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LOCATIONS
AIR
17 Aug 20. Leonardo supporting the UK Armed Forces’ Covid-19 response. Leonardo, at its site in Yeovil, not only builds and designs rotorcraft but it also supports aircraft once in operation by its military customers. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted even more this key area of customer engagement for the Company.
The British Army, specifically 1 Aviation Brigade HQ, was tasked to provide two aircraft every day to support the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Those two aircraft (and often a spare aircraft) were generated every day from the pool of seven aircraft that Leonardo maintains on behalf of 1 Regiment, Army Air Corps; normally to provide Conversion-To-Type training sorties for new pilots. These aircraft were used to fly government officials and senior NHS staff around the country to the Nightingale hospitals that were being built.
Steve Longdon, Head of Wildcat Support and Training Service at Leonardo Helicopters (UK), commented on the support Leonardo in Yeovil provides to the armed forces: “We build new and modify existing aircraft at Yeovil to provide operational capability to the UK Ministry of Defence’s Front Line Commands. For Wildcat, these are the Joint Helicopter Command [JHC] and Navy Command.”
He explained further how once an aircraft is delivered, Leonardo through its support contracts enables the provision of training to aircrew and maintainers, materiel spares and repairs, technical data and information, aircraft scheduled maintenance, and a guaranteed number or available sorties to meet an annual flying rate.
“We may not be wearing military uniforms, but here at Leonardo, we strongly believe that our day job is to do everything possible to keep military aircraft operationally available to allow the MoD to meet its Annual Flying Task commitments,” said Longdon.
In addition, the UK MoD’s fleet of Merlin helicopters have also been involved in the Covid-19 pandemic operations. Leonardo, through its Integrated Merlin Operational Support (IMOS) contract, has been supporting the UK MoD in its daily flying task commitments to ensure the helicopters are available to deploy at a minimum of 24 hours’ notice.
Simon Cleal, Head of Integrated Merlin Operation Support at Leonardo Helicopters (UK), commented: “It’s been a real privilege for the IMOS Team to be involved in supporting such an important and unprecedented effort by the UK MoD, although challenging at times, we are all extremely proud to be involved in supporting such a capable and fantastic aircraft and will continue to provide exemplary support to the UK MoD customer.”
The support has involved providing Navy Command with three Merlin Mk2 aircraft for casevac/MACA (Military Aid to Civilian Authority) operations from RNAS Culdrose and JHC, who have embarked three Merlin Mk4 to RFA Argus for UK Foreign Office support in the Caribbean and three Merlin Mk4 in support of UK MACA operations.
Nick Whitney, MD of Leonardo Helicopters (UK), stated: “I am immensely proud of the support Leonardo continues to provide to our Armed Forces, but particularly during challenging times such as Covid-19.
“We work closely with our customers every day which grants us an in-depth insight into their challenges and their needs. Our platforms are designed to meet our customers’ requirements. As the Armed Forces utilise the Wildcat and Merlin we can provide great levels of synergy in our support to them,” he added.
Leonardo has continued to provide resources and people in support of national institutions’ management and containment of the pandemic. The Company has been able to guarantee essential support to its customer base spanning aircraft maintenance to cyber security and satellite services to helping operators and authorities to face the Covid-19 medical and security challenges in the UK and worldwide.
17 Aug 20. Boeing Inducts 20th U.S. Navy F/A-18 into Service Life Modification. The first two Super Hornets to complete Service Life Modification have been delivered to the Navy. Boeing [NYSE: BA] has inducted its 20th F/A-18 Super Hornet into Service Life Modification (SLM) supporting U.S. Navy readiness needs for mission-capable aircraft. Two SLM jets have already been delivered back to the Navy.
Initially, SLM will extend the life of Super Hornets from 6,000 to 7,500 flight hours. Future modification plans in 2022 will enable the jets to fly 10,000 hours and incorporate Block III capabilities.
“The Super Hornet is the workhorse fighter for the U.S. Navy,” said Steve Wade, vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18G programs. “SLM is critical because it gives the Super Hornet a new life and next-generation Block III capabilities. The combination of Block III Super Hornets coming out of SLM and new builds off the production line will enable the Navy to maintain the force structure necessary to meet its mission needs.”
The Block III conversion will include enhanced network capability, conformal fuel tanks, an advanced cockpit system, signature improvements and an enhanced communication system. The updates are expected to keep the F/A-18 in active service for decades to come.
Boeing is currently on contract for the modernization of 24 aircraft. An additional contract award covering inductions through 2022 is expected later this year. SLM consists of two production lines in St. Louis and San Antonio, Texas.
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
18 Aug 20. Boeing to Offer Second Layoff Plan, CEO Calhoun Sees Smaller Market Ahead. Boeing Co said on Monday it would offer employees a voluntary layoff package with pay and benefits for the second time this year, as the plane-maker battles a coronavirus-induced slowdown in global air travel. It will be offered to employees in the commercial airplanes and services businesses as well as corporate functions, Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun wrote in a note to employees, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
“Unfortunately, layoffs are a hard but necessary step to align to our new reality, preserve liquidity and position ourselves for the eventual return to growth,” Calhoun said in the note.
“We anticipate seeing a significantly smaller marketplace over the next three years.” (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Reuters)
18 Aug 20. DJI Slashes Staff and Becomes More China-Centric. DJI’s flagship store in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, Aug 8, 2020
Chinese drone giant SZ DJI Technology has been making sweeping cuts to its global sales and marketing teams as it faces coronavirus headwinds and mounting political pressure in key markets, current and former staff told Reuters.
The world’s biggest drone-maker has slashed its corporate sales and marketing team from 180 to 60 at its Shenzhen headquarters in recent months, with similar cuts on the consumer side, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Its global video production team, once used to highlight DJI drones’ filming potential, has shrunk from 40 to 50 people at its height to around three people. A marketing team of six has been let go in South Korea.
Reuters spoke to over 20 current and recently departed DJI staff with knowledge of the cuts who did not want to give their names out of fear it will jeopardise their careers.
In response to Reuters questions, a DJI spokesman said the company realised in 2019 its structure “was becoming unwieldy to manage” after years of strong growth.
“We had to make some difficult decisions to realign talent so that we can continue to achieve our business goals during challenging times,” the spokesman added.
He said Reuters’ layoff figures were “very inaccurate” and did not take into account new recruits or internal transfers, but declined to provide specific figures.
Many sources said the company was looking to “trim the fat” on its roughly 14,000 staff.
“After 2015, our revenue ballooned, and we just kept on hiring people without creating a proper structure to take us from being a startup to a major company,” said a former senior employee.
Another former senior staff member said a confidant of CEO Frank Wang compared the layoffs to the Chinese Communist Party’s legendary “Long March” expedition, a gruelling several-thousand-kilometre trek viewed as saving the party, at the cost of thousands of lives.
“We’ll see what’s left at the end, but at least we’ll be closer, more tight-knit,” the source was told.
Some former staffers who spoke to Reuters said they were told they were being laid off because the coronavirus had impacted sales, but the company had provided little information internally about its business outlook. Others cited geopolitical factors as likely reasons for what the company characterises as “reforms”.
The layoffs began in March, insiders say, when Wang ordered the incoming vice president of marketing, Mia Chen, to cut two-thirds of marketing and sales staff.
DJI, which counts US venture capital giants Sequoia Capital and Accel among its investors, does not release any financial information and Reuters was unable to determine whether the firm is profitable or to what extent the global pandemic had hit sales.
The DJI spokesman said the impact of the virus had been “less significant” than for many companies.
DJI has long been seen as a likely candidate for an initial public offering, but there is no indication such plans are in the works. Sequoia Capital China did not respond to a request for comment and Reuters was unable to reach Accel.
TURNING BACK
The reforms appear to signal a more China-centric turn from the company, which has seen some tension between DJI’s headquarters and its overseas offices, 15 sources said
Two sources formerly with the company’s European base in Frankfurt said they left because they felt the company was becoming less open to non-Chinese.
DJI said staff may be moved to different functions or teams based on their skill set, and that international colleagues work “hand-in-hand” regardless of nationality.
Earlier this year Mario Rebello, DJI’s former vice president for North America, and Martin Brandenburg, its chief development officer in Europe, left after fallouts with headquarters, sources said. Both declined to comment for this article.
The top positions in both markets are now held by Chinese nationals who have transferred from Shenzhen in the last year, their LinkedIn profiles show.
Eight staff said the company had also let go its internal translation team, with company announcements now rarely published in non-Mandarin. An internal “Vision and Values” document published in Mandarin in December has not been made available in English. (Source: UAS VISION/Channel News Asia)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
18 Aug 20. Private Contractors Flying British Armed Drones as UK Strikes in Iraq Increase Again. British forces have begun to use private contractors to launch and recover UK Reaper drones undertaking operations against ISIS and other missions which the MoD is refusing to disclose.
The revelation comes as a new Freedom of Information (FoI) response reveals an increase in the number of UK airstrikes in Iraq over the past quarter. According to the FoI data, UK Reaper and Typhoon aircraft launched 32 airstrikes (or ‘Weapon Release Events’ as the MoD now describes them) against ISIS in April-June 2020. Not since the end of the battle to regain control of Mosul in 2017 has the UK launched that number of strikes in Iraq. There have been no UK airstrikes in Syria since July 2019.
Private contractors as well as Australian air force pilots embedded with UK forces have begun to operate British drones, according to information uncovered by Drone Wars researcher Peter Burt. The revelation is contained in data sheets attached to the annual report of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) which cautiously improves its assessment on the delivery of the UK’s new armed drone.
Officials have previously expressed concern that the procurement of the Protector drone – being bought to replace the UK’s Reaper fleet – is at risk as there have been problems recruiting and retaining aircrew to operate armed drones. However, the IPA reports states:
“A steady increase in overall Reaper Force crew numbers has also improved confidence: this has been brought about by improved retention; Royal Australian Air Force exchange officers; and a pathway to using contractors to relieve Royal Air Force personnel at the deployed location. This gave more confidence that the 45 Reaper crews needed for Transition to Protector would be achieved by end 2020.
It adds: “A contract for crews for the Reaper Launch and Recovery Element based at the deployed location (known as UK1) will take effect in June 2020. This will allow up to seven RAF crews (21 people) to be relieved from the forward d, eployed location and return to home units, boosting the numbers of crews available for mission control towards the 45 that will be needed for transition to Protector.”
The use of private contractors to operate armed UK Reaper drones on combat missions – even if only at the beginning and end of the mission – is highly controversial. Recruitment, screening and management of the individuals concerned is outside the military chain of command and raises obvious concerns. In addition, the legal status of these contractors is uncertain. As they are carrying out a military role they are not considered civilians, yet at the same time, they are not military personnel. The UK has never officially confirmed where its Reapers are based in the Middle East, but it is widely thought to be the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, known as ‘The Rock’.
Australia is purchasing the SkyGuardian drone (which the UK is choosing to call ‘Protector’) for operations from 2022/3 and no doubt is happy for some of its air force pilots embedded with the RAF to acquire related experience operating Reaper drones. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/
14 Aug 20. USAF to Create New 15th Air Force. Air Combat Command is preparing to consolidate its fighter, rescue, and command-and-control enterprises under a new numbered air force that will help military leaders wield those forces more effectively. The Air Force will bring its Ninth and 12th Air Forces under one roof as the 15th Air Force the week of Aug. 17, ACC Commander Gen. James M. “Mike” Holmes said during an Aug. 14 Air Force Association event.
The two organizations encompass several types of aircraft, from fighter jets to strike drones to surveillance planes and search-and-rescue helicopters. Consolidation can help train, upgrade, and develop tactics for those forces more holistically. Then, U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Central Command can call on those aircraft for operations as more collaborative, integrated teams.
The move is part of a broader ACC effort to rethink how forces can be more effective in combat. Last year, ACC similarly merged its intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber, weather, and other units into the “information warfare”-focused 16th Air Force.
It’s one of Holmes’s last initiatives as he retires at the end of the month. He is leaving after more than three years at the helm of Air Combat Command.
Since March 2017, the four-star general overseeing the bulk of the Air Force’s combat assets and personnel has tried to create a more forward-thinking force that is ready to compete with advanced militaries like those of Russia and China, while adapting to digital-era combat and fending off the Islamic State group.
Reorganizing has been one way of giving lower-level commanders more freedom to do what’s best for their Airmen and to be more creative, which Holmes says is evident in how the Air Force handled Hurricane Michael when it slammed Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., in 2018 and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m happy with this refocus in Air Combat Command on pushing authority, responsibility, and decision down and allowing our people to have autonomy, mastery, and purpose in what they do,” he said.
The coronavirus pandemic has hindered ACC’s push to ready its units for a potential new conflict. The command split Airmen into “blue” and “silver” teams so that people would be exposed to fewer people on a regular basis, and training lost its momentum.
Building readiness happens more slowly when young Airmen need to spend more time building their expertise, and when busier-than-expected combat operations take aircraft away from maintenance and upgrades. Still, Holmes said ACC is about as ready to respond to a crisis as it was before COVID-19.
“We have to produce more pilots and navigators and special mission aviators and air battle managers and all the people that operate in the air across Air Combat Command, because every year we don’t produce them is another year that there’s a hole, and we won’t have enough,” he added. “It’s going to be a challenging couple of years.”
He also argues the Air Force has to be ready to sacrifice some of its older platforms to make way for more advanced technology, even if it means changing the way things have always been done. Congress should try not to hinder that process—because of parochial concerns or otherwise—by blocking the retirement of systems whose time is up, he added.
“Both on the fighter side and our ISR flight plan, on what’s the future of the mix between space and cyber and manned and publicly available information and unmanned aircraft, to bring them the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tools that we need going forward, there are some decisions that need to be made there that the next [ACC commander] will get to help make,” Holmes said.
Those decisions could be choosing to ditch certain platforms, or giving the go-ahead to develop new ones.
Lt. Gen. Mark D. Kelly, who will earn his fourth star as he takes over ACC, must also help the organization tackle racist and sexist policies and attitudes. Those efforts are front and center after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May sparked conversations about race and discrimination across the military.
“If I was going to stick around longer, I would really love to be more a part of these efforts to help us reach closer to our ideal of being a place where we can take people from anywhere in our country, from any racial background, from any economic background, and give them an equal opportunity to work hard and move out and become the best person they can be,” Holmes said. “We’ve made great strides, but I think talking to our Airmen over these last six months with a fresh impetus to do that … I can’t escape the fact that we still have a ways to go, and I would love to have the opportunity to keep working on that.” (Source: News Now/https://www.airforcemag.com/)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
14 Aug 20. USAF LG David W. Allvin for appointment to the rank of general with assignment as vice chief of staff, United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. Allvin is currently serving as director for strategy, plans, and policy, J-5, Joint Staff; and senior member, United States Delegation to the United Nations Military Staff Committee, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
14 Aug 20. USAF MG James C. Dawkins, Jr., for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general with assignment as deputy chief of staff, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. Dawkins is currently serving as director, Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
18 Aug 20. Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorised global distributor with the newest semiconductors and electronic components, announces an expanded global distribution agreement with Mini-Circuits, a leading supplier of radio frequency (RF), microwave and millimeter-wave components and systems. Mouser was the first authorised global distributor of the Mini-Circuits product line in the U.S., and now distributes Mini-Circuits products to customers in 206 countries and territories around the world.
Mouser customers now have access to over 1,200 Mini-Circuits RF products. The company’s LFCG series low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) low-pass filters are available with passband frequencies spanning DC to 6100 MHz and rejection up to 50 dB. The tiny 0805 filters feature rugged, ceramic construction, making them well-suited for tough environments such as high humidity and temperature extremes.
Mini-Circuits reflectionless filters are available in low-pass, high-pass, and bandpass designs, offering a patented internal load that eliminates out-of-band signals. Reflectionless filters eliminate stopband reflections, allowing them to be paired with sensitive devices and used in applications that otherwise require circuits such as isolation amplifiers or attenuators.
The PMA3-83LN+ is a PHEMT-based MMIC amplifier with a unique combination of 1.3 dB noise figure, +35 dBm IP3, and ±1.3 dB gain flatness over the entire 0.5 to 8 GHz range, making it ideal for sensitive, high-dynamic-range receiver applications. The amplifier operates from a single 5V or 6V supply, is well matched for 50 ohms, and comes in a 3 mm × 3 mm QFN package to accommodate dense circuit board layouts.
Mini-Circuits ultra-wideband MMIC splitter/combiners offer multi-octave bandwidths covering applications from DC to 43.5 GHz with power handling up to 2.5 W, 1.1 dB typical insertion loss, and high isolation up to 20 dB. The two-way devices come in tiny QFN packages, saving space in dense layouts.
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
17 Aug 20. Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, has appointed Al Potter as Managing Director of the National Security and Defence Business for Leidos UK. In this role, he will be responsible for engaging the defence, intelligence and national security markets. Potter has joined from Boeing Defence UK where he served as a Board Member alongside his day-to-day role as Managing Director of Government Service Business. Prior to this, Potter spent four years at Lockheed Martin Global as Business Development Director for UK and Europe, where he was responsible for identifying and capturing new business across the mission systems and training portfolio. Al is a recognised diversity champion – having built very diverse teams and championing leadership development. He has also acted as a mentor for many employees and often advises veterans leaving the services. In addition, Al is also a Trustee and Director of the Midlands Educational Trust, an Education Academy that runs four primary schools in the Malvern and Worcester area. (Source: PR Newswire)
19 Aug 20. WesCom Defence, the world-renowned specialist in pyrotechnic products for signalling, illumination, and training and simulation for the defence industry, announces the appointment of David Griffiths as Vice President of Defence Sales. Within his new role, David will be responsible for driving growth of the WesCom Defence business globally, as well as looking after the sales pipeline and overall direction of the business. Having joined the company earlier this year, David has been working closely with the sales and marketing team developing a robust, overarching strategy for the business, as well as connecting with the brand’s global network of agents to understand more about the local market dynamics, risks and opportunities. With an extensive 30-year career, David has exceptional expertise of the defence industry, built through his various roles with the Survitec Group, most recently with the responsibly for its Defence, Aerospace and Industrial business. This included the management of over 40 commission agents operating in more than 50 countries and being directly involved in most of the OEM relationships. In addition, David has also worked on some of the biggest defence projects in the world, notably F-35 Lightning II, Typhoon, USAF Integrated Aircrew Ensemble and US Navy for Submarine Escape.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
12 Aug 20. Eight Industry Experts Appointed to The National Security Space Association. The National Security Space Association (NSSA), a U.S. trade association devoted solely to the U.S. defense and intelligence space enterprise, has added eight new members to their Board of Directors.
Each appointee is a highly regarded member of their respective organization and will bring their individual experience to NSSA’s commitment to the preservation and protection of the National Security Space Community.
These additions follow last month’s appointment of General (Ret.) Lester Lyles and Ms. Stephanie O’Sullivan to the Board of Directors.
The newest members of the NSSA Board of Directors are as follows:
Maria Demaree, Vice President and General Manager, Mission Solutions, Lockheed Martin Space
Maria Demaree will provide irreplaceable experience to the NSSA Board of Directors. She serves as the Vice President and General Manager for Mission Solutions at Lockheed Martin Space. Previously, Ms. Demaree was Vice President of Engineering, Mission Systems and Operations, for Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Space Systems Company. Additionally, she formerly served as Engineering and Technology Director of Mission Systems, for Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS). As Director of Enterprise Desktop Services, she was responsible for the Lockheed Martin Service Desk, Unified Communications, Desktop Services and SharePoint implementation.
Michael P. Dempsey, Vice President, Northrop Grumman Corporate, Strategy & Development, Space, Intelligence & Cyber
Michael P. Dempsey will be a vital asset for NSSA. He served as Acting Director of National Intelligence in 2017 and was Deputy Director of National Intelligence (DDNI) from 2014 to 2016, where he served as President Obama’s primary intelligence briefer. In this role, he also regularly represented the Intelligence Community at National Security Council, Principal, and Deputy Committee meetings, as well as in Congressional testimony, and was charged with leading the effort to integrate the 16 agencies of the US Intelligence Community. He began his intelligence career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1990 and served in a number of management and analytical positions. He also served as Deputy CIA Representative to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council.
Joseph D. Fargnoli, Chief Technology Officer, Theia Group, Inc.
Joseph D. Fargnoli provides NSSA with more than 30 years of experience in the design and development of commercial and government space systems addressing emerging needs. As a co-founder and CTO of THEIA, he is actively engaged in the development of many aspects of the space industry from launch to spacecraft, remote sensing, computing and communication, navigation payloads as well as ground processing and the development of customer applications. He spent the first 20 years of his career with companies now identified as Northrop Grumman and L3Harris and was also a Technical Fellow at the National Reconnaissance Office. He is a space leader with years of commitment to employing the tools and techniques of entrepreneurship to realizing the full potential of space technology in achieving the potential of American Industry. As a driving force providing advice and guidance to the space community, Mr. Fargnoli will be a tremendous asset to the Board of Directors
Wallis Laughrey, Vice President, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Space & C2 Systems
Wallis Laughrey is an experienced engineer and program leader with a background in the Air Force’s Space Command and Materials Command. Before his current role as Vice President of Space and C2 Systems for Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Mr. Laughrey led the Space Systems mission area at Raytheon Company’s Space and Airborne Systems business prior to Raytheon Company’s merger with United Technologies Corporation in 2020. Mr. Laughrey’s long history in aerospace and defense will become a key asset to the leadership of NSSA.
Manny Mora, Vice President and General Manager, Space and Intelligence Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Manny Mora will provide essential guidance to NSSA as a member of the Board of Directors. In his current position, he holds a unique portfolio of space- and ground-based systems, products, and technologies, and is also responsible for the delivery of strategic programs, including systems for space-based operations, satellite payloads for NASA, and intelligence systems, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community and government organizations worldwide. Mr. Mora’s extensive experience in strategy and business development includes his previous position as senior vice president for Strategic Business Development and Sales for General Dynamics C4 Systems, now General Dynamics Mission Systems. He is a valued addition to the NSSA family.
Dan Piemont, Cofounder and Chief Financial Officer, ABL Space Systems
Dan Piemont brings the perspective of a venture-backed space startup founder to NSSA. Dan serves as the Chief Financial Officer of ABL Space Systems, which he co-founded in 2017 to develop low-cost resilient space launch systems to serve the national security space community. In his role as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Piemont directs ABL’s corporate strategy, business development, government relations, and business operations. Mr. Piemont also oversees ABL’s portfolio of space resiliency initiatives, including activities supporting the Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, and AFWERX program. Mr. Piemont previously held several positions in the venture capital and investment banking industries.
John “J.R.” Riordan, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Parsons Corporation Space & Geospatial Solutions
John “J.R.” Riordan is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Parsons Corporations Space and Geospatial Solutions. Mr. Riordan transitioned to Parsons Corporation from his government service as a Professional Staff Member at the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he was Staff Lead for the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. He is most widely known in the National Security Space community for his work on the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act as the primary architect of the United States Space Force. Prior to his role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Riordan held a variety of positions in industry and served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Riordan is a highly respected, proven military strategist and policy expert that will serve a vital role for NSSA’s educational outreach and workforce development.
Victoria “Vicki” Schmanske, President, Intelligence Group, Leidos
Vicki Schmanske serves as President of the Intelligence Group for Leidos where she is responsible for providing solutions and services to Intelligence Community agencies. Prior roles include the Leidos Chief Administrative Officer, where she managed key centralized business functions; Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer for Leidos’ Health Group; and Vice President of Operations for Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) programs in the Civil, Defense & Intelligence Solutions lines of business. Ms. Schmanske is an accomplished executive whose 35 years of career experience will immediately become an asset to NSSA.
The National Security Space Association is proud to have all of these influential leaders on our Board of Directors and the organization is looking forward to the bright future ahead… together. (Source: Satnews)
17 Aug 20. Quintillion is pleased to announce the addition of General (Ret.) John F. “JC” Campbell to its team as Special Counselor to the Board. Throughout the course of his illustrious 37-year military career, General Campbell commanded at all levels of the Army, including serving as the Commander of U.S. and NATO Forces in Afghanistan as well as the 34th Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. General Campbell brings extensive strategic, joint, operational, and security expertise to Quintillion. His guidance will be crucial as Quintillion continues to develop its Arctic infrastructure in support of emerging U.S. national security and economic initiatives. Long regarded as a “reluctant Arctic power,” the U.S. must act expeditiously to catch up with the regional capabilities of other great powers. Quintillion stands at the ready to support that effort. With over 1,600 miles of fiber optic cable laid off the Alaskan coast, we are closing the digital divide that has precluded previous U.S. investment in the region, and we are building the necessary technological foundation on which the nation’s future Arctic defense infrastructure and strategy can be built. The addition of General Campbell to Quintillion’s senior team comes less than a month after General Charles Jacoby, former Commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, joined Quintillion as a Senior Strategic Advisor. (Source: PR Newswire)
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
17 Aug 20. The Denel board has announced the appointment of Talib Sadik as the interim Group Chief Executive. A qualified Chartered Accountant (SA), Sadik momentarily takes over the reins from Danie Du Toit, who stepped down from the post on 15 August. Sadik is a former non-executive Denel director and has worked with the board in developing the turnaround plan. Denel SOC Ltd is a State-owned, commercially-driven company and strategic partner for innovative defence, security and related technology solutions. It groups together several defence and aerospace divisions and associated companies. This, said the board in a statement issued on Monday, positions him well for a seamless transition. (Source: Google/https://www.devdiscourse.com/)
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