Photo By Shelby Thompson | Steven Van Dyk, SSP's Chief Engineer, is presented with the Navy Distinguished...... read more read more
Washington Navy Yard - Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) celebrated the retirement of SSP’s outgoing chief engineer, Steven Van Dyk (SES), Ph.D., on June 27, 2025, marking the end to an exceptional 27-year run with the command and putting the capstone on 43 years of military and federal service with the U.S. Navy.
Van Dyk served as the eighth chief engineer for Strategic Systems Programs since the command’s inception in 1955. The limited number of chief engineers over the span of the program highlights the significance of the role and depth of SSP knowledge required to effectively manage responsibilities of the position, including defining and enforcing the program engineering disciplines, setting quality standards, and ensuring the performance, safety, and quality of the Navy’s strategic nuclear deterrent capability.
“There is hardly an element that Steven has not touched, and in his role as chief engineer, there are no elements that he is not an expert on,” Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director of SSP said of Van Dyk’s program knowledge and expertise.
A native of Chicago, Van Dyk began his remarkable journey of national service by attending the University of Southern California, where he graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and commissioned into the U.S. Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Program. He began his active duty career serving on various Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines (SSBNs) as a strategic weapons officer, gaining subspecialty rating in Strategic Weapons and electrical engineering, and as the engineer on a diesel submarine.
Van Dyk further served on shore duty assignments, including as the engineer in charge of the production and repair of the Mk48 submarine launched torpedo program at Naval Sea Systems Command, as well as the executive officer of SSP’s Program Management Office Fire Control System, responsible for the technical management of the guidance and fire control subsystems production and repair. He also graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he earned a Master of Science in electrical engineering.
During a period of military downsizing in the 1990s, Van Dyk retired from the Navy under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority in 1996, having achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. Following retirement, he initially went to work with a contractor – for a short time – working in radiation effects with the Kaman Sciences Corporation.
Van Dyk didn’t stay away from SSP for long. In 1998 he made his return to the command. He began in the Reentry Systems Branch, where he put his valuable experience to work focusing on radiation hardened electronics.
“I was sent to the reentry systems branch because I could actually understand what ‘radiation hardened’ was,” Van Dyk said.
His focus on radiation hardened electronics was inspired in part by a discussion with Dr. Barry Hannah, SSP’s first Reentry Systems Branch Head.
“Dr. Hannah and I had many discussions, but the one that changed my life was the one where we discussed how to become the Navy’s premiere expert in radiation hardened electronics,” Van Dyk said. “I took his advice and worked to make it a reality. I attended national and international conferences. I gave courses, evaluated papers, and developed a network of national lab and contractor employees involved in the development and testing of radiation hardened electronics,” According to Van Dyk, this was the foundation for the rest of his career.
Van Dyk moved upwards within SSP, continuing his work on radiation hardened electronics in the Guidance System Branch in 2000 before moving on to a supervisory position within the Missile System Branch in 2004, where he was responsible for the Trident II D5 Life Extension electronic packages.
“It was during this time that Steven’s reputation for exacting standards and technical rigor came into the foreground,” Wolfe said during his remarks honoring Van Dyk at his retirement ceremony.
In 2009, Van Dyk graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee with a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies: management of technology.
In 2014, Van Dyk entered the role of Assistant to the chief engineer for Missile Engineering Systems, where he was responsible for missile system design, development, flight test data, production, and fleet support, as well as integration of flight hardware system components into the Trident II missile.
Van Dyk was appointed as the Chief Deterrence Technology Officer in 2017. In this role he was responsible for establishing and directing research and exploratory development programs in support of future Strategic Weapons Systems, providing executive leadership for all Navy matters related to Arms Control Treaty implementation and compliance, and directing SSP’s efforts as a participating or supporting program office for other Navy programs.
In 2018, Van Dyk became a member of the Senior Executive Service, the first retired military officer in SSP history to do so.
Finally, in January 2022, Van Dyk assumed his role as SSP’s eighth chief engineer. As the senior technical authority within SSP, Van Dyk’s dedication and technical expertise led him to rigorously execute the command’s mission. His many responsibilities included defining and enforcing the engineering disciplines, setting quality standards, and ensuring the performance, safety, and quality of the Navy’s strategic nuclear deterrent capability.
During the retirement ceremony, Van Dyk received a letter of recognition from Juanita Christensen, executive director of Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA)’s Technical Directorate. Responsible for bolstering the connection between DCMA and SSP, Van Dyk has left in his wake a strong working relationship that will continue to persist long after his retirement.
He was further recognized by many other individuals and organizations, and was awarded the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award, highlighting the value of his decades of civilian service to the Navy.
Jim Kern, SSP’s Director of Systems Integration & Compatibility, will take up the mantle as SSP’s ninth chief engineer.
Since SSP was stood up in 1955, it has retained the cradle-to-grave responsibility for the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) strategic weapon system. Today, that system is the Trident II D5LE deployed on Ohio-class SSBNs for strategic patrol, supporting the U.S. Navy’s role in maintaining peace through strength. SSP is also modernizing the Navy’s SWS for the future Columbia-class SSBNs and is pioneering advanced regional strike capabilities with SLCM-N and the non-nuclear CPS programs to enhance our nation’s maritime dominance.
Van Dyk’s retirement ceremony is one of several events occurring throughout SSP’s 70th year and highlights the vast network of people and expertise required to ensure SSP’s no-fail mission. SSP will celebrate its 70th anniversary Nov.17, 2025. This year’s celebration coincides with the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy on Oct. 13. For 250 years, America’s Navy has promoted prosperity and security, deterred aggression, and protected the American way of life.
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2025 09:29 |
| Story ID: | 502105 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SSP Celebrates the Retirement of its Chief Engineer Steven Van Dyk, by Thomas Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
