Draper Hosts Vice Admiral Wolfe, Director of the U.S. Navy's PAE Strategic Systems Programs
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Draper recently hosted U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe Jr., director of Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), as part of a workforce engagement with Draper's employees supporting the Navy's nuclear deterrence mission.
"Draper is proud to have supported the Nation's sea-based strategic deterrence mission for over seven decades. As Vice Adm. Wolfe prepares to transition out of this role, his leadership and commitment to strategic deterrence will continue to serve as an example for those supporting this program," said Draper President and CEO, Jerry M. Wohletz, Ph.D.
As director of the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs and the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for SSP, Wolfe leads the Navy's command responsible for Navy Nuclear Weapons Programs, which include the submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Trident II D5 Life Extension (D5LE) strategic weapon system and nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) program.
In his remarks, Vice Admiral Wolfe emphasized that the work being done by PAE SSP and its industry partners is vital to ensuring peace through strength. He identified the importance of strong government-industry relationships to program success and gave special recognition to Draper's commitment to excellence over the years. He also stressed the importance of sharing the team's knowledge and experience with the next generation of engineers to ensure the nation's ability to meet future challenges.
At the conclusion of the workforce engagement, Vice Adm. Wolfe joined Robert S. Bacon, Vice President of Strategic Systems, in recognizing members of Draper's Strategic Systems team with 30 and 40 years of service to the program.
For more than 70 years, Draper has played a critical role in equipping the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad with inertial guidance expertise, ensuring the fleet ballistic missiles (FBM) – commonly referred to today as submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) – deployed by the Navy's ballistic missile submarines are able to achieve their mission.
About Draper
Draper is a non-profit research, development, and manufacturing company that solves some of the nation’s most important challenges. With more than 2,600 employees working in collaboration across 12 locations, Draper delivers transformative, mission-driven solutions that successfully meet our customers’ requirements. These efforts focus on four critical mission areas: Strategic Systems, Space Systems, Electronic Systems, and Biotechnology Systems. To extend our legacy into the future, the Draper Scholars program engages with the next generation of innovators while DraperSPARX™ seeks to partner with startups and small businesses that can further our mission. To learn more about Draper, visit www.draper.com. Follow Draper on Linked In and Instagram.
Released June 4, 2026
