Photo By NAWCAD Visual Information | Capt. Daniel Kitts addresses attendees after relieving Capt. Elizabeth Somerville as...... read more read more
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Capt. Daniel Kitts took over command as Commodore of Naval Test Wing Atlantic (NTWL) from Capt. Elizabeth Somerville at a change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, July 2.
Rear Adm. Todd Evans, commander of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), praised Somerville’s years of service and dedication to naval aviation, and welcomed Kitts as her natural successor.
“Capt. Somerville’s leadership at Naval Test Wing Atlantic is a consequential capstone to 26 years of honorable service,” said Evans. "Naval aviation is more dominant and capable thanks to her efforts – and Capt. Kitts will advance that legacy.”
Kitts, originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, is a U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate with over 20 years of experience as a naval aviator.
“It is incredibly humbling and an honor to take the reins of Naval Test Wing Atlantic from Capt. Sommerville,” said Kitts. “Her leadership has made a lasting impact on the wing and her legacy will live on.”
Kitts’ most recent roles included serving on the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff as the F-35C requirements officer, chief test pilot and commanding officer of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, and as System of Systems Analysis, Modeling, and Integration military integrated product team lead at the Navy’s Mission Integration and Special Programs Office (PMA-298).
“As I take command of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, our mission is unchanged: we relentlessly champion our warfighters’ needs by delivering premier, innovative test, evaluation, and experimentation expertise.”
During the ceremony, Somerville thanked those whom she’s served with as commodore and an array of shipmates past and present throughout the country.
“It has been a tremendous honor to have had the privilege of serving as your Commodore,” said Somerville. “From east coast to west, you all represent the absolute finest in the profession of developmental flight test – you are all true experts in what you do.”
Somerville, who retired from naval service, has commanded NAWCAD’s developmental air wing – the Navy’s largest – which conducts testing for every aircraft in the Navy and Marine Corps, since August 2022. “I thank you for your unrelenting professionalism in everything you do, and I cannot wait to see where Team Test goes next.”
An EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler naval flight officer, Somerville retires with 25 years of experience in operational and developmental aviation. The Massachusetts native deployed to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in the Global War on Terrorism and flew with Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141, where she led the Growler’s maiden deployment aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). She also served as commanding officer for two developmental test squadrons dedicated to weapons and tactical aircraft: Air Test and Evaluation Squadrons (VX) 31 and 23 and held various acquisition roles at Naval Air Systems Command. She is a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Air Force Institute of Technology.
NTWL, a component of NAWCAD, supports the test and evaluation of the Navy’s principal aviation systems, ranging from unmanned to rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft.
With facilities in Patuxent River; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Orlando, Florida, NAWCAD advances capability and operational readiness for naval aviation.
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2025 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 502169 |
| Location: | PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 195 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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