The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations announced four new flag officer assignments on Sept. 29 as part of a submarine acquisition restructuring as well as a new shipyard improvement position.
These changes include realigning two Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and starting a third to better support submarine acquisition, operational capability and availability, the Navy said in a statement Oct. 1, the same day it initiated the realignments in a change-of-office ceremony.
Rear Adm. (lower half) David Goggins’s office is changing from the PEO for submarines to PEO for attack submarines (PEO SSN), which will consolidate and oversee all of the
Los Angeles-class, Seawolf-class, Virginia-class, and next generation of nuclear-powered (SSN(X)) attack submarines offices.
In this change, PEO Submarines is becoming PEO Attack submarines. The Navy said this will align Virginia-class efforts under a single flag officer.
Goggins has served as PEO for submarines since 2018. Previously he served as major program manager of the Virginia-class program and the Columbia-class program.
“Consolidating attack submarine platform acquisition, development, and sustainment under a single PEO will ensure our Navy maintains America’s and our allies’ competitive edge over our rivals,” Goggins said in a statement.
“Specifically, aligning Virginia-class efforts under PEO SSN enables more effective planning for the lifetime of the boat and will ensure support smoother transitions from new construction to in- service for the Virginia-class,” he continued.
Rear Adm. (lower half) Scott Pappano is moving from program executive officer for the Columbia-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine program to being program executive officer for Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN). This new office will consolidate and cover both Columbia-class activities and all current Ohio-class SSBNs and non-nuclear armed guided-missile submarines (SSGN) work.
“Aligning submarine acquisition and sustainment along platform lines, with cradle-to-grave ownership and accountability, is the most effective way to tackle the challenges we face and provide the nation with the most lethal undersea force possible. I look forward to the opportunity to proactively manage the Ohio-to-Columbia transition, including strategic shore infrastructure and industrial base capacity, to ensure uninterrupted sea-based strategic deterrent coverage into the 2080s,” Pappano said.
Pappano was assigned to PEO for Columbia-class in March 2019. Earlier, he served as major program manager for the Strategic and Attack Submarine Program Office (PMS 392), executive assistant to the Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, and in the Special Operations Forces Mobility Program office (PMS 399).
Rear Adm. (lower half) Edward Anderson is also being reassigned from commander of Undersea Warfare (NAVSEA 07) to program executive officer for Undersea Warfare Systems (PEO UWS). This office will oversee undersea command and control and weapons and serve as the undersea domain program integration office for Project Overmatch.
The Navy argued this new PEO UWS will both enable the delivery of enhanced combat capability with better resiliency and help the overall Team Submarine ensure undersea sensors and warfare systems are integrated into the Navy Operational Architecture, supporting Distributed Maritime Operations.
Anderson assumed duties as deputy commander of Undersea Warfare in June 2019. Previously, he was chosen to serve as deputy commander, Fleet Readiness director at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in 2017.
“The realignment of Team Submarines provides a tighter focus on our three main platforms: Strategic, Attack, and Warfare Systems. Standing up PEO UWS is a tremendous honor and will facilitate a greater focus on modernizing our sensors, combat systems and weapons, while improving our cybersecurity and platform resiliency,” Anderson said.
A Navy spokesperson would not comment on the reorganization before a press release was released October 1.
Defense News first reported on the submarine program structural changes earlier this week.
The Navy noted this realignment does not require any new flag officer billets.
Separately, Rear Adm. (upper half) Troy M. McClelland is assigned as PEO for the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (PEO SIOP). SIOP is the Navy’s 20-year and estimated $21 billion plan to modernize the four government-owned shipyards that maintain nuclear-powered naval vessels.
In 2019, the Navy announced it established a SIOP Program Office, PMS-555, in June 2018, ahead of the start of work under the program. The program office was said to be working with the commander of Navy Installation Command (CNIC) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) to recapitalize the shipyards (Defense Daily, April 3, 2019).
This story was updated on October 1 to add quotes from officials and clarify the office changes.