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NEWS | Sept. 24, 2019

Carderock engineer Craig Madden earns an NDIA Bronze Medal for his undersea warfare innovation

By By Brooke Marquardt, NSWCCD Public Affairs NSWC Carderock Division

Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division engineer Craig Madden was awarded the National Defense Industrial Association’s Bronze Medal for his dedication in the area of undersea warfare, specifically his work in propulsor technologies, which has directly contributed to the acoustic superiority owned by the United States submarines and their future fleet. The NDIA awards were presented in Groton, Connecticut, on Sept. 17.

 

From the beginning of his Navy career in 1983 to now, Madden has greatly contributed to the advancement of the United States’ undersea acoustic superiority.

 

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award. I believe that when employees are empowered and engaged, they are the driving force behind the success of an organization. Carderock is a great place to work as it provides the exceptional engineering problem solving environment, employee empowerment and engagement opportunities needed for anyone to achieve success,” said Madden, who was unable to attend the ceremony in Groton.

 

Madden is a propulsor technical warrant holder engineering manager for propulsor design and manufacturing for Seawolf-, Virginia- and Ohio- class submarines. He is the engineering lead for Columbia-class mechanical propulsor design, manufacturing and production planning. Madden has played a critical role in the redesign of Virginia- and Columbia- class rotors simultaneously, while executing the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center prototype castings, developing production processes and updating designs and drawings to meet industry demand.


Madden worked to incorporate hydrodynamic-shaping material into the Columbia-class propulsor design and developed an all-encompassing production specification for the use of composite materials in propulsor designs. His work on these propulsor projects has been essential to the Navy’s incorporation of using composites in the production of these parts.

 

Taking a personal interest in seeking and championing innovative technologies for submarine technologies, Madden has designed, fabricated and installed hardware on fleet assets in unprecedented timeframes. Propulsor design and production timelines typically last around eight years, but for one project, Madden completed it in only five months.

 

His successful execution of these innovative designs and process modifications formed the basis for the Navy’s decision to adopt them permanently, allowing the fleet to benefit for years to come.