WASHINGTON – Rear Adm. Eric H. Ver Hage assumed command of both the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) and Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) on April 5 in a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard. Ver Hage relieved Rear Adm. Tom Anderson, who will become the NAVSEA Deputy Commander for Surface Warfare (SEA 21) and Commander Regional Maintenance Centers (CRNMC), responsible for maintenance and modernization of the Navy's in-service surface ships and Rear Adm. Scott Pappano who is currently the Program Executive Officer, Columbia Class. This marks the first time that a single officer has served as the commander for both warfare centers.
Ver Hage, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, becomes the first Commander of both NAVSEA Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers. The position was recently announced as part of a larger NAVSEA and Department of the Navy realignment effort.
Ver Hage comes to the Warfare Centers from the Missile Defense Agency, where he was the Major Program Manager for Aegis Ashore. His sea tours encompass duty in four ships and three afloat staffs, including Commanding Officer of USS Carr (FFG 52), Executive Officer of USS San Jacinto (CG 56), Commissioning Operations Officer aboard USS Higgins (DDG 76), and as Strike Officer and Damage Control Assistant aboard USS Chancellorsville (CG 62). Afloat staff assignments include as Flag Aide to Commander, Second Fleet/Striking Fleet Atlantic, as Exercise/Regional Engagement Officer in Manama, Bahrain-based Destroyer Squadron Five Zero, and as Officer in Charge of Tomahawk Afloat Planning System Pacific Team One embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) with Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three.
Ashore, he has served in a number of acquisition and staff assignments, including tours as Commanding Officer of NSWC Corona Division and NSWC Port Hueneme Division. Prior to his Missile Defense Agency assignment, Ver Hage served as the U.S. National Point of Contact and Program Executive Officer, Integrated Warfare Systems Project Manager for U.S. participation in the Maritime Theater Missile Defense Forum. Ver Hage also served as an Associate Fellow with the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group XXVI and twice on the OPNAV Surface Warfare Directorate staff, as DDG-1000 Action Officer and Weapons and Sensors Branch Head.
Ver Hage enlisted in the Navy in 1984, serving as an electronics technician until his appointment to the Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1991. He also earned a Masters of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in 2008.
The NAVSEA Warfare Centers represent approximately 30 percent of the Navy’s engineering and scientific expertise. NSWC is comprised of eight echelon-four Divisions: Carderock, Corona, Crane, Dahlgren, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology, Panama City, Philadelphia, and Port Hueneme, as well as three echelon-five commands: Dam Neck Activity (part of Dahlgren) and Expeditionary Exploitation Unit ONE (part of Indian Head). NUWC has two echelon-four divisions: Newport and Keyport, as well as one echelon-five command, Naval Sea Logistics Center (part of Keyport).
The Warfare Centers supply the technical operations, people, technology, engineering services and products needed to equip and support the fleet and meet the warfighters' needs. The Warfare Centers are the Navy's principal research, development, test and evaluation assessment activity for surface ship and submarine systems and subsystems.