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From typhoons to tech leadership: Karen Wingeart’s journey to NSWC Dahlgren Division
February 3, 2026 — In 2002, U.S. Navy Lt. Karen Wingeart noticed a disturbance in the Pacific Ocean develop into a tropical depression from her post as a Typhoon Warning Duty Officer at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii. Her job was both critical and demanding, requiring her to analyze satellite data, model forecasts and limited sensor inputs to deliver... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. — Karen Wingeart, division head for the Maritime Warfare Control Systems Division at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, stands in a high bay facility used for combat systems testing. Wingeart leads efforts that support the development, integration and readiness of U.S. Navy warfighting capabilities.(Morgan Tabor/NSWCDD Photo)

Penn State robotics capstone project with NSWC Dahlgren Division explores safer, smarter ways to handle ordnance
January 21, 2026 — While modern naval warships field advanced weapons systems, many essential ordnance-handling tasks still depend on human muscle. Sailors manually move heavy projectiles and propellant charges through cramped, hot and constantly moving spaces.The work is labor-intensive – and inherently dangerous.Engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren... MORE

ATLANTIC OCEAN – U.S. Navy Gunner’'s Mate Seaman Desmond Summers removes a Mark 45 5-inch round from an ammunition bin aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) Feb. 26, 2014, in the Atlantic Ocean. Onboard today’s naval warships, some of the most critical weapons tasks still depend on human muscle. Automating projectile handling could make the task safer and more efficient. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Carlos M. Vazquez II/Released)

Mentors made the difference: Jessica Delgado’s journey from learning to leading at NSWCDD
January 5, 2026 — Jessica Delgado always had ambition. She grew up in Puerto Rico in a family of strong women: One aunt was a lawyer, another a doctor. Her mother worked as a nurse. Delgado majored in microbiology as an undergraduate and planned to pursue a medical degree, a path that would allow her to help people. Then something unexpected happened: She fell in... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s Jessica Delgado enjoys paying it forward by serving as a mentor. “Mentorship is core to my values,” she said. “I want to make sure people can come to me and really talk about anything.” (Dave Ellis/NSWCDD Photo)

Breaking through the clutter: NEEC research project advances radar technology for naval defense
December 22, 2025 — Since it’s fielding in World War II, radar has produced crucial early warnings of incoming enemy forces and better accuracy against targets, giving the U.S. Navy a decisive advantage in naval warfare engagements.Nearly eight decades later, radar – which uses electromagnetic waves to detect and track objects – remains a cornerstone of modern defense... MORE

NORFOLK, Va. – Operations Specialist 2nd Class Michael R. Gutermuth reads the SPS 73 radar on the bridge of the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17). San Antonio is preparing to depart Naval Station Norfolk to provide Humanitarian Aid/ Disaster Relief in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary S. Welch/Released)

Battle Management System: Two decades of revolutionizing the battlespace
December 15, 2025 — For 20 years, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s Battle Management System has served as a digital backbone, integrating weapons, sensors, operators and data into a unified system. This allows platforms to see, decide and act faster in an increasingly complex battlespace.What began in 2005 with a small team of Dahlgren Division... MORE

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – On June 6, 2025, an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship and a CV-22 Osprey, both assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command, flew over the Gulf of Mexico near Hurlburt Field, Florida. The AC-130J is equipped with a precision strike package that includes a mission management console, a robust communications suite, advanced fire control equipment, the capability for precision-guided munitions delivery and trainable 30mm and 105 mm weaponry. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Tori Haudenschild)

Split-second science: Dahlgren Division engineers capture first live data on projectile and shockwave interaction
November 21, 2025 — Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division recently fired high-speed projectiles into timed explosions to study how shockwaves affect high-speed rounds in a groundbreaking test. Over two days, a team of scientists and engineers at Dahlgren Division used a M110 Howitzer modified with a 155 mm barrel to launch projectiles traveling nearly four... MORE

DAHLGREN, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division scientists and engineers used a M110 Howitzer modified with a 155 mm barrel to launch projectiles traveling nearly four times the speed of sound toward controlled blasts of 30 to 100 pounds of dynamite. The groundbreaking test was used to study how shockwaves affect high-speed rounds. (NSWCDD Photo)

Close-in Weapons Systems: The last line of defense
September 24, 2025 — When a threat is seconds from impact, the close-in weapon system provides Navy ships with a final line of protection. Created for automated responses that exceed human reaction times, CIWS is the ultimate safeguard in high-stakes combat.CIWS is a point-defense system designed to detect, track and engage short-range targets such as anti-ship... MORE

ATLANTIC OCEAN – A Phalanx Close-In Weapon System fires from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) during a gun exercise in the South Atlantic Ocean, May 18, 2024. James participated in a gun shoot with Brazilian navy frigates Independência (F 44), the União (F 45), and the U.S. Navy USS Porter (DDG 78) in support of Operation Southern Seas 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Logan Kaczmarek)

NSWC Dahlgren Division advances shipboard self-sufficiency with fiber optic test and repair certification in 7th Fleet
September 15, 2025 — The Navy’s Fiber Optic Test and Repair (FOTR) Certification Program reached a significant milestone by certifying the first certification site and inspector within the 7th Fleet. This achievement marks a critical step toward enhancing shipboard self-reliance in fiber optics maintenance. Managed by the Cybersecurity and Fiber Optics Engineering and... MORE

Standing watch: Inside NSWCDD's Crisis Response Center
September 9, 2025 — When crisis strikes, every second counts. At Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), a command-and-control capability stands ready to respond – the Crisis Response Center (CRC).This isn't just another emergency response system; it's an operational nerve center designed to ensure the continuity of mission-critical support to the... MORE

NSWCDD Command Team and CRC Lead pose for group photo.

Dual duty: Bridging military leadership and engineering excellence at NSWCDD
September 9, 2025 — At 19, Vijay Ahluwalia was adrift. He’d recently returned to New York after more than a decade away in his mother’s native Uganda, where they’d moved after his father died.College was off the table, for the moment. So was a dream to become a travel documentarian. He needed time and space to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.The answer... MORE

Engineer standing in front of flags in a lab

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