Operationalizing AI for National Security
at the Naval Postgraduate School

NPS is building the nation's premier environment for operational AI by combining advanced education, applied research, industry partnerships and world-class computing infrastructure to accelerate solutions for the Department of the Navy and Joint Force.

NVIDIA AI Supercomputer Comes Online at Naval Postgraduate School

NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang visited the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, to commission an NVIDIA DGX GB300 system — bringing one of the world’s most powerful AI platforms fully online for the students, researchers and faculty at the U.S. military’s flagship graduate university.

“Our nation depends on our men and women who fight on the front lines. Nothing is more valuable to you than information and insight, and information and insight in a timely way, and to understand its impact and consequence. I can’t imagine anything more important.” – Jensen Huang
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The NVIDIA DGX GB300 Al Supercomputer enables research and analysis that was not possible before. With massive processing power and next-generation networking, it permits advanced research into cyber, weather forecasting, sensor fusion, and logistics at scales and speeds previously unavailable at NPS.
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NVIDIA donated the DGX GB300 to the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, which installed it at NPS along with funding for research projects that require its high compute and memory capacity. Teams from Vertiv, DDN, VAST Data made contributions of infrastructure, storage and technical expertise which helped accelerate deployment of the capability.

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The ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Task Force

The NPS AI Task Force is building a unified effort to accelerate the Navy and Marine Corps’ ability to understand, adopt, and operationalize artificial intelligence. It integrates advanced education, applied research, secure infrastructure, and prototyping to deliver AI-ready service members and mission-aligned capabilities.
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The AI Task Force focuses on five lines of effort:
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Build an AI-Ready Naval Workforce Provide Secure and Scalable AI Infrastructure
Accelerate Applied AI
Research and Prototyping for Mission Impact
Drive Collaborative AI Efforts Across Naval Stakeholders
Support Combatant Command and Naval Service Priorities
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By connecting research, education and operational application, the AI Task Force ensures that NPS delivers AI solutions that are relevant, secure, and ready to enhance operational effectiveness. Learn more about NPS' AI Task Force.

The NVIDIA AI Tech Center

Established through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NVIDIA and the Naval Postgraduate School, the NVIDIA AI Tech Center provides students and faculty with access to advanced AI technologies, technical expertise and industry collaboration that accelerate education, applied research and operational innovation for the Department of the Navy and Joint Force.

Since its launch the NVIDIA AI Technology Center has continued to expand its capabilities through collaboration with NVIDIA, Dell Technologies, Sterling Federal and the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation. The Center includes NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, the NVIDIA Omniverse platform for digital twins and simulation, and the NVIDIA DGX GB300 AI supercomputer, creating an integrated environment for AI development, modeling and simulation, and large-scale AI computing.

NPS Foundation Role

The Naval Postgraduate School Foundation accelerates artificial intelligence capabilities at NPS by securing the partnerships, resources and investments that expand education, research and operational innovation. Working alongside the Naval Postgraduate School, the Department of the Navy and industry leaders, the Foundation brings together technology, funding and expertise to rapidly deliver capabilities that support national security.The Foundation's contributions to advancing AI at NPS include:

‍Foundational committment (now exceeded) of $2 million to accelerate AI initiatives at NPS through investments in infrastructure, research, talent and strategic partnerships.

‍Received NVIDIA's donation of the DGX GB300 AI supercomputer to the Foundation and facilitated its transfer to NPS for mission use.

‍Funded facility improvements and deployment required to install and commission the DGX GB300 system.

‍Secured gifts of service for a dedicated Installation Project Manager to oversee deployment of the DGX GB300 and a System Administrator to provide ongoing operational support for the system.

‍Funded the initial AI research projects that leverage the NVIDIA AI Tech Center through the Digital Trident AI Challenge.

‍Convenes industry, government and academic partners through strategic partnerships, events and collaborative initiatives that accelerate innovation and technology transition.

Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with NPS and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with both NPS and the Department of the Navy, the Foundation provides the framework that enables private-sector investment in technologies, expertise and capabilities that advance naval education, research and mission impact.

Digital Trident AI Challenge
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‍The Digital Trident AI Challenge accelerates faculty-student teams' research, experimentation and capability development against relevant operational challenges. Projects are selected through a competitive process and receive Foundation funding together with support for equipment resources, technical expertise and industry collaboration.
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‍The projects selected for Digital Trident II (for performance in FY27) include:
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Applied AI for Autonomous 2.75-Inch Interceptor Development (PI: Maj. DIllon Pierce, PhD)

Advances a flight-ready prototype of an affordable 2.75-inch interceptor designed to counter unmanned aircraft, supporting a direct transition to Marine Corps operational development.

SPECTRAL: Space Domain Awareness for Passive EMCON/Concealment and Tactical Radio Agentic Logic (PI: Dr. James Horning, LCDR Donald Olsen)

Delivers an AI-enabled, edge-based space domain awareness capability to help tactical units identify safe communication and maneuver windows while minimizing detection by adversary space-based sensors.

Project ARSENAL: Adaptive Response System for information Effects, Network Attack, and Lethality (PI: Maj. Mackenzie "Mack" Gage)

Integrates five emerging capabilities into a modular toolkit designed to enhance PACOM information warfare decision-making and operational advantage.

Space-Based Neuromorphic Sensors for Tip-and-Cue Operations (PI: Dr. Wenschel Lan)

Develops AI/ML-enabled processing for event-based sensors operating in space to enable low-SWaP, on-orbit target detection and cueing capabilities that improve maritime and space domain awareness and operational responsiveness in the Pacific Theater.

Rapid M&S and Human-AI Teaming for Accelerated Joint Fires Planning for Warfighters (PI: Mr. Christian Fitzpatrick)

Adapts the SOLOMON AI-enabled adjudication platform to help warfighters rapidly develop, test, and refine joint fires plans to accelerate decision-making, optimize fires synchronization, and improve operational planning across the Joint Targeting Cycle.

MCOO-X: AI-Enabled Decision Support for Unmanned Systems Logistics (PI: Dr. Michael Stevens)

Optimizes the allocation, positioning, and sustainment of unmanned systems across the Pacific, helping PACOM and SOCPAC planners identify capability gaps, assess risk, and improve resilience under contested operational conditions.

ANVIL (PI: CPT Justin Seim)

Automates readiness analysis and talent management by integrating personnel, training, readiness, and logistics data into an AI-powered decision support tool for commanders make faster, more informed decisions.

Project Adversarial Agents (PI: Ms. Julia McClenon)

Develops a PRC-grounded, multi-agent AI framework to enhance wargaming and tabletop exercises that accelerate adversarial analysis, improve decision-making, and strengthen Pacific-focused planning and partner interoperability.

Agentic Mission Planner to Enable Long-Endurance UAV Operations at Scale (PI: Dr. Mark Karpenko, Dr. Scott Powell, LCDR Ivan Barbosa Mejia)

Automates mission planning, leverages advanced machine learning weather prediction to optimize flight routes and endurance, and transforms massive volumes of UAV telemetry to increase operational reach, reduce planning and analysis burdens, and enhance decision support for persistent operations across PACOM.

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Learn about the projects selected through the first Digital Trident AI Challenge (FY26).

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