Engineers of the past and present shape the society we live in today. From ancient pyramids to electrical devices with state-of-the-art software, engineers continue to leave their mark on the world stage.

At the dawn of the Space Age in 1951, to recognize engineering milestones, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) designated the last week in February as Engineers Week. Since then, Engineers Week, according to NSPE, has served as an opportunity to unite communities across the country to honor the engineering feats that have influenced and enabled innovation.

At Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), engineers have developed the nation’s lethal submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM); but SLBMs aren’t the only weapon system SSP oversees. As the trusted Navy command for maintaining the strategic weapons systems (SWS) aboard current ballistic missile submarines in the fleet, SSP also leads the charge in pioneering regional strike capabilities through the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and nuclear – armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM - N) programs. The development and innovation of these strategic capabilities mark a major engineering milestone for the Navy, providing unequivocal warfighting advantage in support of national defense.

At SSP, the command’s engineering workforce stretches across the United States, from headquarters in Washington D.C., to it’s Strategic Weapons Facility, Pacific in Bangor, Washington. Engineers from across the professional spectrum – mechanical, electrical, nuclear, and more – have sustained the Navy’s current SLBM: the Trident D5 Life Extension missile. Toda’s engineering professionals join generations of SSP engineers that have evolved the weapon system capabilities since the Navy’s first Polaris A1 missile was developed in 1960.

At the time, Polaris was an unprecedented engineering challenge: to create and deliver the first-ever SLBM system. That responsibility was entrusted to the Special Projects Office – now known as SSP – and was led by the command’s first director Rear Adm. William “Red” Raborn. Since then, remarkable engineering achievements have enabled longer range and target flexibilities for the SWS, ensuring the nation guarantees homeland defense and maintains maritime superiority around the world.

Today, SSP’s chief engineer and scientific and professional experts continue to foster an engineering community rooted in technical excellence. The command recognizes the world-class engineering workforce for their crucial role in the training on systems, equipment, facilities and personnel responsible for ensuring the safety, security, and effectiveness of the nation’s SWS.

Beyond missile development, the command’s engineering workforce maintains an active presence in local communities by guiding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based activities at local schools. SSP’s command STEM program provides local STEM grants, and engineers at SSP frequently volunteer their time to connect with K-12 students who are interested in STEM.

In past years, SSP’s workforce, including field activities and program management offices, have guided eager students through several engineering design challenges such as building autonomous robots, designing model rockets, assembling remotely operated vehicles, and learning how to code through lessons learned from popular children’s books. These recurring STEM-based community outreach engagements have ignited curiosity and have established SSP’s talent pipeline for its next generation of STEM professionals. While most of the activities revolve around basic engineering principles, they aim to expose students to various engineering careers.

According to Geoff Bryce, the Chief Deterrence Technology Officer for SSP, investing in the local community is critical to the command’s success.

“The next generation of engineers will stand on our shoulders just as we have with our predecessors,” Bryce said. “By showing students what’s possible and how these activities apply to real-world maritime problems, we are sparking their curiosity and we are teaching them how to problem-solve early. Between all of that, you never know – we might be mentoring the next world renown engineer that contributes to our great nation.”

NPSE’s theme for this year’s Engineers Week is “Transform your Future.” SSP’s mission aligns closely with this theme, equipping the Navy’s top decision makers with reliable weapon systems to transform the future and providing resources and opportunities for students to explore STEM careers outside of what they might have ever thought was possible.

SSP is responsible for sustaining the strategic weapon system (SWS) on the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) and supporting the integration of the D5LE weapon system on the new Columbia-class SSBNs. Looking to the future, SSP is actively modernizing the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad through the development of the D5LE2 SWS and pioneering regional strike capabilities of the future through development of the nuclear-armed sea launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and the non-nuclear hypersonic conventional prompt strike system (CPS).

For more information on Engineers Week, visit: https://www.nspe.org/connect/partners/engineers-week.