Navy’s Airborne Scientific Development Squadron Welcomes New Commander

WASHINGTON  –   Cmdr. J. Aaron Roberts relinquished command of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1, the Warlocks, to Cmdr. Luis A. Levine, the new Commanding Officer (CO), during a change of command and retirement ceremony Nov. 14 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland.
 
NRL’s CO Capt. Jesse Black presented Roberts with the Meritorious Service Medal. Roberts served as the VXS-1 CO from May 2023 to November 2024 and the U.S. Navy for 21 years. Black said Roberts’ distinguished leadership was instrumental to the squadron’s continued record of exceptional support to NRL’s airborne mission.

Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus, the Chief of Naval Research, presided over the ceremony and took the opportunity to praise Roberts on a successful tour marked by world-wide deployments that advanced vital science and technology to the fleet.
 
“This is a truly important day. On this day, the United States Navy continues a long and storied tradition of the transfer of command from one outstanding officer to another,” Rothenhaus said. “That tradition is part of the very fabric of our Naval Service, and hence, it is part of the very fabric of our Nation.”
 
Under Roberts’ command this past year, VXS-1 successfully executed over 1,500 mishap-free flight hours and 18 detachments in support of 19 vital science and technology development projects. These projects advanced under-sea and over-the-horizon threat detection, line-of-sight data dissemination, hurricane coastal impacts, and congressionally mandated coastal mapping of national shorelines.
 
“Cmdr. Roberts has led the Warlocks to some incredible accomplishments and research flights that have made this Nation safer, stronger and better positioned for the future,” Rothenhaus continued.
 
In his remarks, Roberts thanked VXS-1 personnel who remained steadfast in their commitment to supporting the Naval Research Enterprise airborne research missions.
 
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for being a part of this squadron and having me as your Commanding Officer. It has been an honor to serve alongside such an outstanding team,” Roberts said. “Your hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment have been the cornerstone of our success and allowed the Naval Research Enterprise to conduct multiple projects across the spectrum of airborne research, advancing new technologies to the fleet.”
 
As the new head of VXS-1, Levine will carry on the tradition of premier airborne science and technology support.

Levine, a native of Stafford, Virginia, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering and received his Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.   

“I am truly honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve alongside you as this squadron’s 17th Commanding Officer,” Levine said. “Our mission remains imperative to deliver essential scientific solutions to the warfighter. As the Navy, Marine Corps, and Department of Defense modernize and propel the rapid advances in technology that we see today, VXS-1 provides the ability to test, integrate, and field new systems to win the fight. From our past accomplishments to the challenges we will undoubtedly face, it is your commitment, professionalism, and camaraderie that make this unit truly exceptional.”
 
VXS-1 operates and maintains two uniquely modified NP-3C Orions, one RC-12M Huron, one UV-18A Twin Otter aircraft, and is the reporting custodian for numerous Tiger Shark Unmanned Aerial Vehicles used as airborne research platforms.
 
VXS-1's aircraft operate worldwide on extended detachments and annually log more than 800 flight hours. These aircraft are the sole airborne platforms for numerous projects such as bathymetry, electronic countermeasures, gravity mapping, line-of-sight data dissemination, radio detection and ranging developmental research and tropical storm impact modeling.

The squadron has a flawless safety record, having amassed more than 79,000 hours of accident-free flying since 1963.


About the Scientific Development Squadron
VXS-1 conducts airborne scientific experimentation and advanced technology development in worldwide operations supporting U.S. Navy and national science and technology (S&T) priorities and war fighting goals. Supporting broadly based, multidisciplinary programs across the full spectrum of scientific research and applied technologies, our focus is toward the maritime application of new and improved airborne data collection techniques, experimental equipment, and system demonstration. While directly supporting scientific programs across the globe, we ensure that our work environment provides for the learning, personal growth, and respect of all our men and women and their families.

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
 
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil. Please reference package number at top of press release.