Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) announced it will change the names of its Echelon III systems centers, SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic in Charleston, S.C. and SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific in San Diego, Calif., to Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, respectively.
The changes will be effective Feb. 18. The new language “Naval Information Warfare Center,” with the acronym NIWC, (pronounced Nī’ wick) will apply to the names of all Naval Information Warfare Center sites falling under NIWC Pacific and NIWC Atlantic worldwide.
SPAWAR Commander Rear Adm. Christian Becker made the announcement Feb. 13 in his address to attendees at the WEST 2019 conference co-hosted by the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) at the San Diego Convention Center.
The name change demonstrates that information is a fundamental element of warfare, an essential concept of the Navy’s Design for Maritime Superiority 2.0.
Use of ‘warfare centers’ in the names reflects the centers’ focus, core capabilities and importance in the full spectrum of warfighting. It also improves clarity of mission and purpose with stakeholders across the fleet and industry and throughout the broader Information Warfare community and Naval Research and Development Enterprise.
The name Naval Information Warfare Center also aligns the centers with Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) air warfare centers and Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) surface and undersea warfare centers.
The intent of the name change is to recognize the importance of the Information Warfare mission and does not signal a change in SPAWAR’s mission of identifying, developing, delivering and sustaining information warfighting capabilities.
“The advantage information warfare brings to the fight is at the core of our Navy’s ability to compete and win today and in the coming decades,” said Becker. “Recognizing our systems centers as Naval Information Warfare Centers reaffirms our commitment to accelerate the development and delivery of advanced warfighting capabilities to the fleet.”
SPAWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities supporting naval, joint, coalition and other national missions. SPAWAR consists of more than 10,000 active duty military and civil service professionals located around the world and close to the fleet to keep SPAWAR at the forefront of research, engineering and acquisition to provide and sustain information warfare capabilities to the fleet.