Navy Fires Admiral Who Ran Office Overseeing Unmanned Systems, Small Ships
28th May 2025
The Navy has taken a rare step and relieved a one-star admiral who oversaw the service’s unmanned and small combatant programs, including one of its newest class of warships, according to a statement released Monday.
Rear Adm. Kevin Smith was relieved from leadership of the program office by Dr. Brett Seidle, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
As the program executive for unmanned and small craft, Smith oversaw the Navy’s design, development, construction, maintenance and modernization of unmanned maritime systems, as well as systems for mine warfare, special warfare and expeditionary warfare. The office is also overseeing the planning and construction of the Navy’s Constellation-class, next-generation guided missile frigates.
Pete Hegseth is cleaning house.
“During his tenure as the major program manager for the Constellation-class frigate, the program office was awarded the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award for 2021 as the top program office in the Department of Defense,” his biography boasted.
Uh-huh. See USS Constellation Update at the NavyMatters blog for the truth: The program is at least 3 years late and will undoubtedly be even later – and way over budget. That is not a kind of ‘excellence’ that David Packard would have liked.