Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Explained

Unit Name:Naval Information Warfare Systems Command
(NAVWAR)
Allegiance: United States
Type:SYSCOM
Garrison:San Diego, California, U.S.
Commander1:Rear Adm. Seiko Okano, USN
Commander1 Label:Commander
Commander2:John W. R. Pope III
Commander2 Label:Executive Director

The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), based in San Diego, California is one of six SYSCOM Echelon II organizations within the United States Navy and is the Navy's technical authority and acquisition command for C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), business information technology and space systems. Echelon II means that the organization reports to someone who, in turn, reports directly to the Chief of Naval Operations on the military side. From a civilian perspective, NAVWAR reports to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (RDA).[1] The command was formerly known as Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and was renamed in June 2019 to better align its identity with its mission.[2]

NAVWAR supports over 150 programs managed by the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I), as well as the programs of PEO for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) and PEO Space Systems. These PEOs are located in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic is located in Charleston, SC, and also includes facilities in Norfolk, VA, New Orleans and Stuttgart, Germany. NIWC Pacific is located in San Diego, and includes facilities in Japan, Guam and Hawaii. Effective February 18, 2019, the names of the systems centers changed to Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic and Pacific.[3] [4]

History

A number of mergers over the years have led to the current organization. Eighty percent of the Point Loma Military Reservation evolved into the Naval Electronics Laboratory Center (NELC) at the end of World War II. In the 1960s, NELC was tasked with 4C: Command, Control, Communications and Computers. In 1977 NELC was merged into the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) and eventually was merged into SPAWAR (now NAVWAR).

The Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center (NCCOSC) was SPAWAR's warfare center for command, control, communications, and ocean surveillance. NCCOSC's mission, as part of SPAWAR, was to develop, acquire, and support systems for information transfer and management to provide U.S. naval forces a decisive warfare advantage, and to be the Navy's center for research, development, test and evaluation, engineering, and fleet support for command, control, communications, and ocean surveillance systems.

A BRAC '95 decision relocated SPAWAR from Crystal City, Va. to San Diego, Calif. to collocate it with its RDT&E and engineering organizations. The command was established at the Old Town Campus in San Diego on October 1, 1997.

During the War in Afghanistan, NAVWAR was responsible for managing Air Traffic Control contractors in Afghanistan, including the Kabul en route air traffic control center, the Kabul, Kandahar, and Bagram approach control radar facilities, and respective control towers.

In June 2019, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command was renamed the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command.[5]

Site redevelopment

In May 2021, the US Navy released an exposure draft of a proposal to re-develop the roughly 70acres NAVWAR site, to consist of:

Responsibilities

NAVWAR designs and develops communications and information systems. They employ over 11,000 professionals located around the world and close to the United States Navy fleet.

NAVWAR provides systems engineering and technical support for the development and maintenance of C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), business information technology and space capabilities. These are used in ships, aircraft and vehicles to connect individual platforms into integrated systems for the purpose of information sharing among Navy, Marine, joint forces, federal agencies and international allies.

Program Executive Offices (PEO)

See main article: Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Program Executive Offices.

NAVWAR's three affiliated Program Executive Offices (PEOs) are responsible for the prototyping, procurement, and fielding of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), business information technology and space systems. Their mission is to develop, acquire, field and sustain affordable and integrated state of the art equipment for the Navy.

PEOs report to the NAVWAR commander for planning and execution of in-service support, and to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) for acquisition-related matters.[7]

The NAVWAR-affiliated PEOs are:

See also

U.S. Armed Forces systems commands

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Naval Information Warfare Command Organization. NAVWAR. 29 October 2020.
  2. Web site: Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic. 4. NIWC Atlantic . 1 October 2020. 23 October 2020.
  3. News: WEST: SPAWAR Systems Centers Rebranded as Naval Information Warfare Centers. Fuentes. Gidget. February 13, 2019. U.S. Naval Institute. 14 February 2019.
  4. Web site: Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic. 4. NIWC Atlantic . 1 October 2020. 23 October 2020.
  5. Web site: Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic. 4. NIWC Atlantic . 1 October 2020. 23 October 2020.
  6. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/17/navy-wants-build-10k-homes-2-hotels-and-more-california-site.html Navy Wants to Build 10K Homes, 2 Hotels and More on California Site
  7. Web site: Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) Competencies. NAVWAR. 29 October 2020.
  8. Web site: Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (PEO C4I) and Space Systems. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. 29 October 2020.
  9. Web site: Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services (PEO Digital). Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. 29 October 2020.
  10. Web site: Program Executive Office Manpower, Logistics and Business Solutions. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. 29 October 2020.