Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO UAVSW)

Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO UAVSW)
Unit name	Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons
Native name	PEO UAVSW
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Role	Acquisition and lifecycle management
Garrison	Naval Air Systems Command

Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO UAVSW) is a United States Navy acquisition organization responsible for development, procurement, integration, and sustainment of unmanned aviation systems and strike weapons. It manages portfolios spanning unmanned aerial vehicles, precision-guided munitions, and related sensors across Navy, Marine Corps, and coalition platforms. The office links requirements from combatant commands and warfare centers to industrial partners, laboratories, and congressional oversight bodies.

Mission and Responsibilities

PEO UAVSW executes mandated acquisition responsibilities defined by United States Department of Defense statutes and Federal Acquisition Regulation implications, aligning with priorities from Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and United States Fleet Forces Command. It translates capability gaps identified by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command into programmatic action, managing budgets approved by the United States Congress and scrutinized by the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee. The office oversees lifecycle management, configuration control, and readiness reporting required by directives from Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and guidance from Defense Acquisition University.

Organizational Structure

PEO UAVSW is organized into program offices and directorates that mirror portfolios in other acquisition enterprises such as Naval Air Systems Command, Program Executive Office, Tactical Aircraft Programs, and Program Executive Office, Joint Strike Fighter. Leadership typically reports to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) and coordinates with portfolio managers in Office of the Secretary of Defense. Functional divisions liaise with test and evaluation organizations like Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, research labs such as Naval Research Laboratory, and training commands including Naval Air Training Command. Interface nodes exist with international partners represented by offices like Defense Security Cooperation Agency and alliance bodies such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Major Programs and Platforms

PEO UAVSW manages programs that intersect with prominent systems and services including platforms and munitions recognizable from MQ-4C Triton, MQ-8 Fire Scout, MQ-9B SeaGuardian, MQ-25 Stingray, and weapon families such as AGM-88 HARM, Tomahawk, and variants of the Joint Direct Attack Munition. Sensor and payload integrations reference programs related to AN/APG-79, AN/ALQ-99, and electro-optical suites developed in partnership with defense contractors linked to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, General Atomics, and Boeing. Collaborative developmental efforts cite interfaces with F-35 Lightning II, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, and Amphibious Ready Group concepts.

Acquisition and Procurement Processes

Acquisition activities follow acquisition pathways codified by the Defense Acquisition System, applying milestone reviews consistent with Milestone A, Milestone B, and Milestone C decision authorities. Program managers implement source selection processes influenced by the Competition in Contracting Act and cooperative agreements governed by Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses. Contract vehicles include Other Transaction Authorities used in cases aligned with precedents from Rapid Innovation Fund and transaction cases involving Small Business Innovation Research awardees. Budgetary alignment proceeds through submission cycles to Office of Management and Budget and appropriation by the United States Congress.

Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation

RDT&E under PEO UAVSW engages laboratories and test ranges such as Edwards Air Force Base, China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, and Patuxent River Naval Air Station for flight test and weapons integration. Partnerships with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and programs of record draw on science agencies like National Aeronautics and Space Administration for autonomy and sensing research. Test planning adheres to standards from Director, Operational Test and Evaluation and leverages modeling and simulation frameworks from Naval Test Wing Pacific and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. Emphasis areas include autonomy algorithms influenced by research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and collaborations with industry leaders such as Carnegie Mellon University spin-offs.

Operational Integration and Support

Operational deployment and sustainment activities coordinate with fleet and expeditionary units including Carrier Strike Group staffs, Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing commands. Logistics and maintenance draw on policies from Defense Logistics Agency and depot-level repair networks exemplified by Fleet Readiness Center locations. Training pipelines integrate with Naval Aviation Schools Command syllabi and carrier air wing readiness evaluated alongside exercises like Rim of the Pacific Exercise and Joint Warrior. Cross-domain employment considers interoperability with United States Cyber Command and United States Space Command assets for data links, timing, and targeting.

Policy, Oversight, and Partnerships

PEO UAVSW operates under oversight from congressional committees including the House Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, and receives policy direction from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. International cooperation is managed through Foreign Military Sales frameworks and partnerships with allies such as United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and NATO members. Industry collaboration involves prime contractors like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, and smaller innovators from Silicon Valley and defense clusters. Ethical, legal, and standards concerns engage organizations such as American Bar Association panels, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and academic centers including Harvard Kennedy School for policy analysis and compliance.

Category:United States Navy