ASSISTANT COMMANDER for Undersea Enterprise (USE) Support
Mr. Joseph Kenney -
Vice Commander, NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support
Concept of Operations
The Undersea Enterprise (USE) is composed of all stakeholders and resources supporting or operating SSNs, SSGNs, SSBNs, fixed surveillance, or mobile surveillance forces. The primary elements of the Enterprise and its resource sponsors include dollars and manpower for current and future platform and crew readiness. Commander Naval Submarine Forces (COMNAVSUBFOR), the head of the Undersea Enterprise, sets the strategy, priorities, requirements, and overarching direction for suppliers, resource sponsors, and producers to ensure a quality product for the Enterprise customers. CSF will leverage the USE structure to increase the productivity of delivering warfare capacity to meet operational demand.
Principal Objective
Achieve effective and efficient generation of combat power as directed by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and the Commander, Fleet Forces Command (CFFC).
Short-term Objectives
- Operational Availability – “Around the World; Around the Clock” Submarines and undersea surveillance assets deployed for sustained battle space preparation and deterrence
- Improved Commanding Officer Decision-Making – CO’s making optimal decisions under the demands and complexity of the undersea environment
- Submarine Expertise – Experienced people integrated throughout the Joint warfighting, military technology and defense/government management communities.
- Culture/Standards/Conduct – “Pride Runs Deep” Assimilating new crew members into the submarine culture, while maintaining high standards of conduct
- Future Capabilities – Forecasting and meeting tomorrow’s requirements for undersea superiority
Principal Customers
- Submarines of the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets
- COMNAVSUBFOR
- Commander, Fleet Forces Command
- Program Executive Office (PEO) Submarines
- Strategic Systems Programs
Key Performance Metrics
- Submarines Ready for Tasking
Process Improvements
- Develop performance based agreements (PBAs)
- Research feasibility of establishing deployed allowance supplement (DAS) for submarines
- Work with Submarine Maintenance Engineering, Planning and Procurement Activity (SUBMEPP) and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in forecasting demands for the upcoming SEAWOLF class availabilities
- Refine submarine manning factors (note: already permitted a 9 percent reduction in officer accessions in FY-04 and a 13 percent reduction in FY-05 for an manpower cost avoidance of $31.3M in FY-04 and $72.3M in FY-05.)
- Design out production cost including initiatives in production, contracts, and design to reduce VA class submarine costs to $2B per ship; and,
- Performance initiatives to eliminate the 1100 ship days lost to maintenance schedule overruns in FY05
