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About

Giovanni Zappa is a leading researcher in autonomous maritime systems, with a primary focus on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and underwater robotics. His major contributions center on integrating sonar signal processing, underwater communications, and autonomous navigation to enable networked, unmanned operations beneath the waves. His seminal work, "Autonomous networked anti-submarine warfare research and development at CMRE" (2015), has garnered 19 citations and serves as a foundational reference for the field. At the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), Zappa spearheaded ambitious seagoing experimental programs that demonstrated how multiple autonomous underwater vehicles can collaborate in real-time to detect, track, and neutralize submarine threats. His research bridges the gap between theoretical algorithms and practical, at-sea decision support, proving that robotic behaviors can be effectively deployed in complex, contested underwater environments. Zappa’s work has directly shaped NATO’s strategic shift toward unmanned, persistent surveillance, making him a pivotal figure in modern naval defense technology. His achievements underscore a career dedicated to transforming naval warfare through intelligent, networked autonomy.