U.S. Navy 24/7 Watch Center monitors fleet operations worldwide to increase wartime readiness

Operated by the Fleet Readiness Directorate (FRD) at NAVWAR and supported by government civilians and active-duty and Reserve Sailors, the NWC is a key component of NAVWAR’s Wartime Acquisition Response Plan (WARP). Following a few months of tabletop testing, NAVWAR officially stood it up during a Shipboard Wartime Repair & Maintenance Exercise (SWARM-EX) taking place in Guam in September 2024. Since then, NWC has supported two more exercises in the Philippines and Guam again in early 2025, with more planned in the coming months in Singapore, Japan and Australia.

During SWARM-EXs, which are designed to test ship capabilities and vulnerabilities in a controlled environment, the NWC was manned 24/7 to respond to any changes or threats to the ships’ onboard information systems by deploying remote or onboard technical assistance. Given that the locations of these exercises are often halfway around the world and several hours ahead due to the different time zones, it’s key for any issues to be meticulously monitored and tracked to ensure a prompt response time, which is where the NWC comes in.

When SWARM-EXs are not in progress, the NWC still actively staffed during normal working hours and remotely monitored on evenings and weekends. After-hours support comes from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division’s 24/7 help desk to ensure personnel do not experience burnout. Depending on what urgent need arises, staff can be on-site in San Diego as needed.

“The exercises help us maintain situational awareness of everything that’s going on in the Fleet, especially in areas of interest, so we can understand that environment,” said Kristin Brimager, assistant director for wartime readiness at NAVWAR. “NWC not only coordinates within our own command but also externally to manage crises as effectively as possible. Participating in various exercises that utilize our problem-solving skills is what makes us a more effective threat responder.”

To better provide service to deployed ships during exercises, NWC is planning to leverage next-generation technologies, like Augmented Reality Maintenance System (ARMS), a NAVWAR- and FRD-supported project that utilizes AR to connect sea to shore to conduct appropriate repairs. With ARMS, NAVWAR In Service Engineering Agents (ISEA) could be more efficient, which would ensure ships could return more quickly to operational capability.

“The relationship between the NWC and the Fleet is integral to providing key technical support to our critical systems on ships so they can be restored to working order as quickly as possible by ISEAs,” said John Pope, executive director of NAVWAR. “As we continue to leverage new systems like ARMS that enhance our flexibility and response times, we are striving to outpace any adversary in the complex information warfare battlefield.”

As superiority in the information warfare landscape becomes increasingly vital to preventing and winning in the future fight, the NWC will continue to rise to the challenge and provide unparalleled, real-time support anywhere in the world.

Source: NAVWAR.