New London ― The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center is holding an open house Monday from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. in celebration of its 50th anniversary, an opportunity for people to learn about the center’s history and speak with researchers about their work.

The event, held in the 1 Chelsea St. facility adjacent to Fort Trumbull, is free and open to the public.

Joe DiRenzo, RDC’s public affairs officer, said this will give the community an opportunity to find out what the lab has done for the service and for the nation. The center will run small-group tours through a series of stations, with demonstrations, posters, and researchers talking about their projects.

Current projects include work in autonomous underwater and aircraft systems, polar technologies, cybersecurity, aids to navigation, and more.

“We do punch above our body weight every single day,” DiRenzo said.

On Sept. 1, 1972, the RDC was established as an interim facility at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, and in 2009, the center moved to New London.

The RDC has delivered nearly 2,000 research products over the past five decades, according to a press release from the center, and many of today’s Coast Guard capabilities began as RDC research projects.