| NATO Undersea Research Centre | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NURC |
| Motto | Partnering for Martime Innovation |
| Type | Military research |
| Legal status | Treaty |
| Purpose/focus | Maritime security |
| Headquarters | La Spezia, Italy |
| Region served | 28 nations in Europe and North America |
| Membership | NATO |
| Official languages | English and French |
The NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC), based in La Spezia, Italy, is a research organisation under NATO's Allied Command Transformation, which is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. NURC conducts research and develops products to support NATO maritime operations and to support the continuous improvement of NATO military capabilities. NURC collaborates with other NATO organisations and with institutions from the 28 NATO member nations, such as universities and research centers.
NURC was formerly known as the SACLANT ASW Research Centre from 1959 to 1986 and as the SACLANT Undersea Research Centre from 1987 to 2003. The name change reflected a change in role, from a research centre focused primarily on antisubmarine warfare (ASW) to a broadening emphasis on underwater research. NURC’s role continues to expand and evolve. New areas of research include the development of tools and processes to counter new threats in the maritime environment from rogue nations or radical individuals.
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NURC conducts projects in the following major research areas:
NURC employs scientists and support staff from NATO member nations. Scientists rotate through the Centre on a contract basis with a fixed time limit (typically 3 years with a possible 2-year extension). The number of scientific staff is approximately 50. The scientists are supported by a staff of approximately 150, including engineers, programmers, technicians, and other personnel.
The Director and Deputy Director of NURC are appointed by the North Atlantic Council on the recommendation of the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) to whom the Director reports. The current Director is Dr. Dirk Tielbuerger. The current Deputy Director is Dr. Joseph Arbour. The Chief Scientist is in charge of the scientific programme. The current Chief Scientist is Dr. Thomas Curtin.
NURC has two modern vessels for conducting NATO research: the NATO Research Vessel (NRV) Alliance and the Coastal Research Vessel (CRV) Leonardo. The NRV Alliance is a 93-meter ship commissioned in 1988. Its unique double hull and propulsion system make it one of the quietest research vessels in the world. The smaller CRV Leonardo, commissioned in 2002, was designed for conducting experiments in shallower waters. In addition to supporting NURC’s scientific mission, the two vessels are chartered to commercial or government organizations within the NATO nations.
NURC has specialized facilities and equipment for research at-sea, including a fleet of AUVs and other unmanned vehicles and instrumentation, linear array assembly facilities, and the Oceanography Calibrating Laboratory, which provides instrument calibration according to the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) standard.