PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Rear Adm. Tony Rossi assumed command of the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO(U&W)) from Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford during a change-of-command ceremony November 21, 2025, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Jason Potter, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, presided over the event in Hangar 110 at the St. Mary’s County base that serves as headquarters for the command.
Potter highlighted Tedford’s 42-month tenure that began in May 2022, during which the organization managed 62 acquisition programs with an annual budget of $7 billion and executed nearly 2,000 contract actions.
“In the three-and-a-half years you’ve led PEO(U&W), you and your team have helped build the arsenal of freedom that the Secretary of the Navy has talked about, set us on a good path for the acquisition reform we need, munitions first and foremost, and have given Rear Admiral Rossi the tools he needs to succeed,” Potter said.
The 4,000-person workforce across 12 program offices accelerated production of key munitions including the AIM-9X Sidewinder, Small Diameter Bomb II, and Tomahawk cruise missile. The command also established three operational orbits for the MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone, fielded thousands of small unmanned aircraft systems, advanced the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, and continued flight testing of the carrier-based MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueler.
Tedford oversaw significant growth in foreign military sales and positioned the office to meet urgent operational needs for long-range strike and persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
“As I pass the mantle of leadership, I have no doubt that the future of unmanned aviation and strike weapons is brighter than ever,” Tedford said. “The systems we’ve developed, the partnerships we’ve cultivated, and the lessons we’ve learned will continue to shape naval aviation for years to come.”
Tedford departs for the Pentagon, where he will serve as director of the Defense Contract Management Agency.
Rossi, a 1994 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former P-3 Orion pilot, arrives after commanding the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Centers. His previous tours include test pilot duties at Patuxent River, program manager for the P-8A Poseidon and MQ-4C Triton programs, and director of the Navy International Programs Office.
“Whether it’s our unmanned portfolio providing real-time ISR or the added extended reach of our manned fighters through manned-unmanned teaming and AI, or our resilient kill chains through strike, anti-ship, air-to-air weapons programs, our products will be key to flying, fighting and winning,” Rossi said.
He pledged to accelerate development, production, and sustainment of advanced capabilities, with particular emphasis on transforming unmanned aviation and increasing weapons lethality across the naval enterprise.
PEO(U&W) operates primarily from NAS Patuxent River, home to Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and the Navy’s principal research, development, test, and evaluation site for naval aviation systems. The command’s portfolio directly supports carrier air wings, expeditionary strike groups, and Marine Corps aviation units worldwide.
The change of command occurred one week after the Navy awarded the first low-rate initial production contract for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, a program Rossi will now shepherd toward operational deployment with the F-35C and Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems.
