Photo By Ferlin Gatlin | Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division Metrologist, Rayhaan Ayob,...... read more read more
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The pristine precision needed to certify our nation’s underwater nuclear deterrent anchors on the talents of civilian scientists at a U.S. Navy laboratory in Southern California.
At Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division, scientists can measure parts down to millionths of an inch—the level of exactitude required to keep the Navy’s Trident nuclear missiles ready for a successful undersea launch.
The Trident II D5 Life Extension (LE) Missile is launched underwater from Ohio-class submarines and provides our nation with a critical deterrent and survivable response to aggression. The Navy’s PAE Strategic Systems Programs provides the highly accurate and reliable weapon system to the warfighter.
NSWC Corona’s Measurement Science and Technology Laboratory plays a critical role in the Trident II D5LE missile by controlling and certifying ultra-precision tools required for its assembly, known as special interface gages.
“Every single component from every manufacturer is built correctly thanks to these gages,” said Michael Pierce, who manages NSWC Corona’s Weapons Interface Assessment Branch. “The work that we do here guarantees that those weapons will work as they’re intended every single time.”
Special interface gages verify the form, fit, and function of missile parts down to tolerances in the millionths of an inch. These highly precise gages ensure that missile components are manufactured to the exact shape and size needed, so they will fit and work as designed when equipped on a submarine.
NSWC Corona controls and ships these authorized gages to partners throughout the defense industrial base responsible for manufacturing and assembling the Trident missile. The mandatory use of these gages ensures that the missiles manufactured by industry meet the Navy’s ultra-precise requirements.
“We have engineers that design these highly specialized tools,” said Pierce. “They are certified against the nation’s highest measurement standards to guarantee their precision.”
In addition to supporting the Trident missile, NSWC Corona’s Measurement Science and Technology Laboratory helps sustain critical weapons systems throughout the Navy and Marine Corps. From small pistols to hypersonic missiles, the warfare center’s expertise in calibration and specialized gages assures the accuracy of measurements throughout the Fleet. Its inventory ranges from precision hand-held tools, like calipers, to massive, computerized machinery, like coordinate measuring machines.
“Nearly every weapon system deployed by Sailors and Marines relies on Navy Special Interface Gages to ensure peak operational readiness,” said Pierce.
With the safety of our warfighters fueling their mission, NSWC Corona scientists’ microscopic measurements result in a global impact. Whether supporting the Trident missile or other systems throughout the Fleet, NSWC Corona’s work equips Sailors with the confidence to trust their systems—empowering them to deliver peace through strength when our nation depends on them most.
NSWC Corona Division has provided analysis and assessment for the Navy since 1964. With expertise in gauging the Navy’s warfighting capability, NSWC Corona is a leader in data, analytics, visualizations, digital environments, engineering, and leveraging technology to bridge and integrate the Navy's data silos – enabling informed decision-making by the warfighter. With more than 4,000 scientists, engineers, Sailors, technicians, and support staff, NSWC Corona is located in Norco, California, with two California detachments in Fallbrook and Seal Beach and personnel in 14 additional locations.
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2026 15:00 |
| Story ID: | 572981 |
| Location: | CORONA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Microscopic Precision, Global Impact: NSWC Corona's Support to the Trident Missile System, by Paige Bounds, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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