Mayo picked for Navy network command

Navy Vice Adm. Richard Mayo has been nominated to head the new Navy command responsible for all of the service's information technology networks, information operations and space requirements.

Mayo has been the director of space and electronic warfare for the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon since August 1999.

The new command, called the Naval Network Warfare Command, was created by Navy Secretary Gordon England last month. Headquartered at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Norfolk, Va., it is scheduled to begin operations by June.

Navy officials have said that the new command is a realization of how critical networks are to the service.

Mayo, a native of Falls Church, Va., previously was the Navy's deputy director and fleet liaison for space, information warfare, command and control.

The creation of the Naval Network Warfare Command is seen as an effort to align the staffs needed to support the concept of one naval network and to support that network's end-to-end operational management, Navy officials said.

Mayo's nomination must be approved by the Senate.