Naval Undersea Warfare Center News

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport's total funded program in fiscal year 2024 reached $2 billion. Credit: U.S. Navy graphic by Jestyn Flores

NUWC Division Newport: $2 Billion Impact on Economy in 2024

The total funded program of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport reached $2 billion in 2024, according to the recently released economic impact report.Of its total operating budget, $776 million was spent by Division Newport in civilian payroll and labor, materials, operational expenditures, property maintenance and repair, and military payroll, while $1.2 billion funded contracts.One of two divisions of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport has a workforce comprised of 51% government civilian employees, 48% support contractor employees and 0.38% military staff.

Snakehead is a modular, reconfigurable, multi-mission underwater vehicle deployed from submarine large ocean interfaces, with a government-owned architecture, mission autonomy and vehicle software.
Photo by Richard Allen, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport

Navy Signals Need for New Large AUV Class

and eight feet long.  The Navy refers to it as a “modular, reconfigurable, multi-mission underwater vehicle deployed from submarine large ocean interfaces, with a government-owned architecture, mission autonomy and vehicle software.” The preliminary design was done by Naval Undersea Warfare Center at Newport, and the plan was to hand off construction to a competitively-awarded prime contractor.  The first Snakehead was “christened” at NUWC Newport in September 2022, but the program is on hold for the time being.Specifically, the DoD seeks commercially available

Dennis Boyer (from left), deputy commander, Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC), UWDC Commander Rear Adm. Michael R. Van Poots and Capt. Todd Moore, UWDC chief of staff, listen as Tony Paolero, head of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Sensors and Arrays Division, explains the mission of the Naval Array Technical Support Center during a tour at Division Newport on March 31, 2025. Credit: U.S. Navy/Nick Froment)

Undersea Warfighting Development Center Leadership Visits NUWC Division Newport

A constant co-evolution of technology and operational concepts is critical to providing the best warfighting capabilities possible to the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet. In support of that mission, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport and the Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC) continue to have a strong working relationship.On March 31, the warfare center welcomed UWDC Commander Rear Adm. Michael R. Van Poots and some of the organization’s senior leaders for a full day of tours and discussions. Van Poots was joined by Dennis Boyer, SES, deputy commander; Capt.

U.S. Navy Reservist Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Quinn (center) presents NUWC Innovation Awards to the winners of the R.I. State Science and Engineering Fair. Credit: U.S. Navy/Kevin Quinn

NUWC Division Newport Presents Awards to Students in RI Science and Engineering Fair

On March 19, U.S. Navy Reservist Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Quinn, an engineer in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, presented Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Division Newport Innovation Awards to the selected winners of the R.I. State Science and Engineering Fair held on March 15 at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick.Members of the Division Newport workforce also participated in the fair in which more than 200 high school and middle school students from across the state presented their respective projects

Source: NUWC

NUWC Supports Robotics Competition at University of Rhode Island

Team 78 AIR STRIKE, sponsored by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport and mentored by its scientists and engineers, reached the final round of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) New England regional event held March 13-15 at the University of Rhode Island (URI).FRC is a large-scale terrestrial robotics competition in which high school students, assisted by STEM professionals, build wire and program custom robots within an eight-week period, then pilot them in head-to-head competitive matches.“FIRST robotics provides a unique opportunity to challenge high school students to

Stephen O’Grady was recently selected as the deputy technical director for technical excellence at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport. Formerly the director of technology and strategy for the Undersea Warfare Combat Systems Department, O’Grady has 35 years of experience in the undersea warfare domain. Credit: U.S. Navy/Nick Froment

O'Grady Tapped for Leadership at NUWC Newport

Stephen O’Grady, of East Providence, Rhode Island, has been selected as the next deputy technical director for technical excellence at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport.Formerly the director of technology and strategy for the Undersea Warfare (USW) Combat Systems Department, O’Grady spearheaded the organization’s product vision. He will replace John Babb, who will retire in April.As deputy technical director, O’Grady will oversee the warfare center’s chief engineer, chief technology officer, quality assurance team and others. He will also have

John Lauderdale (c) NUWC

NUWC Employee Shares Family Legacy with USS Fort Lauderdale

When the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) docked at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island from Nov. 21-24, it was especially meaningful for a Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport employee whose family name is linked to the ship’s name.John Lauderdale, a resident of New London, Connecticut, serves in Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department as principal for safety for electronic warfare, imaging and radar for PMS 435, visited the USS Fort Lauderdale to share his family’s legacy. The ship is named after the city in Florida, which is named

Martin Guyotte receives his NUWC DoN Award (c) NUWC

NUWC Analyst earns Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Martin J. Guyotte, a recently retired senior staff analyst from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport Undersea Warfare (USW) Mission Engineering and Analysis Department, was presented a Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the third highest honorary civilian award bestowed by the U.S. Navy, during a retirement ceremony held on Nov. 26.Guyotte, a resident of Middletown, Rhode Island, retired on Nov. 29 after 35 years and one month of service at Division Newport. The award recognized his outstanding achievements as a senior staff analyst from January 2018 to

David Pistacchio (c) NUWC

NUWC's Pistacchio wins ONR Achievement Award

David Pistacchio, a senior technologist in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Chief Technology Office, was selected for the 2023 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Fred E. Saalfeld Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Science.The award is granted on a highly selective basis and recognizes naval research scientists for extraordinary lifetime achievements in science that contributed substantially to the knowledge and capabilities of the Department of the Navy (DON), Department of Defense and the nation. It is the highest award that ONR confers on a naval research

In this edition MTR explores the drivers for subsea exploration in 2025 and beyond
Read the Magazine Sponsored by

Dr. Dawn Wright: Mapping the Deep and Charting New Frontiers

Marine Technology Magazine Cover Mar 2025 -

Marine Technology Reporter is the world's largest audited subsea industry publication serving the offshore energy, subsea defense and scientific communities.

Subscribe
Marine Technology ENews subscription

Marine Technology ENews is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

Subscribe for MTR E-news