NSWC Carderock

Testing at Carderock

A ship hull model attached to a high-speed sled moves through waves at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock's David Taylor Model Basin, in West Bethesda, Md., during Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored research. The purpose of the research is to study the fundamental physics of the water-impact of high-speed planing hulls and to measure the slamming loads and resulting motions of the craft upon re-entry into the water which can cause structural damage and injury to passengers.

Bird's Eye View of Carderock

Aerial image of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division and the David Taylor Model Basin in West Bethesda, Maryland.

Maneuvering and Seakeeping Basin (MASK)

Birds eye view of the wave maker in action at the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the re-opening of Carderock's upgraded Maneuvering & Seakeeping (MASK) basin at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.

The command provides cradle-to-grave support for its technical products over a variety of scientific areas related to surface and undersea platforms.

West Bethesda Headquarters

A wide shot of Bldg. 1 at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in West Bethesda, Md., on Oct. 19, 2023.

International Human-Powered Submarine Race (ISR)

Navy divers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Division at Indian Head, Md., assist student teams with their human-powered submarines during the 13th International Human-Powered Submarine Race (ISR) being held in the David Taylor Model Basin at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division. ISR is a unique international engineering design competition that inspires high school and college-age students of the various engineering disciplines to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

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NSWC Carderock Division News

Members of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division's Fabrication and Technical Support Division pose with a scale model of the proposed future battleship USS Defiant (BBG 1) in the Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing Branch model shop in West Bethesda, Maryland. The team applied years of technical model fabrication expertise developed through Navy research and testing programs to produce and refine the model under an accelerated schedule. Pictured from left are Josh Crum, branch head, Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing Branch; Jeremy Salmon, shop lead; Alexis Colon, technician; Adam Smith, technician; and Paul Young, division head, Fabrication and Technical Support Division. (U.S. Navy photo by Corum Beyers)

Carderock Team Applies Expertise to USS DEFIANT Model

By Alisha Tyer, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division Public Affairs | June 24, 2026

BETHESDA, Md. – Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division is applying decades of technical fabrication expertise to refine a scale model of the proposed future battleship USS Defiant (BBG 1). The model, which debuted...

Team lead for the Expeditionary and Developmental Power and Energy Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Matt Huffman.

Matt Huffman, Expeditionary Power and Energy Team Lead

By Brittny Odoms, NSWC Carderock Division Public Affairs | June 22, 2026

WEST BETHESDA, Md – Family influence and hands-on hobbies shaped Matt Huffman’s early interest in engineering, eventually steering him toward mechanical engineering. Today, Huffman serves as a team lead for the Expeditionary...

(CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.) – Marines assigned to 1st Maintenance Battalion review the results of a plasma table cutting operation with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division engineer Brennen Cheung and Field Service Representative Justin Horn during Advanced Integrated Mobile Machine Shop (AIMMS) New Equipment Training (NET) at Camp Pendleton, California. The plasma cutting system supports expeditionary maintenance and repair operations by enabling Marines to rapidly fabricate metal components in the field.

Carderock Supports Marine Corps New Mobile Manufacturing Capability for Forward-Deployed Marines

By Alisha Tyer, NSWC Carderock Division Public Affairs | June 8, 2026

In environments where distance can delay routine repairs, Marines traditionally rely on supply chains to deliver the parts needed to keep equipment operational. Now, a new capability is changing that dynamic. The Advanced...

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division Mechanical Engineer, David Bernard.

Carderock Mechanical Engineer Inspires Next Generation Through STEM Outreach Rotation

By Brittny Odoms, NSWC Carderock Division Public Affairs | June 8, 2026

For David Bernard, a mechanical engineer at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, engineering has always been about solving problems, supporting the fleet and helping others discover their own potential. Bernard,...

Structural engineer Ed Davis instructs students during a degraded structures course at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division. The course provides waterfront engineers with the analytical tools needed to assess structural damage, evaluate risk, and support maintenance and sustainment decisions across the fleet. Davis helped develop the course and served as one of its primary instructors until his retirement in 2025. (Photo courtesy of M. Meares)

From Design to Sustainment: Carderock Engineers Share Structural Expertise

By Alisha Tyer, NSWC Carderock Division Public Affairs | June 3, 2026

When engineers discover structural damage or corrosion on a ship, they must determine whether the vessel can safely operate until it can be repaired. To support those decisions across the fleet, engineers at Naval Surface...

NSWC Carderock Division
9500 MacArthur Blvd.
West Bethesda, MD 20817-5700