Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division was founded in 1918 as a US Naval Proving Ground to deal with revolutionized large caliber guns and is home to the US Naval Weapons Laboratory and the Joint Warfare Analysis Center.

Dahlgren Division's purpose is to provide the foremost research, development, test, evaluation, and integration of naval and joint warfare systems on land, in the air, at sea and in space. All weapons for the Navy and Marine Corps are certified here for safety before going on board.

In addition, all ammunition for Navy ships, Navy sensors, Trident submarines' targeting and fire control programs, and Aegis computer programs are certified, maintained, and often developed here. Systems for defense against ballistic and cruise missiles and the future planning of required numbers of Navy ships are evaluated for risk, cost, and effectiveness here as well.