New Navy shipbuilding supervisor takes post at Bath Iron Works

Courtesy / SUPSHIP Bath Capt. David Hart relieved Capt. Joseph Tuite as commanding officer, supervisor of shipbuilding, Bath, during a ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works on March 25.

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By Staff

The Navy has appointed Capt. David Hart as its new commanding officer and supervisor of shipbuilding at Bath Iron Works, succeeding Capt. Joseph Tuite, who is retiring.

The change in leadership was marked by a ceremony Friday at BIW.

As the 32nd commanding officer, Hart reports to SUPSHIP Bath, a field branch of the Naval Sea Systems Command. SUPSHIP Bath oversees the design and construction of five Navy ship classes at private shipyards in Bath, San Diego and Marinette, Wis.

BIW is owned by Virginia-based defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) and led by President Dirk Lesko.

Hart began his naval career as a surface warfare officer. He served as damage control assistant aboard USS Hue City and auxiliary machinery officer on USS Nicholas.

After becoming an engineering duty officer in 2000, he served in various technical and program management positions, including project officer for the Supervisor of Shipbuilding in Portsmouth, Va.; main propulsion inspector with the Board of Inspection and Survey; production officer for the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center in Sasebo, Japan; and other posts.

“Capt. Hart has proven himself to be a talented, knowledgeable and thoughtful leader. One who is ready to take the reins of a complex team like SUPSHIP Bath and continue to deliver ships to the Fleet,” said Vice Adm. William Galinis, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command.

Tuite is retiring after a 30-year career in the Navy. As supervisor of shipbuilding since 2017, he oversaw the delivery or preliminary acceptance of 13 ships to the Navy.

“Our ships operate in unforgiving environments and they must be constructed of the highest quality; but they also need to be delivered on budget and on schedule,” said Galinis. “Joe Tuite has developed a solid reputation for bringing a well thought out balance among those three key elements — quality, cost and schedule — during his time in Navy shipbuilding.”