Studies and Analysis Support - Navy

The Studies & Analysis Support - Navy program element (PE 0605152N) is designed to provide comprehensive analytical support to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. Its primary objective is to inform major policy, planning, and acquisition program execution decisions by supporting research and development strategy development and planning. The program encompasses studies in the areas of manpower, personnel, training, and aviation, and also develops analytical tools to evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. weapons systems against potential foreign threats. This line item is funded under the Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) Management Support appropriation, as it sustains or modernizes installations and operations required for general RDT&E activities.

Manpower Personnel & Training (Project 2097) focuses on providing the Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) with ongoing studies and analyses of manpower and personnel (M&P) policies and programs. The project's goals include assessing the effectiveness of current M&P policies, identifying needs for new initiatives, determining optimal manpower and training mixes in response to demographic and regulatory changes, and studying the impact of M&P programs on accession, attrition, retention, and performance. A key objective is the development, validation, and refinement of forecasting models to support Navy-wide personnel planning and readiness.

Within Manpower Personnel & Training, planned studies for FY 2025 and FY 2026 include research on retention and use of MPTE (Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education) data files, examining the role of family and influencers in Navy service, expanding enlisted eligibility, determining manpower requirements at aircraft maintenance activities, and evaluating the risk of food insecurity in the military. Additional studies will focus on improving the success of Navy recruiters, nutrition optimization for warfighters, and updating the Personal Statement of Military Compensation. These studies are intended to provide actionable insights for policy and program development, supporting the Navy's ability to adapt to evolving workforce and operational needs.

A notable component under this project is the Uniform Nomination Portal for Military Service Academies (MSA). Mandated by Section 575 of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, this initiative aims to establish a single, secure website for Members of Congress to nominate individuals to all three service academies. The Secretary of the Navy, via the United States Naval Academy, is the lead agency for this project, coordinating with the Army and Air Force. The portal will streamline the nomination process and enable demographic data collection and reporting by nominating source, enhancing transparency and efficiency in academy admissions.

Naval Aviation Developmental Planning (Project 3310) supports pre-Milestone B developmental activities for naval aviation, including systems engineering, acquisition planning, and capability requirements documentation. The project's objectives are to provide information, automated tools, and decision aids necessary for acquisition planning in support of warfighter capability requirements. It also funds research, development, and analysis efforts such as joint requirements analysis, cost analysis, and development of Capability Evolution Plans, all of which are mandated by the DOD 5000 series and Congressional requirements for aviation investment planning.

For FY 2025 and FY 2026, Naval Aviation Developmental Planning will continue studies for various aircraft, integrating engineering, logistics, and manpower requirements. The project will update decision support tools to facilitate life-cycle trades and reduce long-term costs associated with data repositories, manpower, and computer programs. Funding will also support life-cycle analysis modeling environments required for analyses of alternatives on fighter, adversary, and rotary-wing aircraft. These efforts aim to reduce the total cost of studies and technical risks while maintaining maximum warfighting capability.