NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) program office’s (PMA-290) interoperability lead engineer received the National Defense Industrial Association’s Bronze Medal Award for Undersea Warfare (USW) Sept. 27 at the annual conference in Groton, Ct.

Joseph Willette was selected for the award for his “exceptional leadership” in support of the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) Community of Interest (COI), the MPRA Family of Systems (FoS), and the P-8A Poseidon program. The award recognizes outstanding individual achievements in science or engineering in the field of USW.

“It’s really a good way to get the message out that we should always be looking for leveraging opportunities across our platforms,” said Willette, PMA-290 interoperability lead engineer and FoS planning and development integrated product team lead. “I’m grateful for the support on all levels, but particularly at the flag level, which sends the message that we need to be operating in this manner.”

Stu Young, director of Naval Air Systems Command Systems Engineering Department (AIR-4.1) and who nominated Willette for the award said, “Joe’s efforts had a direct impact on improvements to both current and future fleet maritime mission effectiveness through interoperability enhancements, which have greatly benefited Undersea Warfare capabilities.”

In 1984, Willette began his career at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., as a co-op student and worked in various jobs and locations on the base, before accepting a position with PMA-290 as the deputy department head for P-3C Orion in 2005. In 2008, Willette became the interoperability lead for PMA-290 and formed a COI to provide alignment across the MPRF FoS. In 2010, he established a FoS planning and development team within PMA-290 to incorporate road-mapping and advanced development efforts.

“Joe plays an integral role in preparing MPRA for the future and we are grateful to have him on our 290 team,” said Capt. Mike Moran, PMA-290 program manager.

Currently, Willette leads a team centered on finding innovative ways to capture multiple requirements in practical program implementations, which enhances integration and interoperability and allows the team to maintain mission tactical, operation, and strategic alignment across all MPRA FoS programs. FoS programs include P-3, P-8A, EP-3, Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System, and the supporting TacMobile Tactical Operations Center.

Additionally, Willette facilitates a DoD registered group, known as the MPRF COI, which is governed by the MPRF Fleet to promote interoperability and strategic planning across the board. His work also includes developing Navy Net-Centric Systems to improve interoperability across air and ground platforms and providing a foundation for prototyping of Net-Centric Warfare capabilities.

“The work that Joe has done toward achieving fully interoperable and Net-Centric solutions is invaluable to our Navy,” said Young. “It will most certainly serve our Fleet into the next generation and beyond.”

“Interoperability to me means how do things work together for a common cause and not just a bunch of data links,” said Willette. “Constant interaction with a team and the sharing of ideas promotes meaningful changes in capability and that’s the big picture we’re striving for with the COI.”

“It’s an opportunity for us to work collaboratively as a team to develop capabilities in a way that is better for the fleet and more cost effective for the taxpayer,” Willette said.