Rowden To Surface Fleet

Rear Adm. Thomas Rowden, currently serving as the Navy's surface warfare director in the office of the chief of naval operations (N96), has been tapped to take over for Vice. Adm. Thomas Copeman as the head of Naval Surface Forces, the Pentagon announced on Monday.

Rowden has been appointed to the rank of vice admiral for the position.

In both their roles, Rowden and Copeman have been managing the aftermath of the Pentagon's directive to halt contracting for the Littoral Combat Ship program at 32 ships, of the planned 52.

In addition to his N96 role, Rowden is co-chairing a flag-senior executive advisory group meant to provide advice and input to the small surface combatant task force (SSCTF) looking into alternative proposals for a new lethal small surface combatant. The other advisory group chair is Allison Stiller, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for ship programs and the actual task force is led by Marine Corps Systems Command Executive Director John Burrow.