AFCEA/USNI WEST 2026

James Day
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Mission Systems
Department of the Navy


Mr. James L. Day Jr. has dedicated over 32 years to serving the United States Navy in various capacities. He was selected to the Senior Executive Service in August 2020. Mr. Day presently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Mission Systems. In this role Mr. Day oversees the development and management of policies for the research, development, acquisition, production, and life-cycle management of Naval Mission and Weapon Systems. This includes business mission area capabilities, communications, networks, Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cybersecurity, tactical data links, command and control, weapons, sensor, and Integrated Combat Systems undersea, afloat and ashore from the tactical edge to the Operational and Strategic levels of command. He establishes integration, cyber security, and modularity standards, provides acquisition policy, oversight, advocacy and guidance to Program Executive Offices, and collaborates with senior Naval and Department of Defense officials to ensure interoperability, policy and strategy alignment. Mr. Day also liaises with industry, academia, research centers, and international agencies, and advises the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for congressional testimony and international steering committees. Mr. Day previously held the position of Deputy Director of the Surface Warfare Division (OPNAV N96B) on the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff. In this role, he supported the development, integration, and resourcing of a $30 billion annual portfolio, covering the manpower, training, sustainment, modernization, and procurement needs of the Navy's Surface Warfare systems, including ships, weapons, combat systems, and sensors. Before his tenure at OPNAV, Mr. Day served as the Director of Production, Deployment, and Fleet Readiness within the Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). He also held the position of Deputy Program Manager for the Guided Missile Frigate Construction Program (PMS 515), where he oversaw significant program milestones, including awarding one of the largest openly competed ship construction contracts in Navy history. Mr. Day's experience extends to the staff of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (ASN RD&A), where he provided oversight and guidance for all Navy Above Water Sensors and Laser Weapon Systems. His previous roles include Principal Acquisition Program Manager for LCS Combat Systems, lead for DDG 51 Combat System Ship Integration, and lead for AN/SQQ-89(V) Advanced Development and Production in PEO IWS. He has also held numerous leadership positions at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI. A veteran of the United States Navy, Mr. Day served from 1992-1998, achieving the rank of Sonar Technician, Second Class. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Roger Williams University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Additionally, Mr. Day is a graduate of the Executive Program Managers Course at Defense Acquisition University and the Executive Leadership Certification Program at Cornell University.

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