INDIAN HEAD, Md.— Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington handed over the newly constructed Advanced Energetics Research Laboratory Complex at Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, June 24. The 21,000-square-foot facility represents a landmark delivery to modernize the Department of War's (DoW) energetics research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) infrastructure.
Executing the project from groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting, NAVFAC Washington provided construction engineering and contracting oversight throughout the facility's development.
“We know that world-class talent requires world-class infrastructure,” said Capt. Christopher Archer, executive officer, NAVFAC Washington. “For too long, the critical work done here at the DoW’s Energetics Center of Excellence was constrained by a 66-year-old facility. The highly sensitive equipment required for modern RDT&E simply cannot function at its full potential without precise controls for temperature, humidity and vibration. As that facility degraded, it forced workarounds that delayed critical advancements and delayed impacts for our warfighters.”
Archer praised the collaborative effort that brought the project to fruition where he recognized the NSWC IHD team, Naval Support Activity South Potomac and industry construction partners for bringing the project to completion.
The new facility supports advanced capabilities in chemical synthesis and formulation development, integrated advanced diagnostics, enhanced scalable mixing capabilities and modernizes the command’s analytical support. These improvements position NSWC IHD among the nation’s leaders in weapons research and evaluation.
“This building is the culmination of more than two decades of rigorous planning and execution,” said NSWC IHD Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Duba. “The Advanced Energetics Research Laboratory Complex will focus on the development of novel materials and formulations, providing the Navy a capability and capacity not readily reproduced anywhere else. With this addition, NSWC IHD will continue operating as one of the largest energetic materials research and development activities in the DoW.”
Duba noted that the facility is a national asset, one that will allow the command’s scientists and engineers to directly enhance U.S. weapons systems today and well into the future, supporting the DoW’s need for increased R&D capacity.
“This new laboratory complex empowers NSWC IHD to fully enact our ‘Molecule to Mission’ mindset -- allowing us to take bold concepts, push them through rigorous development and transition them directly into the hands of the warfighter,” Duba added.
The delivery of this facility reflects NAVFAC Washington’s core mission to provide construction engineering and contracting solutions that enable warfighters. Through the delivery of the world-class infrastructure at NSWC IHD, NAVFAC Washington is ensuring the brilliant minds at Indian Head have the modern platform required to advance joint weapons systems, prevent technological surprise and maintain the nation’s warfighting superiority.
| Date Taken: |
06.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
06.28.2026 14:51 |
| Story ID: |
568866 |
| Location: |
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
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14 |
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