NIWAWS Launches Long Range Fires Curriculum in Latest WTI Training Iteration
06 May 2024
Norfolk, Va. --
On May 2, Naval Information Warfighting Development Center (NIWDC) recognized another milestone in advancing Information Warfare (IW) capabilities with the graduation of its eleventh iteration of IW Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTI) course. This also marks the third Training Development Cycle (TDC) of the Naval Information Warfare Advanced Weapons School (NIWAWS).
Seventeen commissioned officers and six senior enlisted Sailors were designated as the latest WTIs who will play a pivotal role in enhancing lethality in the Fleet. The Warfare Tactics Instructor program epitomizes the maturation and advancement of IW arena, equipping WTIs with the ability to confront the complexities of modern IW with proficiency and innovation. This most recent TDC is the premier of the Long Range Fires (LRF) curriculum, addressing the capability of forces to effectively coordinate and synchronize an array of joint assets against vital enemy assets at sea. LRF represent a potent strategy aimed at incapacitating adversaries across vast distances without the need for physical presence. With LRF residing heavily in the IW arena, this step represents the integration of IW across all domains of warfare.
Rear Adm. John A. Okon, director, Warfare Integration Directorate, N2N6I, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, presided over the patching ceremony for the 23 WTI graduates who completed the demanding 10-week course, expanding their scope of knowledge of the Meteorology and Oceanography, Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Command and Control/Cyber Operations communities. This diversity fosters a holistic approach to operational effectiveness in contested environments, aligning with the evolving demands of modern warfare. Equipped with enhanced knowledge and a cadre of 209 WTIs already serving worldwide in the Fleet, these new graduates are poised to advance the IW mission across all domains.
Okon commended the graduates for their dedication and highlighted the expectation for them to leverage their newfound knowledge to address warfighting challenges effectively.
“Here is my charge to you: have an unwavering, undying urgency to make your growth exponential,” said Okon. “Be bold, be aggressive, and be collaborative. There is a power in togetherness, and the time has come for you to take a seat at the table with everyone else.”
NIWDC is codifying advanced Information Warfare (IW) training requirements through the NAVIFOR Training Campaign Plan. NIWDC is developing additional Live, Virtual, Constructive or LVC training nodes, leading to increased maritime tri-service integration. By collaborating with carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and Marine expeditionary unit commanders to solve our greatest IW problem sets.
For more information on NIWDC, visit the command Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/NIWDC or the public web page at
https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil/Organization/Operational-Forces/NIWDC/.
-USN-