“Develop a Global Ocean forecasting capability…”
— Rear Admiral J.R. Seesholtz, 1986

The quote, by the Oceanographer of the Navy, accurately conveys the theme of the articles that follow. Although the ultimate goal of this new capability is to meet Navy needs, there will be beneficial outflow to the marine community. The motivation for this development was originated in 1984 by John Lehman, then Secretary of the Navy, through his “Policy on Oceanography,” which identified a number of initiatives ranging from scientific program enhancements to organizational changes. At the time, ocean modeling know-how and computer technology had progressed sufficiently to warrant a sizeable investment to achieve this forecasting capability.

Peloquin, R.A. 1992. The Navy Ocean Modeling and Prediction Program—From research to operations: An overview. Oceanography 5(1):4–8, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.1992.25.

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