The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the largest of the United States Navy's five "systems commands," or materiel (not to be confused with "material") organizations. From a physical perspective, NAVSEA has four shipyards for shipbuilding, conversion, and repair, ten "warfare centers" (two undersea and eight surface), the NAVSEA headquarters, located at the Washington Navy Yard, in Washington D.C., and other locations in 15 states and 3 overseas continents.
NAVSEA's primary objective is to engineer, build, buy, and maintain the U.S. Navy's fleet of ships and its combat systems. NAVSEA's budget of almost $30 billion accounts for nearly one quarter of the Navy's entire budget, with more than 80,200 personnel and 150 acquisition programs under its oversight.[1]
History
Seal of the Naval Sea Systems Command (historic).
The origin of NAVSEA dates to 1794, when Commodore John Barry was charged to oversee the construction of a 44-gun frigate and ensure that all business "harmonized and conformed" to the public's interest.[2] Since then various organizations were established and succeeded them to oversee design, construction and repair of ships and ordnance.
The Naval Ship Systems Command was established in 1966 replacing BuShips.[3]
The Naval Sea Systems Command was established on July 1, 1974[3] with the merger of the Naval Ship Systems Command (NAVSHIPS) with the Naval Ordnance Systems Command (NAVORD). NAVORD was the successor to the Bureau of Naval Weapons and the earlier Bureau of Ordnance.
Command history
The following are the current and previous NAVSEA commanders to 1998:
Contracts (SEA 02): Awards nearly $24 billion in contracts annually for new construction ships and submarines, ship repair, major weapon systems and services.
Cyber Engineering and Digital Transformation Directorate (SEA 03): Delivers enterprise digital capabilities and infrastructure for cyber-secure digital work and innovation.[15]
Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations (SEA 04): Gets ships to sea and keeps them ready. SEA04 manages the four Naval Shipyards.
Naval Systems Engineering Directorate (SEA 05): Provides the engineering and scientific expertise necessary to design, build, maintain, repair, modernize, certify, and dispose of the Navy's ships, submarines, and associated warfare systems.
Undersea Warfare (SEA 07): Provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering, and fleet support services to the in-service submarine and undersea forces.
Naval Nuclear Propulsion (SEA 08): Also known as Naval Reactors or as the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, responsible for the safe and reliable operation of the Navy's nuclear propulsion program.
Corporate Operations (SEA 10): Performs all operations support for NAVSEA directorates and field activities as well as PEOs.
Surface Warfare (SEA 21): Manages the maintenance and modernization of non-nuclear surface ships currently operating in the fleet; also oversees the ship inactivation process, including ship transfers or sales to foreign navies, inactivation, and/or disposal.
Warfighting Capability and Enterprise Readiness (SEA 06): Disestablished and aligned within other directorates as of 1 October 2020.[16]
NAVSEA's eight affiliated Program Executive Offices (PEOs) are responsible for the development and acquisition of Navy and Marine Corps platforms and weapons systems. PEOs report to the NAVSEA commander for planning and execution of in-service support, and to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) for acquisition-related matters.[17]
The NAVSEA affiliated PEOs are:
Program Executive Officer, Aircraft Carriers (PEO Carriers)
Program Executive Officer, Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS)
Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC)
Program Executive Officer, Ships (PEO Ships)
Program Executive Officer, Undersea Warfare Systems (PEO UWS)
Program Executive Officer, Attack Submarines (PEO SSN)
Program Executive Officer, Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN)
AUKUS Direct Reporting Program Office, and Integration & Acquisition Office
Field activities
NAVSEA has numerous field activities geographically dispersed throughout the country that are providing the engineering, scientific, technical and logistical expertise, products and support to the Fleet, Department of Defense, and other customers.[18]
United States
United States Navy
