NEWPORT, RI –
Dr. Jason Gomez, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s chief technology officer, and Dr. Robert Koch, a senior technologist in the Chief Technology Office, each recently received a 2024 National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Undersea Warfare (USW) award.
Gomez, a resident of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, won the Vice Adm. Charles B. Martell-David Bushnell Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements and scientific research and development in the field of antisubmarine warfare and USW technology systems. Over the course of his 31-year career at Division Newport, Gomez has distinguished himself for his exceptional technical leadership. As chief technology officer, he communicates Division Newport's technical vision with a wide range of stakeholders, including military, government, industry, and academia to quickly transition new technological capabilities to the fleet.
Most notable in his large portfolio of technical achievements are the Contender Program for the Strategic Capabilities Office and the Underwater Express and Blue Wolf programs for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the award states. The Contender Program will transition into the heavyweight torpedo program of record to deliver both long-range anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare capabilities to the fleet. The success of the Underwater Express program led to the novel Blue Wolf program, where Gomez’s work enabled significant improvements in long-range torpedo and other unmanned underwater vehicle capabilities. The results of his hard work are evident in the advancement of essential Navy capabilities for today and the future.
Koch, a resident of Kingston, Rhode Island, won the Vice Adm. Charles E. Weakley Award, which recognizes a distinguished individual for their meritorious service and noteworthy contributions to effective government and industry communication in the field of USW. Throughout his 33-year career at Division Newport, Koch has distinguished himself for his “superb technical contributions and leadership as a widely recognized technical authority in tactical stealth systems in USW,” the award states.
Competitively selected from a national pool of candidates in 2009, Koch serves as the U.S. Navy senior technologist for undersea tactical stealth systems at Division Newport. He is the trusted advisor to Navy leadership in all aspects of research, development, test, and evaluation of acoustic and non-acoustic signature control (and reduction) techniques and related systems. Koch is an internationally recognized researcher in advanced mathematical analysis of transient dynamic high-energy shock events, structural- and hydro-acoustics noise propagation, and general theoretical and applied mechanics formulations. Over the decades, he has established numerous valuable and productive relationships with other Department of Defense agencies, academia and industry, proving his exceptional skill as a communicator and leader.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
Join our team! NUWC Division Newport, one of the 20 largest employers in Rhode Island, employs a diverse, highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, and other STEM professionals, as well as talented business, finance, logistics and other support experts who wish to be at the forefront of undersea research and development. Please connect with NUWC Division Newport Recruiting at this site- https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Career-Opportunities/ and follow us on LinkedIn @NUWC-Newport and on Facebook @NUWCNewport