Program Executive Office for Aegis Ships

Program Executive Office for Aegis Ships
Unit name	Program Executive Office for Aegis Ships
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Role	Acquisition and program management for Aegis Combat System-equipped surface combatants
Garrison	Naval Base San Diego
Commander	Program Executive Officer (varies)
Equipment	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Ticonderoga-class cruiser

Contents

Program Executive Office for Aegis Ships The Program Executive Office for Aegis Ships manages procurement, modernization, testing, and lifecycle sustainment for Aegis Combat System-enabled surface combatants including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. It coordinates with shipbuilders, systems integrators, and research institutions to deliver capabilities supporting operations with forces such as United States Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Carrier Strike Group 1, and allied navies. The office interfaces with defense acquisition bodies including the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Naval Sea Systems Command, and congressional defense committees.

Overview

The office oversees acquisition programs that integrate weapons, sensors, and command systems onto hulls maintained by Bath Iron Works, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Huntington Ingalls Industries. It manages programs aligned to Surface Warfare requirements to support combatant commanders like U.S. Central Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and operations such as Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. Coordination extends to organizations including Missile Defense Agency, Naval Warfare Center, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic, and international partners such as the Royal Australian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Origins trace to the development of the Aegis Combat System in programs partnered with Lockheed Martin, with early deployment on the Ticonderoga-class cruiser following requirements from the Chief of Naval Operations and lessons from Cold War-era deployments including interactions with Soviet Navy forces. Subsequent evolution paralleled the introduction of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the rise of networked warfare emphasizing integration with Naval Integrated Fire Control–Counter Air concepts and programs like Cooperative Engagement Capability. Historical milestones include technology insertions influenced by events such as the Gulf War (1990–1991), the 9/11 attacks, and strategic shifts shaped by the National Defense Strategy, with acquisition oversight from entities like Defense Acquisition University.

The office reports through the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition and coordinates with Naval Sea Systems Command and Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems. Leadership includes a Program Executive Officer supported by deputy PEOs, program managers, and technical directors drawn from Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. It works closely with staffs from Office of Naval Research, Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, and congressional liaison offices such as the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee.

Key programs include baseline Aegis shipbuilding, Combat System upgrades like Aegis Baseline 9, and integration of weapon systems such as the RIM-66 Standard Missile, RIM-174 Standard ERAM, and Tomahawk (missile), plus systems like the AN/SPY-1 radar and AN/SPY-6 radar. The office supports surface warfare mission areas intersecting with Ballistic Missile Defense efforts coordinated with the Missile Defense Agency and allied BMD initiatives like Aegis Ashore. It manages interoperability with platforms including Zumwalt-class destroyer, Littoral Combat Ship, and allied vessels from Norwegian Navy, Republic of Korea Navy, and Royal Canadian Navy.

Primary industrial partners include Huntington Ingalls Industries, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and suppliers such as GE Aviation and MTU Aero Engines for auxiliaries. Collaboration extends to yards and design houses like Bath Iron Works, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, and international firms such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fincantieri. Contract vehicles and prime contracting were influenced by acquisition reforms advocated by figures like Frank Kendall and historical procurement models from the Packard Commission era.

Testing regimes include developmental test events at ranges operated by Naval Air Warfare Center and operational evaluations coordinated with Operational Test and Evaluation Force and U.S. Pacific Fleet before deployments to theaters like Western Pacific. Modernization programs deliver technical refresh efforts such as Aegis Modernization, integration of AEGIS Baseline 10 features, and software continuous development using processes advocated by Defense Innovation Unit and Federal Acquisition Regulation reformers. Upgrades address threats shaped by actors such as the People's Liberation Army Navy, Russian Navy, and advances exemplified by hypersonic programs referenced in Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency initiatives.

Budget planning aligns with the Department of Defense budget cycle and submission to the Office of Management and Budget and Congress, with appropriations reviewed by House Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee. Contracting instruments include fixed-price, cost-plus, and multiyear procurement negotiated under statutes like the Buy American Act and overseen by offices such as the Defense Contract Audit Agency and Naval Procurement Office. Program performance metrics tie to acquisition milestones described in the Defense Acquisition Guidebook and reporting requirements from the Government Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office.