FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2021
Release #2136 Point of Contact—Jeffrey Prater (401) 832-2039
NUWC Division Newport selects senior technologist for Acoustic Signal Processing
David Pistacchio of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport Sensors and Sonar Systems Department and resident of Narragansett, Rhode Island, has been selected as senior technologist for Acoustic Signal Processing. In this role, Pistacchio will be the primary Navy advisor and consultant in the discipline of active and passive acoustic signal processing applied to research and development programs nationally and internationally.
Pistacchio has been serving as the Undersea Sensors Technology senior scientist technical manager since 2017, where he has led acoustic superiority efforts for the Virginia and Columbia-class platforms and SSN(X). He also focused on technical innovations associated with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Task Force Ocean project, and new processing algorithms related to acoustic transients, underwater communication, and active sonar waveform design.
Over his 39-year career, Pistacchio has served in a variety of key leadership positions within the undersea domain, including distinguished scientist/engineer, deputy technical director for Technical Excellence, and director of Engineering for the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department. He also served as the NAVSEA technical warrant holder for Submarine Sonar Systems, and has provided systems engineering support to NAVSEA, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, ONR, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Office of Naval Intelligence.
He has earned numerous awards and accolades, including the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Vice Adm. Charles B. Martell-David Bushnell Award, the NDIA Undersea Warfare Bronze Medal, the NUWC Technical Director's Award for Technical Excellence, and a Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.
Pistacchio earned a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, and a master’s degree in engineering acoustics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
NUWC Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, builds and supports America’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NUWC Newport provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
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