inherently multidisciplinary. Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software, autonomy, acoustics, oceanography, materials, hydrodynamics, communications, cybersecurity, and systems engineering all intersect. You should have an area in which you are genuinely deep, but also develop enough breadth to understand how your work affects the entire system.

Spend (more) time with operators, technicians, and maintainers…Read More

Ask them to show you how the system is deployed, used, repaired, and supported. Some of the best engineering insights come from observing the work rather than reviewing a requirement document. Never confuse a system that functions under controlled conditions with one that sailors can depend upon in a difficult operating environment.

Learn to communicate and then use the skill often…Read More

The ability to explain a complex technical issue clearly to an operator, customer, program manager, executive, or funding authority is not separate from engineering effectiveness. It is part of engineering effectiveness.

Seek difficult assignments early in your career and jump in…Read More

Work on sea tests. Participate in failure investigations. Accept responsibility for integration. Volunteer for the problem that crosses organizational boundaries. Careers accelerate when people become known for bringing structure and progress to problems that initially appear ambiguous.

Do not be afraid of failure, but insist on learning from it…Read More

Ocean engineering is unforgiving. Equipment will fail, tests will not always proceed as planned, and the environment will reveal assumptions that were wrong. Intellectual honesty, disciplined testing, and rapid learning are more valuable than attempting to appear infallible.

Finally, remember that it is the mission that matters most!

What do you see as interesting and innovative approaches in the market today that improve ocean and undersea workforce skills?

The strongest workforce-development models are becoming more experiential, accelerated, and closely connected to employers. First, let’s start with the tried and tested programs that our industry needs to expand and continue to invest in:

Apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn programs remain highly valuable…Read More

They combine formal instruction, supervised experience, progressive qualification, and an immediate connection between learning and productive work. This model is useful not only for traditional trades, but also for technicians, cybersecurity personnel, software developers, engineering technologists, and unmanned-systems operators.

Strong, well resourced, internal employer talent pipeline development programs have and can be very successful…Read More

Rather than training people generically and hoping jobs emerge, employers, training institutions, and government organizations identify specific workforce needs, align curricula with those needs, and connect participants directly to employment opportunities.

Also, internal, partner and government rotational programs are another strong approach…Read More

Exposing early-career professionals to design, manufacturing, integration, testing, operations, and sustainment helps them understand the full lifecycle of a system rather than only their individual task.

There are a few more innovative workforce development approaches that companies like MRC and other undersea tech leaders are starting to benefit from. One promising approach is the use of intensive training programs that combine classroom instruction with hands-on work using the same equipment, processes, and standards students will encounter on the job. These programs can prepare people for critical technical and manufacturing roles much faster than traditional education pathways alone.

The industry is also making greater use of digital engineering, simulation, virtual reality, and digital twins in talent and career development programs. These tools allow employees to practice complex procedures, explore system behavior, and experience rare or hazardous scenarios without requiring constant access to an operational platform. They can also help experienced workers transfer knowledge to a new generation before that expertise leaves the workforce.

Lastly, I believe that government, industry, and academia should create more opportunities for engineers and technicians to participate in real ocean testing early in their development. The ocean is the ultimate integration laboratory. People develop judgment much faster when they see firsthand how environmental uncertainty, logistics, human factors, communications limitations, and equipment reliability interact during an actual operation.

The most innovative programs do not simply deliver training. They create a visible pathway from education to meaningful work, continued qualification, greater responsibility, and a long-term career in the undersea enterprise.