Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst welcomed more than 200 guests to the Lakehurst Flight Deck on Oct. 9 for its annual Open House Exposition. 

For Executive Director Sean D. Brennan, the open house was the first of its kind since he took the lead of NAWCAD Lakehurst, making it a unique experience for him that he hoped guests enjoyed as well.  

“This exposition is designed to give you a closer look at our work, the cutting-edge technology we are developing, and the incredible teams behind it all,” Brennan said in his welcome message. During his opening remarks, he noted “For our entry-level and our journey-level folks, this is an opportunity to see what else is out there. Sometimes you get so focused on what you’re doing that you don’t realize all the other fun, interesting and creative things we’re doing across the organization. Maybe it’s a new opportunity for the future."

The event featured more than 35 tables with representatives from Lakehurst’s departments and offices, including Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE), Support Equipment (SE), Prototype, Manufacturing and Test (PMT), and Mission Operations and Integration (MO&I). At the tables, guests got a firsthand look at some of Lakehurst's labs and technologies, including the Ship Motion Platform, the Carrier Analysis Lab, and various uses of augmented reality. 

Some display items, including a Shipboard Tow Tractor, Mobile Load Bank, and Expeditionary Airfield Matting, were too big to fit inside the Flight Deck, allowing guests to see them outside the building. 

Like last year’s Open House, this year included a series of TEDx Talks. Rodney Flowers, NAVALX Director of Facilitation, discussed workforce agility and inspired the audience with a second talk on resilience. Ryan McHale, a 15-year veteran to the ALRE/SE Installation branch, shared his knowledge of SE installations. Strategic Technologies robotics engineer Dr. Nathaniel Goldfarb discussed the promising potentials of shipboard robotics. Dr. Keith Jordan, Lakehurst’s SSTM for Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity, looked at Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity awareness.

“I’m always inspired by the way everyone involved comes together and the excitement they have in sharing what they do,” Open House planning lead Gaetan Mangano said about this year’s expo. “It just makes for an invaluable experience for the attendees, especially to the visiting guests and first-year employees.”