Ocean Force Task announcement in Gulfport-

Today, Governor Phil Bryant announced the creation of the Ocean Task Force during a ceremonial executive order signing in Gulfport. News 25’s Kendra Turley takes us inside the Combat Readiness Training Center to hear more on the one-of-a-kind task force.
Mississippi reinforced its commitment to the U.S. Navy and the Maritime Industry with the creation of a one-of-a-kind Ocean Task Force. Governor Phil Bryant said, “And what we will do is not only look at the military application, but the commercial applications to help build the economy and add more jobs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
State officials announced the new task force in front of military personnel and oceanography officials at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport. Rear Admiral Timothy C. Gallaudet said,“The purpose is to advance our undersea warfare capability. Our ability to understand the ocean and to exploit it and to stay ahead of our competition like Russia and China.”
Officials say Mississippi is the perfect location to take such a visionary step because of the 80 miles of shoreline available for use. Ocean Task Force Chair Monty Graham said, “So, we’re trying to pull all of that together in a way where you don’t think of it as spread out over 80 miles, but everybody is working together across this Coast for this one purpose of building up this technology based industry.”
Additionally, the task force will provide recommendations on how the state can quickly facilitate the training necessary to develop a local workforce to support the unmanned maritime systems industry. “These vessels will be manufactured in and along the Gulf Coast. I’ve said for years we are the best shipbuilders in America. We just need to build more of them and the future is the autonomous sub-service vessels,” said Governor Bryant.