08.28.2025 –
Hosted by the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) in Philadelphia from Aug. 26-28, 2025, the Intelligent Ships Symposium (ISS) featured significant involvement from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), leading in both scale and substantive contributions.
NSWCPD demonstrated technical leadership and collaborative spirit. More than 20 NSWCPD engineers, scientists, and technical managers served as moderators, panelists, or presenters—anchoring nearly every track and expert panel. Their contributions underscored NSWCPD’s reputation as an engine of innovation and a cornerstone of the Navy’s push for more intelligent, resilient, and sustainable ships.
“Our team doesn’t just deliver technology—we deliver solutions that keep ships at sea and Sailors mission-ready,” NSWCPD Deputy Technical Director Christopher Savage said. “This symposium proves that when NSWCPD leads, the Navy benefits from our expertise, collaboration, and commitment to warfighter success.”
The biennial symposium drew over 150 participants from across the U.S. and abroad—including presence from as far as South Korea—alongside more than 25 exhibitors showcasing advances in shipboard automation, artificial intelligence, digital engineering, power and propulsion, cybersecurity, and condition-based maintenance. Yet NSWCPD’s involvement extended beyond numbers. Its team led sessions, advanced research, and fostered open dialogue, charting the way forward for both government and industry leaders.
ASNE President Retired Rear Adm. David Lewis set the tone with a call for shared learning.
“The real action of this symposium is the things you learn from your fellow engineers. It doesn’t matter if you are a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, a software engineer, or a systems engineer—if you are on a ship, you are an engineer.” The phrase resonated throughout two days of lively sessions, emphasizing the unified pursuit of problem-solving that drives naval technical progress.
NSWCPD’s Machinery Research, Logistics and Ship Integrity Department Head Allison DeRocco framed the event in the context of NSWCPD’s Vision 2030—anchored in learning, agility, and innovation. Developed under Commanding Officer Capt. Joseph Darcy and Technical Director Nigel C. Thijs, SES, Vision 2030 stresses internal and external partnership to deliver “relevant, robust, and reliable intelligent ship solutions.” DeRocco credited the symposium’s unique value for both seasoned technical specialists and young talent, pointing to breakthroughs that result directly from such collaboration.
NSWCPD Combat Support Systems Mechanical Engineer and Symposium Chair Tania Teissonniere-Almodovar urged participants to think of intelligent ships as “ecosystems of innovation, not just smart platforms.” Teissonniere-Almodovar outlined a packed schedule of technical papers, expert panels, and keynote speeches designed to showcase both technical achievement and the workforce behind it. She urged attendees to reflect on pressing questions: “How do we prepare ourselves, as a workforce, to meet the demands of this and the next generation of intelligent ships? How do we align our priorities to drive warfighting excellence? Where do resources and efforts matter most—and why?” She connected these challenges to the Navy’s overall goal, as expressed by senior leaders, of fielding “the most lethal and resilient Navy the world has ever seen—one that can fight and win, both today and tomorrow.”
NSWCPD’s technical impact was visible in every session. Deputy, Digital Engineering/Systems Engineering Process Group Jessica Niwore facilitated discussions on sustainable refrigeration, including a presentation by Thermal Management Specialist Matthew V. Frank, P.E., and Office of Naval Research (ONR)’s Dr. Mark S. Spector, exploring carbon dioxide as an alternative refrigerant for modular Navy systems. Combat Support Systems Mechanical Engineers Matthew Fohner and Mark Cybulski presented advances in actuator systems, while Frank and Spector shared further findings on low-global-warming-potential chillers for naval systems. Main Propulsion Shafting Systems Senior Mechanical Engineer Gregory Dobbs contributed research on hyperelastic bearing dynamics. Then-NSWCPD Remote Monitoring and Condition Based Maintenance Systems Mechanical Engineer Dr. Ethan Wescoat, together with Data Scientist Adam Wechsler, Mechanical Engineer Colin Dingley, and Electric Power R&D Engineer Khai Van, collaborated on predictive maintenance models for compressor systems with Noblis MSD. These presentations not only advanced the state of Navy logistics, but also influenced best practices in the commercial sector, demonstrating NSWCPD’s reach and versatility.
Panel discussions featured contributions from the full spectrum of NSWCPD experts, including perspectives on propulsion, advanced materials, automation, and digital engineering. The urgency of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and augmented reality into ship maintenance, training, and system upgrades was a persistent theme. Government and industry speakers joined NSWCPD panelists in emphasizing the importance of cultural adaptation—a shift that focuses on knowledge sharing, risk-taking, and the intent to capture lessons learned for continuous workforce improvement.
Keynote addresses linked symposium discussions to the broad Navy strategy. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Peter Reddy drew a through-line from the Navy’s four centuries of global operations to today’s focus on maritime advantage and innovation.
“Commercial and naval shipbuilding must converge—together, they can co-build, co-produce, and share tools, talent, and timelines to provide redundancy and resiliency to an already fragile shipbuilding base,” Reddy told the audience. He amplified the need for modernized shipyards and digital infrastructure to deliver ships on time and at cost, supported by “a culture that values experimentation, learns from failure, and iterates faster than any competitor.”
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Warfighting Readiness Acting Director Capt. Reid Nagao, USNR, reinforced these priorities, calling for faster ship completion, modernization of existing vessels, and greater use of data-driven solutions in partnership with industry. Nagao stressed, “It’s about generating readiness for the fleet, learning from the warfighters, and pushing hard to give Sailors the training they need.” Both keynotes converged on the imperative: integrating engineering excellence with workforce adaptability.
The “Naval Workforce of the Future” panel, led by senior technical directors, explored ways to bridge the gap between current operational capability and the needs of tomorrow’s fleet. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division Technical Director Dr. Angela D. Lewis called the race for engineering talent “a war for talent.” Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst (LKE), Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Group Executive Director Sean Brennan reminded the audience that “AI is going to be part of the team—a tool that amplifies our work, not does our work.” Panelists emphasized the need to encourage risk, support lifelong learning, and embed micro-learning opportunities across the enterprise—making it possible for engineers to capture, share, and act on lessons learned at every level.
NSWCPD’s multidisciplinary team—comprising engineers, scientists, and technical managers from refrigeration, automation, propulsion, controls, and logistics—stood out as thought leaders and role models for technical agility.
Throughout ISS 2025, presentations, discussions, and technical demonstrations made clear that innovation—and the willingness to adapt—are now essential to the Navy’s future. NSWCPD’s blend of technical expertise and pioneering leadership helped define the event’s success and set the standard for naval engineering. The symposium concluded with a renewed emphasis on partnership, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of smarter, more capable ships for a changing world.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The NSWCPD team does the research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for the non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and material for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD is also the lead organization responsible for providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.