MeetSSP Presents Liaison Office United Kingdom (SPUK)

25 November 2024

From Thomas Jones

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Lt. Cmdr. Mary-Elyse Janowski, the speaker for the September MeetSSP presentation at Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), educated the workforce on Strategic Systems Programs Liaison Office United Kingdom (SPUK), their mission, and the work they do in bridging U.S.-UK relations under the Polaris Sales Agreement.

MeetSSP is intended to introduce members of SSP to the many different aspects of the program. It serves to educate the workforce on the mission and purpose of various branches, and additionally highlights the personal experiences of the individuals working within these branches. This one-hour session highlighted the mission of SPUK as well as some of the unique cultural aspects of living and working in a foreign country.

SPUK serves to enhance cooperation and communication between SSP and their UK counterparts, building on the vitally important relationship that has been in place between the two since the signing of the Polaris Sales Agreement in 1963. SPUK provides liaison and direction for the Director of Strategic Systems Programs in the implementation of the joint United States and United Kingdom Polaris/Trident II Program under the provisions of the Polaris Sales Agreement; assists and advises the United Kingdom’s Chief Strategic Systems Executive in program planning, technical direction, and logistic support of the UK Trident II Program; and to review the impact and provide observations of British Navy Strategic Submarine program management and Strategic Weapon Systems maintenance and logistics.

“Having physical offices of dedicated personnel embedded with our partners is a framework Strategic Systems Programs has implemented from the very beginning. With over ten sites spread across the United States, SSP ensures we have eyes and ears on the ground at every location. The work we do with the United Kingdom, under the auspices of the Polaris Sales Agreement, is no exception,” Janowski said.

Similar to the SPUK team of U.S. personnel headquartered out of MOD (Ministry of Defence) Abbey Wood in the United Kingdom, the Royal Navy has a team of U.K. counterparts primarily based at SSP Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“The SPUK and SPRN (Strategic Programs Royal Navy) teams of US and UK in-country representation, not only serve as a constant reminder of the more global missions SSP supports, but also ensures resilient and enduring relationships, increased understanding, unified voices, more efficient response to issues, and direct reporting structures back to key leadership,” Janowski said.

According to Janowski, their mission extends beyond solely working with SSP’s UK partners. An important part of the work SPUK does is ensuring all of the various U.S. counterparts are brought into the fold, as well.

“We know that relationships between the United Kingdom and United States teams are extremely important; however, there is also a heavy [dependence on] U.S. relationships. It is critical that the U.S. technical branches, field activities, working groups, [and] NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) counterparts are all communicating early and often with one another, as a lot of the pressing projects (impacting the UK) involve multiple groups of stakeholders,” Janowski said.

In fulfilling this aspect of the mission, SPUK looks to ensure communication is flowing between all stakeholders related to key programmatic efforts and to facilitate those lines when they need strengthening. This can be even more critical as UK and U.S. programs move deeper into development and build stages of the common missile compartment for the Columbia (U.S.) and Dreadnought (UK) class SSBNs. Communication across the board ensures the right amount of attention is directed by the right leadership and learnings can be applied for future efforts.

It’s imperative that we constantly maintain the trusting U.S.-UK relationship across all levels to ensure the continuity of the deterrence mission. When asked about the most enjoyable parts of working at SPUK, Janowski said, “I find it most rewarding to experience the inviting atmosphere we have created in our office that draws countless UK team members in to discuss [the program], recent events, or even just to have an enjoyable break from their desks.”

She also mentioned that she enjoys navigating the cultural idiosyncrasies the UK has as compared to the U.S., including their colloquialisms.

“The spelling differences in adding ‘ou’ to some words like color (colour) or honor (honour) and ‘ce’ instead of ‘se’ as in defense (defence) or license (licence) and even the extra ‘mme’ to program (programme) will definitely trip me up whenever I integrate back into American life!” Janowski said.

For anyone who wants to prepare for a future with the SPUK team, Janowski said getting involved in one of the Joint Steering Task Group sub-working groups and engaging with your local SPRN office at Headquarters goes a long way to providing a better understanding of the day-to-day technical and programmatic requirements of our work with the UK. Ultimately, though, relationships are what make the team successful in accomplishing the mission at SPUK.

“Relationships are critical to the positions - sharpen your teamwork and relationship building skills. When working with folks in different time zones, different locations, and even different cultures, good relationships based on trust and strong connection lead to better outcomes.”

Strategic Systems Programs is the Navy command that provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support for the sea-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad. This includes training, systems, equipment, facilities and personnel responsible for ensuring the safety, security, and effectiveness of the nation’s Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) Trident II (D5LE) Strategic Weapon System.

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MeetSSP Presents Liaison Office United Kingdom (SPUK)

From Thomas Jones