NSWC Carderock Combatant Craft Division Norfolk Detatchment

Operating Status Summer 2024:

TBD (The lab has yet to determine whether the internship will be fully on-site, remote, or a hybrid.)

Student Requirements:

Students must be solely U.S. citizens. (Permanent residents and dual citizens are not eligible.) They must be 18 years of age and have their own transportation to get to on site.

Mission

To provide quality and responsive full spectrum and full life cycle engineering for combatant craft, boats and unmanned surface vehicles.

About the Lab

The Combatant Craft Division (CCD) provides total systems engineering support for all types of manned and unmanned combatant craft, boats, and advanced marine vehicles. This includes full spectrum and full life cycle engineering, research and development, concept feasibility, design, test and evaluation, and integrated logistic support. We support the U.S. Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Naval Special Warfare, Air Force, Coast Guard, and other Department of Defense (DoD) and non-DoD activities, including private industry. We support approximately 13,500 boats, craft, and life rafts around the globe. Our technical staff is comprised of recognized Naval Architects, Engineers, Scientists, Logisticians, and Technicians, with an average of 15 years of craft and associated systems experience.

What is unique about this lab?

Command employees are never far away from the water. Most work is a mix of office and hands-on/underway time where employees can see how their office work is implemented and used in the fleet.

About the Internship

We are always looking for bright, motivated Naval Architects, Engineers, and Scientists to help us deliver innovative and creative technical solutions. Summer interns are provided the opportunity to participate in meaningful technical research, development, test and evaluation to solve real world fleet issues. CCD is located in Tidewater, Virginia near the Atlantic Ocean, just minutes from the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

What will I do any given day as an intern at this lab?

Interns participate in lab functions in a number of ways including (but not limited to) job and project shadowing with professional researchers; networking with STEM professionals and other interns; attending technical meetings; visiting operational commands; touring labs; group mentoring sessions; and other professional development activities.

What majors and disciplines are a good fit for interning at this lab?

  • Applied Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronics Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Ocean and Marine Engineering
  • Programming
  • Robotics
  • Systems Engineering

Other related fields may be considered.

What will I learn as an intern at this lab?

As part of the internship, students integrate into project teams to conduct research, advance mission capabilities or solve fleet issues. Students are also exposed to local research and operational commands through lab tours and site visits to broaden their understanding of the Navy's mission and future opportunities.

What kinds of projects do interns at this lab participate in?

The following are examples of projects to which interns may be assigned:

Designing, prototyping and testing a launch and recovery device for unmanned surface vehicles.

Developing the test plan, test objectives, data requirements, craft ballast plans, and test methods to quantify shallow water effects on small craft; executing the test; and analyzing resulting data.

Developing autonomous behaviors for underway refueling of an unmanned surface vehicle.