FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 1, 2021
Release #2161 Point of Contact—Jeffrey Prater (401) 832-2039
NUWC Division Newport employees win International System Safety Society Awards
Four Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport employees recently won awards from the International System Safety Society (ISSS).
Dan Foley, the principal for safety for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Submarine Combat and Weapon Control Systems Program Office (PMS 425), recently won the 2021 ISSS Engineer of the Year Award, and a three-member Systems Safety Team from the Undersea Warfare (USW) Platforms and Payload Integration Department, won the ISSS Scientific Achievement Award.
The Engineer of the Year Award is presented to a member of the ISSS who has made significant contributions to systems safety through the development of engineering methods, standards or designs that have improved the safety of operation or use of systems of products. Foley, a resident of Cranston, Rhode Island, and part of Division Newport’s USW Combat Systems Department, works directly for the PMS 425 program manager to identify and analyze safety risks for the BYG-1 Submarine Combat System program.
A 10-year submarine veteran, with a long history of system safety experience, Foley is widely regarded for his safety expertise. In 2020, more than 20 data packages receiving Weapon Systems and Explosives Safety Review Board (WSESRB) concurrence, a first-of-its-kind Virtual Twin (vTwin) WSESRB concurrence, and Harpoon re-introduction concurrence, were some of the safety team’s accomplishments achieved under Foley’s direction. In addition, there were four emergent software changes and updates where WSESRB concurrence was received in rapid succession, resulting in timely support to the fleet.
The Systems Safety Team, comprised of Rhode Island residents Marybeth Morton and Jennifer Rizzo, and Bristol, Rhode Island resident Jonathan Dell, earned the ISSS Scientific Achievement Award, which is presented to an individual or group that has made significant contributions to the advancement of system safety through research and development programs.
The team was honored for successfully executing several emergent test events for the Little Neck Program in a manner consistent with the Department of Navy’s safety policies, within an extremely compressed research and development schedule. The team led a large and diverse group of government and industry partners in the development of Navy safety products to support incremental testing of an emergent warfighting capability to be employed on future Navy platforms. They worked tirelessly to understand unique local policies at two distinct U.S. Army test ranges. With their extensive experience in safety, the team implemented a new process that captured and satisfied all specific Army range safety requirements without compromising standardized Navy safety requirements or the program’s safety plans.
Additionally, the team conducted tests at multiple Navy events to highlight the large scope of the project. Safety preparations to conduct submerged translating tests at a Navy range were a huge effort and the first such endeavor of its kind in about three decades.
The winners were presented their awards during a ceremony held at Division Newport on Sept. 29.
NUWC Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, builds and supports America’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NUWC Newport provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
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