Submarine Group Two Commander Visits NUWC Newport

Rear Adm. Melvin R. Smith, commander of Submarine Group Two, visited the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport on Dec. 11, delivering a message of gratitude to the workforce during the command’s holiday cookie party before receiving a series of briefings on emerging undersea technologies.

Smith oversees the U.S. Navy’s Undersea Hybrid Fleet Executive Steering Group — a group focused on the development and delivery of undersea robotic autonomous systems (URAS) capabilities to the fleet. He toured the command to gain a deeper understanding of NUWC’s role in system development, fielding and associated C4I (command, control, communications, computers and intelligence) capabilities.

Smith’s time spent with Division Newport employees at the command’s holiday party set the tone for the visit. Standing among tables of desserts and surrounded by civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, U.S. Sailors and support staff, Smith underscored how much of the Navy’s operational success begins in places like Division Newport — long before a system is delivered to the fleet.

“There’s a debt of gratitude that the nation has for the work that you do here,” Smith said. “It’s largely unsung — the end product of your research — the capabilities, the vehicles, the tools, the things that we