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Vice Adms. Sullivan and Etnyre Discuss Surface Warfare Enterprise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060114-02
Release Date: 1/14/2006 12:01:00 PM
 

By NAVSEA Office of Corporate Communications

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Vice Adm. Paul E. Sullivan, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and Vice Adm. Terrance Etnyre, commander of Naval Surface Forces spoke to reporters during a round-table discussion about the Navy’s new Surface Warfare Enterprise (SWE) at the Surface Navy Association’s (SNA) 18th annual national symposium in Arlington, Va. on Jan. 12.

“Twenty flag officers and senior executives are part of the Surface Warfare Enterprise Board of Directors,” said Etnyre. “In effect, I am the Chief Executive Officer, Vice Adm. Sullivan is Chief Operating Officer and Rear Adm. Nowakowski is Chief Financial Officer. Our resource sponsors, N76 and N75 are part of the Executive Committee.”

The SWE was established in November 2005 to integrate all surface warfare stakeholders together in order to provide one voice for policy, waterfront execution and requirements.

The vision of the Surface Warfare Enterprise is to be a responsive, effective and efficient provider for the Navy Enterprise. It is singularly focused on providing warships ready for tasking.

“There is no problem in the Surface Navy that we cannot address in this forum,” said Sullivan. “It’s all about warfighting readiness at the right cost.”

The SWE provides one common strategic vision for the Navy’s surface fleet. It aligns stakeholder organizations from every facet of the surface force together to work toward a common policy. The enterprise establishes a board of directors composed of nearly 20 flag officers and senior executives responsible for the allocation of resources that will come together to communicate regularly and make decisions that will directly impact the surface fleet. These stakeholders will come from the fleet, resource sponsors, acquisition and maintenance communities.

Efficiency and accountability are key objectives of the SWE, and by establishing a common strategic vision, accountability and efficiencies across the enterprise, the organization will reduce the total cost of doing business to help recapitalize the future Navy.

The SWE will be initially organized into three cross-functional teams to begin the discovery process phase to achieve its goals. The Strategic Financial Team will help manage cost effectiveness. The Personnel Readiness Team will work to retain and deliver properly trained personnel to the ships. The Sustainment and Modernization Team will work to ensure material readiness and mission requirements are addressed during the inter-deployment cycles.

The SWE will foster both communication and accountability. As the relationships mature, a disciplined cost control process will begin to develop providing effective combat power while improving efficiency. The end result will be a more aligned, efficient and combat-ready surface Navy.