The Force Behind The Fleet > Media

Forged in war: How Dahlgren’s work shaped victory in 1945
August 18, 2025 — Capt. William “Deak” Parsons lowered himself into the bomb bay of the “Enola Gay” in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, 1945. Minutes before, the B-29 Superfortress had departed from the North Field of Tinian Island. Parsons worked by flashlight, inserting a powder charge and detonator into a weapon unlike anything the world had ever seen.It was a... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Rear Adm. William “Deak” Parsons served at the Naval Proving Grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia and as the leader of the Ordnance Division of the Manhattan Project during World War II.

Learning to lead, learning to fail: SEAP interns grow through hands-on challenge
August 12, 2025 — When Brody Kester landed a selective spot in the 2025 Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), he thought he’d spend the summer behind a desk. But he soon found himself working side by side with Dahlgren scientists and engineers and gaining hands-on experience in real-world... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program interns prepare equipment for testing an unmanned surface vessel at Hideaway Pond during their final project demonstration at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). (Morgan Lee Tabor/NSWCDD Photo)

Small groups, big ideas: Dahlgren teams tackle radar challenge with creativity and grit
August 1, 2025 — They came with their own backgrounds and areas of expertise: early-career scientists, software developers, mechanical engineers.Inside the Innovation Lab (iLab) at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), in a sea of unfamiliar faces, they sorted themselves into six small groups. Their skillsets would need to complement each other,... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Derek Diltz (center), chief engineer in the High Power Microwave Weapon Systems Division at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, tests a low-budget coffee can radar produced by a group of early career scientists and engineers during a Workforce Development Innovation Challenge. (Tierney Kunstmann/NSWCDD Photo)

Engineering a future together: Virginia Tech's Capstone partnership with NSWC Dahlgren Division
July 16, 2025 — The Virginia Tech Interdisciplinary Capstone (IDC) program is redefining how engineering students transition from theory to practice. Unlike traditional department-specific capstone courses, IDC integrates students from diverse disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, systems engineering, materials science... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s stakeholders from left, Alan Overby, branch head; Amy Meyer, physicist; Adam Suleske, physicist; August Valentour, mechanical engineer; and Joel Mejeur (not pictured), guided students during the Virginia Tech Interdisciplinary Capstone program. (Dorina Watermolen/NSWCDD Photo)

AN/SPY-6(V)1 Radar: Eyes of the fleet
July 15, 2025 — Naval warfare evolves rapidly and staying ahead of adversaries requires relentless innovation and precision. Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) has established itself as a critical agent of military modernization, enhancing the capabilities of the Navy, ensuring its position as the dominant maritime force. In this fast-paced... MORE

TAMPA, Fla. – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) was commissioned in Tampa, Florida on October 7, 2023. This vessel is the first of its kind to be equipped with the Aegis Weapon System, Baseline 10. At the heart of this system is the AN/SPY-6(V)1, an advanced, automatic detect-and-track, multi-function phased-array radar. (DoD photo by EJ Hersom)

Engineers launch unmanned vessels and new ideas at NSWCDD Workforce Development Innovation Challenge
July 2, 2025 — The first team of scientists and engineers arrive at Upper Machodoc Creek on a still and steamy summer morning. They’ve brought with them a field-ready research station: a laptop computer, a controller, a base station and a BlueBoat — a small, unmanned vessel commonly used in robotics operations.A heron stands sentry at the water’s edge; farther... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Cyber Engineer Alex Brown of Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) Dam Neck Activity and NSWCDD engineer Roel Choi calibrate their team’s BlueBoat prior to launching. The two were participating alongside their team in a Workforce Development Innovation Challenge to develop a small, unmanned vessel with commercially available software and hardware to conduct autonomous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions on the water. (Dave Ellis/NSWCDD Photo)

Navy veteran leads the charge in troubleshooting electromagnetic compatibility challenges
June 30, 2025 — When Bob Nees first enlisted in the Navy in 1979, he didn’t realize he was kicking off a career that would span decades, cross industries and firmly establish him as a trusted expert in solving the seemingly unsolvable.From his early days as an aviation fire control technician to his current role as an engineering manager of Surface Warfare Systems... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Bob Nees, the engineering manager for Surface Warfare Systems for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Technical Warrant Holder at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), is known as the electromagnetic compatibility “troubleshooter” in Navy circles at one of NSWCDD’s anechoic chambers for MIL-STD-461 testing

The shield of the fleet: The Aegis Combat System and its vital role in U.S. Navy operations
June 23, 2025 — The evolution of naval defense systems reflects a timeline of innovation, each breakthrough addressing increasingly complex global threats. Among these monumental advancements, the Aegis Combat System stands as a seminal chapter in the U.S. Navy’s pursuit of unmatched lethality and operational effectiveness. However, its true power extends beyond... MORE

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — USS Little Rock (CLG 4) fires a Talos guided missile while off San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 16, 1961. (Seaman Lenhoff/Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.)

Engineering excellence, empowering people: Technical Director Dale Sisson Jr.’s legacy of leadership at Dahlgren
June 23, 2025 — If you grew up in King George County, Virginia, you either belonged to the Dahlgren community or you didn’t. The Sisson family, by and large, did not.For Dale Sisson Jr., the son of a school bus driver and line worker, Naval Support Facility Dahlgren loomed on the periphery of his childhood, a nebulous source of man-made thunder that boomed over... MORE

KING GEORGE, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Technical Director Dale Sisson Jr., P.E., SES, laughs while being honored at his retirement ceremony on Friday, June 13 at Round Hill Baptist Church. Sisson retired after 28 years of government service. (Dorina Watermolen/NSWCDD Photo)

Capturing the unseen: The role of high-speed cameras in weapon advancements
May 29, 2025 — The spin rate and velocity of a projectile shot from a five-inch gun are so fast only a camera capturing 75,000 frames per second can freeze it mid-flight. At this speed, unseen phenomena become visible, revealing critical data that underpins the precision and impact of modern weapon systems. At Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. — Since arriving at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in 2006, engineer David Dukes has witnessed the evolution of high-speed cameras. From limited cameras that could only capture images for a few seconds at a few thousand frames per second (fps) to modern equipment capable of capturing 75,000 fps for a full minute at maximum resolution, Dukes has seen it all. (Dave Ellis/NSWCDD Photo)

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