March 29, 2024

Grosklags Speaks at TPP/ANA Panel

VADM Paul Grosklags
In this photo (left to right): VADM Paul Grosklags, Commander, Naval Air Systems Command; Bonnie Green, The Patuxent Partnership Executive Director; RDML Paul Sohl, Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC); RDML Dean Peters, Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD)/Assistant Commander for Research and Engineering (AIR 4.0), NAVAIR; RADM Mark Darrah, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO(U&W)); RDML Brian Corey, Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Divsion (NAWCWD)/Assistant Commander for Test and Evaluation (AIR 5.0), NAVAIR; Mark Converse, Association of Naval Aviation Pax River Chapter, Squadron Leader

VADM Paul Grosklags, Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), opened a panel sponsored last week by The Patuxent Partnership and Association of Naval Aviation’s Squadron 18.

He told more than 100 attendees he expected to carry forth “the same themes, the same strategic imperatives” as his predecessor, VADM David Dunaway. Ensuring that the fleet is “ready to fight tonight” and making sure that the sailors and Marines have the capabilities they need to win in the future.

In his opening remarks he talked about what NAVAIR does well and what it needs to do better.

VADM Grosklags told the group gathered at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park, “I truly believe that NAVAIR is the single organization most important to the health of naval aviation, across the Department of Defense and any other organization.”

He said that while naval aviation is doing well,  “we can’t afford the number of non-flyable aircraft we have on our flight lines today.” He said there is a 300 aircraft shortfall in naval and Marine aviation, which means non-flyable aircraft. Ready Basic Aircraft means that the aircraft is ready to fly tonight. “Across naval aviation today we have a gap,” he said.

“It’s unsustainable. It’s unaffordable, because we pay tens of millions, in some cases, over a hundred million dollars for each one of those aircraft we can’t fly. And it’s unsustainable from the fleet’s perspective because they’re not getting the flight hours they need to maintain their efficiency to go forward with the operation. So it’s unaffordable. We have to change the dynamic,” he said.

He said that NAVAIR continues to provide the best products in the world. Praising NAVAIR’s workforce, VADM Grosklags said, “It is absolutely committed. The folks are dedicated. They are motivated. There is no other group I’d rather have on my team.” He described them as absolutely passionate, but he said they are also stressed and a little bit frustrated at how long the process can very often take, due to how “enmeshed we are in some of our processes.”

“I don’t believe our resources are strategically allocated. And by resources I specifically mean our people,” VADM Grosklags said.

He reiterated that NAVAIR was doing good work, but needed to increase emphasis on sustainability. Products are also taking too long to get to the fleet, he said.

“We are risk averse across the board. We need to move to well understood, well balance risk acceptance,” he said.

NAVAIR needs to focus on the work and the speed to the fleet and to make sure it has the right people in the right place. “The program staffing model has to change. It is too big, we need to shrink and empower,” VADM Grosklags explained.

VADM Grosklags was joined by RADM Mark Darrah, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO(U&W)); RDML Paul Sohl, Commander of Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC); RDML Dean Peters, Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Assistant Commander for Research and Engineering (AIR 4.0) at NAVAIR; and RDML Brian Corey, Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) and Assistant Commander for Test and Evaluation (AIR 5.0) at NAVAIR.

The panelists discussed the NAVAIR focus on readiness, moving to a predictive rather than reactive approach, and empowerment. RADM Darrah talked about project teams, not product teams, alignment to product and the fleet and “only be working on products we need.” The effort to standardize components across platforms and systems remains an imperative.

To learn more about The Patuxent Partnership and its programs, visit its Leader Page.

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