The Navy laboratory system has played a significant role in the technological superiority of the Navy and Marine Corps in peace and war in every era from today's Global War on Terrorism, back through the Cold War, Vietnam, Korea, WWII, and even to its very beginnings in the Civil War. This system has created Nobel laureates, fostered the creation of operational radar, sonar, and most of the fundamental capabilities found in space today. It has helped unlock some of the basic secrets of our natural environment, particularly in the oceans, atmosphere, and space. It has routinely been ranked in the very top tier in intellectual property productivity in the United States. The lab system has been involved from the conceptual development all the way to operational testing and fielding of every major weapons system our Marines and Sailors have used for generations. Often that delivery of practical technology has involved substantial partnerships with or transfers-for-production to the U.S. technical defense industry.