WASHINGTON – Rear Adm. Kevin P. Byrne assumed command of both the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) and Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) on April 20 at the Washington Navy Yard. Byrne relieved Rear Adm. Eric H. Ver Hage, who will become Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center (CNRMC), responsible for maintenance and modernization of the Navy's in-service surface ships, and Director, Surface Ship Maintenance and modernization. Ver Hage served as Commander, NSWC and NUWC since April 2019.
Most recently, Byrne served as the major program manager for Surface Ship Modernization (PMS 407) at NAVSEA. In that role, he supervised the daily operations of a 180-person program office with a $2 billion annual obligation authority in support of surface ship modernization.
Byrne graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He also earned a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California. At sea, he served as commanding officer and executive officer of USS Barry (DDG 52); weapons officer, combat systems officer and executive officer aboard USS Cape St. George (CG 71); navigator aboard the USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20); and division officer aboard the USS Defender (MCM 2). Ashore, Byrne served at NAVSEA as the Aegis Ashore Fleet Introduction program manager in Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems, as an analyst for the Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and as an action officer and flag aide for Commander, NAVSEA.
Byrne’s awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, in addition to various service and campaign awards.
With over 27,000 employees, 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 two 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 NAVSEA 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 NAVSEA Warfare Centers are the Navy's principal research, development, test and evaluation assessment activity for surface ship and submarine systems and subsystems.