The Navy said yesterday that Rear Adm. Joseph Horn has been selected to become the next program executive officer for integrated warfare systems at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
Horn has been serving as the program executive for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense at the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and as commander of Navy Air and Missile Defense Command. He is to replace Rear Adm. James Syring as PEO IWS.
The Senate in September confirmed Syring to command the Missile Defense Agency and elevated his rank to vice admiral. Syring would become the first admiral to head the MDA, a role historically filled by Army and Air Force officers.
Horn has served on and commanded several naval vessels. While in command of the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), the ship conducted multiple Aegis ballistic missile defense engagements, according to his official Navy biography.
PEO IWS is responsible for developing and acquiring advanced combat and weapons systems for ships, submarines and aircraft carriers. PEO IWS is currently overseeing two key competitions with winners expected to be announced within the next several months.
That includes the next generation Air Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and a follow-on baseline to the Aegis Combat System known as Combat System Engineering Agent, or CSEA. Among the firms publicly involved in the mix are Boeing [BA], Lockheed Martin [LMT], Northrop Grumman [NOC] and Raytheon [RTN].
Horn is tentatively slated to transition into his new job Nov. 5, a NAVSEA spokeswoman said. An MDA spokesman said a date has not been set for Syring to take command from Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly. O’Reilly was the subject of a Pentagon Inspector General’s report in May that sharply criticized his management style.