Photo By Richard Allen | More than 75 business representatives attended the SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) and...... read more read more
NEWPORT, R.I. – Despite rapid and dramatic changes within the federal government under the current administration, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport remains “open for business.” That was the message delivered by Commanding Officer Capt. Chad Hennings at a well-attended SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) and Contracts Council meeting held May 14 at Division Newport.
The purpose of these meetings, generally held every six months, is to facilitate and encourage communication between the Division Newport Contracts Department and industry partners.
“When I see the priorities of administration officials come down, most undersea domain-type initiatives most likely are not going to be touched,” Hennings said. “I think they still recognize that we have that advantage in the undersea domain, and we don’t want to lose that advantage, whatsoever. They’re cognizant of that.”
Hennings spoke about the reduction in the federal workforce at the warfare center through the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) and how that may present contracting companies with opportunities for more business. In regard to the DRP, Hennings said many retirement-eligible and younger employees chose to take part in the program.
“I think the journey-level people, that mid-tier, is kind of sticking it out,” he said. “But we saw about 350 people leave, so that’s about 10% of the workforce and we will be leveraging you all in terms of some services.”
This includes work with transducers, artificial intelligence/machine learning, unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) and weapons systems, Hennings said.
Stephen Lamb, head of Division Newport’s Contracts Department, also discussed the impact the DRP has had within his department, then added, “there’s a plan in place and people are stepping up. It’s business as usual.” The reduction in workforce, Lamb said, has allowed leaders within the Contracts Department to “prioritize the level of effort differently” and “reimagine what this looks like from an organization structure standpoint.”
Lamb backed up his words with numbers. Through April in the current fiscal year (FY), which started Oct. 1, 2024, and runs through Sept. 30, 2025, Division Newport has executed $567.3 million in contract obligations, exceeding the $542.6 million from a year ago.
“We’re about as spot on as we can be,” Lamb said.
What has changed, though, is the number of actions to meet those figures. In the current fiscal year, the Contracts Department has completed 1,177 actions compared to 1,301 over the same time frame in FY24. Lamb attributed the increase in efficiency to “working smarter with the resources we have.”
Maria Gregory, Division Newport’s director of the Small Business Office, noted that May is Small Business Month and the warfare centers remains committed to partnering with small businesses, which employ 45.9% of American workers and contribute 43.5% to the gross domestic product annually. You can find more information on Division Newport’s Small Business programs at: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Partnerships/Contracting-and-Small-Business/
Gregory also pointed out that Division Newport’s Long Range Acquisition Estimate (LRAE), which provides a two-year forecast for solicitations, recently was updated. Lamb, however, emphasized the word “estimate” based on the current climate. [LINK: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Partnerships/Contracting-and-Small-Business/Long-Range-Acquisition-Estimate/]
“I would say at this standpoint we’re talking about prioritization, fleet demands and changes,” he said. “Let’s make sure we’re communicating and follow up to see if there are any updates.”
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.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2025 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 499043 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
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