NOTU Modernization Underway: First Facility Advances at Cape Canaveral as New ROICC Office Ramps Up for Strategic Deterrence Mission

Construction of the first renovated facility in a multiphase modernization program for the Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU) is progressing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), bolstering infrastructure that supports the nation’s sea-based strategic deterrence mission.

The renovated sonobuoy building, one of 19 planned facilities at the installation, will directly support the Trident II D5 Life Extension (D5LE) and future D5LE2 submarine-launched ballistic missile programs, to be deployed on the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.

This facility will field acoustic scoring targets for missile test launches from both land and from sea.

The project is managed by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast's Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (ROICC) Space Coast, which stood up in January 2025 to oversee this high-priority national security effort. The office is also expanding its staff and capabilities to execute larger upcoming military construction projects, including a new engineering test facility and improvements to the Cape Railhead.

“This project is essential to modernizing NOTU’s infrastructure and ensuring the unit has the facilities needed to continue its crucial test flight mission,” said Lt. Cmdr. Pete Fovargue, officer in charge of ROICC Space Coast. “These improvements directly contribute to the reliability of our strategic weapons systems and, ultimately, to global security.”

During a recent site visit, Fovargue and construction surveillance engineer Roger Hetman reviewed wall layouts and floor conditions in preparation for the building’s enclosure and the start of project commissioning. This critical phase validates the performance of building systems before closing up walls and ceilings for final finishes.

“This renovation is the first step on a critical path to modernizing NOTU’s missile-support facilities for enduring strategic weapons,” Hetman said. “It’s about building a solid foundation, quite literally, for the future of our nation’s defense capabilities.”

NOTU conducts flight tests of the Trident II strategic weapons system and serves as the launch area for submarine-launched ballistic missiles assigned to the Navy’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine fleet.

The ongoing modernization effort reinforces CCSFS’s role as a vital national security asset and underscores the Navy’s commitment to maintaining a credible and effective sea-based nuclear deterrent for decades to come.

About Naval Ordnance Testing Unit, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

The Naval Ordnance Test Unit was created in 1950. The command directly supports the mission capability and readiness of the United States Navy's Trident Submarines as well as the Fleet Ballistic Missile program of the United Kingdom. The command operates the Navy Port at Port Canaveral, supporting submarines and surface ships of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and foreign navies and assets of the Military Sealift Command.