DAHLGREN, Va. –
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) leadership gathered virtually on Dec. 6 with representatives from private industry and academia to discuss areas of potential collaboration within NSWCDD’s work on technologically superior warfare systems for the 21st century. The 2021 Naval Surface Technology & Innovation Consortium (NSTIC) Industry Day event included NSTIC members, and briefings from NSWCDD provided by Contracting Department Head Mike Busansky, Technical Director Dale Sisson, SES and Chief Technology Officer Jennifer Clift.
Sisson discussed the five strategic goals and their component technical thrusts that anchor Dahlgren’s strategic plan for the years 2021-2025. Clift noted the importance of strong working relationships between the Navy, private industry and academia to achieve these goals. Such partnerships and collaborative agreements “enable sharing of resources and ideas, solve problems faster” and “benefit the local and U.S. economy,” her presentation noted.
Dahlgren’s position at the forefront of federal research and development provides a considerable economic incentive for organizations to do business with the government and help support the nation’s defense. NSWCDD’s total annual budget amounts to $1.8 billion, according to the presentation, with the largest single category of expenditures ($954 million per year) supporting a wide variety of contracts with private industry. Contract personnel also make up approximately 40% of the workforce at NSWCDD. The total workforce at NSWCDD numbers more than 8,600 and accounts for $750 million per year in payroll and labor expenditures.
NSWCDD technical area managers also provided briefings on subjects such as manufacturing, cybersecurity, sensor systems, directed energy lasers, drones, lethality, digital engineering, launcher systems and projectiles. The speakers also provided broad examples of the types of challenges and high tech solutions that are likely to appear in future Navy contract opportunities.
The 2021 NSTIC Industry Day audience was composed of members of the NSTIC. The consortium represents more than 1,000 industry and academic organizations with specializations in advanced technology and naval warfare. In addition to the Dec. 6 virtual briefing, consortium members met face to face with NSWCDD leadership on Dec. 7 and 8.
The next virtual industry day is tentatively scheduled for June 1, 2022.