New Orleans, LA (June 23, 2026) NEW ORLEANS, LA. — In a major step toward strengthening the defense industrial base along the Gulf Coast, leaders from four premier Naval research and operational commands gathered in New Orleans June 23 to officially launch Gulf Coast Defense Catalyst (GCDC) as a new partnership effort. The event, solidified by the signing of a memorandum of agreement at the National WWII Museum, formalizes a strategic alliance among Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC), Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).