Press Release
Johns Hopkins APL’s Watkins Receives NDIA’s 2026 Vice Adm. Charles E. Weakley Award
Christopher Watkins, chief mission engineering and integration officer at APL, center, receives the 2026 Vice Adm. Charles E. Weakley Award at the NDIA Undersea Warfare Spring Conference, held March 23-25, 2026, in San Diego. With him are Jennifer Stewart, executive vice president for strategy and policy at NDIA, left, and Tom Callender, chair of NDIA’s Undersea Warfare Division and senior manager for Navy programs at General Dynamics Electric Boat, right.
Credit: NDIA
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Christopher R. Watkins, chief mission engineering and integration officer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, has received the 2026 Vice Admiral Charles E. Weakley Award from the Undersea Warfare Division of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). NDIA is a leading defense industry association focused on advancing national security through collaboration between government and industry.
The Vice Admiral Charles E. Weakley Award is presented annually in recognition of meritorious service and noteworthy contributions to effective communication between government and industry in the field of undersea warfare. The award recognizes sustained leadership that strengthens collaboration across the undersea warfare enterprise.
As APL’s chief mission engineering and integration officer, Watkins leads efforts to integrate capabilities across the Laboratory and accelerate delivery of complex, mission-focused solutions for national security sponsors. He is co-chair of the Submarine Technology Symposium and serves on the advisory board for NDIA’s Undersea Warfare Division, where he helps shape dialogue and collaboration across the undersea community. He previously led APL’s Sea Control Mission Area, overseeing a broad portfolio of programs impacting the Navy and national defense priorities. A former U.S. Navy submarine officer, Watkins joined APL in 2003 and has held a series of leadership roles advancing undersea warfare technologies and capabilities, and strengthening partnerships across government, industry, and academia.
“Chris has consistently demonstrated the leadership and commitment to the collaboration that this award represents,” said APL Director Dave Van Wie. “His relentless focus on delivering innovative undersea warfare capabilities, his dedication to strengthening the undersea warfare community through improved collaboration and communication, and his deep technical expertise make him highly deserving of this recognition.”
Watkins received the award at the 2026 NDIA Undersea Warfare Spring Conference, held March 23-25 in San Diego.