LOCATIONS
LAND
18 Jul 23. Elbit Systems UK opens new advanced manufacturing and development facility. Elbit Systems UK has today announced the formal opening of its new advanced manufacturing and development facility.
Located in Bristol, the Horizon facility will act as a research, development and manufacturing hub for the high technology solutions already being provided to the British Armed Forces and other NATO customers by Elbit Systems UK. At an opening ceremony attended by employees, government and industry representatives including Jack Lopresti MP and Tzipi Hotovely, Israeli Ambassador to the UK, a number of capabilities of Elbit Systems UK were demonstrated including;
– EW Solutions for multiple domains (Air, Land and Naval applications) including the MEWSIC1 Programme of the Royal Navy
– Interim Combined Armed Virtual Simulator (Deployable)
– Full Land Integrated Systems Demonstration
– Ground Based Surveillance Radar
– nv33 Night Vision Goggles
– A range of uncrewed systems
The opening of the Horizon facility is the culmination of over £35m of investment in three years, developing and expanding Elbit Systems UK’s manufacturing and technical footprint across the country making it a hub for future R&D and deliveries to other NATO customers.
The Horizon facility will build on Elbit Systems UK’s existing capabilities and will eventually employ over 200 people on the site, adding to the existing over 680 staff working in ESUK and its subsidiaries across 16 sites throughout the UK.
Martin Fausset, CEO of Elbit Systems UK said: “The opening of this facility is a testament to the success of Elbit Systems UK over the last 3 years and demonstrates the successful implementation of our strategy set out 3 years ago. Our commitment to providing cutting-edge, sovereign capability to the UK Armed Forces has allowed us to grow our presence, investing in our people and our facilities to support our frontline customers.”
MARITIME
20 Jul 23. U.S. Navy Commissioned Littoral Combat Ship Canberra in Australia. The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Canberra (LCS 30), during an international commissioning ceremony, at 10:00 a.m. AEST on Saturday, July 22 (8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 21) at the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Base East in Sydney, Australia. The Honorable Carlos del Toro U.S. Secretary of the Navy, delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Remarks will also be provided by His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, AD, DSC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia; the Honourable Richard Marles, MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia; the Honorable Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador to Australia; Adm. Michael Gilday, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations; Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, Royal Australian Chief of Navy; and Mr. Larry Ryder, Vice President of Business Development and External Affairs, Austal USA. The ship’s sponsor is Australian Senator, the Honourable Marise Payne, the former Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs who attended the ship’s keel laying ceremony at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, in 2020. Independence-variant LCS are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored, surface combatants that operate both close to shore and in open-ocean environments. LCS integrate with joint, combined, crewed, and unmanned systems to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe. The USS Canberra’s sister ships, USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Manchester (LCS 14), and USS Mobile (LCS 26) are all currently on deployment in the Indo-Pacific. LCS 30 will be the 16th commissioned Independence-variant LCS. It is the second ship named in honor of the city of Canberra, and commemorates the more than 100 years of mateship between the U.S. and Australian allies. The first USS Canberra (CA 70) was named in remembrance of the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra that sank during the Battle of Savo Island while fighting side-by-side with U.S. naval forces. CA 70 was the first U.S. Navy ship named for a foreign capital.
The first USS Canberra (CA 70) received seven battle stars for her service in World War II. In May 1958, Canberra served as the ceremonial flagship for the selection of the Unknown Serviceman of World War II and Korea. Canberra was decommissioned in a ceremony on Feb. 2, 1970, at the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard. One of her propellers is preserved at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, while the ship’s bell is on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum. (Source: U.S. DoD)
19 Jul 23. French Navy receives first new supply ship under program with Italy. The French Navy has taken delivery of the LSS Jacques Chevallier, the first of a new class of supply ships meant to replace the service’s aging fleet tankers.
The Chevallier – named for the French engineer who pioneered the nation’s naval nuclear propulsion development and served as chief of the French military procurement office Délégation Générale de l’Armement (DGA) in the late 1980s – has undergone sea trials at the Toulon naval base in southern France since March. It’s the first of four new logistics vessels that will take over for the navy’s Durance-class of tankers, which were built between 1973-1990.
The formal delivery ceremony took place July 18 at Toulon in the presence of senior French and Italian defense ministry officials as well as representatives from Naval Group, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and the international Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR), which manages the program on behalf of France and Italy.
Next, the Chevallier will undergo operational evaluations by the Navy. The ship is expected to enter service in 2024, according to France’s Armed Forces Ministry.
The new ships – known in French as “bâtiments ravitailleurs de forces” (BRF) – were built with greater cargo and fuel-carrying capacity than their predecessors in the French Navy’s Durance-class of fleet tankers. They are being developed under the “flotte logistique” (FLOTLOG) program, led by the DGA and supported by the Italian Navy’s counterpart, the “Direzione degli armament navali” (NAVARM).
France took the design of the Fincantieri-developed LSS Vulcano, delivered to the Italian Navy in March 2021, and made modifications to allow for its own tankers to support the carrier battle group of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the French Armed Forces Ministry said in a July 18 press release.
Development of the Chevallier began in 2019 at Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, on France’s west coast. Final assembly for the second LSS, dubbed Jacques Stosskopf, will begin in early 2024, with a planned 2025 delivery date, per Naval Group. The third and fourth ships in the Chevallier class will be named Emile Bertin and Gustave Zédé, per the French defense ministry.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique is lead for the design and construction of the Jacques Chevallier-class ships, and is responsible for the integration and assembly of embedded systems. Meanwhile, Naval Group is contracted to design, develop, integrate and maintain the ships’ military systems, including the combat system, aircraft landing components and ammunition loading capabilities, the company said in a July 19 statement
Italy’s Fincantieri manufactures the hull sections that house the refueling system, at the company’s Castellammare di Stabia shipyard near Naples.
The French LSS class will measure 194 meters long (over 636 feet), and be capable of transporting 3.4m gallons of fuel, with a displacement weight of 31,000 tonnes (68.3m pounds) at full load. It will be equipped with the 40mm RAPIDFire artillery system developed by Thales and KNDS, as well as MBDA’s Simbad RC short-range air defense system. (Source: Defense News)
AIR
19 Jul 23. Airbus Helicopters H175 granted CAAC certification. Airbus Helicopters has received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for the H175 helicopter. This certification will allow H175 deliveries to begin in China, one of the most demanding markets worldwide for civil helicopters with a growing need for the super-medium segment. Four H175s will be delivered to Chinese customers in 2023.
“The Chinese certification of the H175 is another great achievement in the continued successful partnership between Airbus Helicopters and the Chinese helicopter industry,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
“The H175’s advanced state-of-the art performances and reliability will serve to provide the people of China with the ability to perform critical life-saving missions even in the most severe conditions”, he added.
To sustain the helicopter market growth in China, Airbus Helicopters is committed to jointly work with the Chinese industry to develop the Chinese civil market with products such as the H175, aiming to serve the interests of the Chinese people and the economy. In service since 2015, Airbus’ H175 belongs to the super-medium class of helicopters. Combining long-range with advanced quality of flight, it provides the best solution for a number of missions, including offshore crew change, SAR, all public services, and private and business aviation. The 53 H175s currently in service have accumulated over 185,000 flight hours in 13 countries.
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
20 Jul 23. The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the departure from Government of the Rt Hon Chloe Smith MP. This follows the return of Michelle Donelan from maternity leave.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
20 Jul 23. State Dept. Appoints Timothy A. Betts as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade Controls. The U.S. Department of State has appointed career official Timothy A. Betts as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade Controls. In previous State Department leadership positions, he has served as Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Acting Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS from March 2022 through January 2023, as Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary of State from October 2019 through December 2022, as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs from January 2021 through October 2021, and as a Senior Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements from July 2016 through September 2019. (Source: glstrade.com)
18 Jul 23. USMC MG James H. Adams, III, for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general with assignment as deputy commandant for Programs and Resources, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. Adams is currently serving as deputy director, Requirements and Capability Development, J-8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
15 Jul 23. USAF MG Shawn N. Bratton for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general with assignment as deputy chief of space operations for Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters, United States Space Force, Washington, D.C. Bratton is currently serving as the commander, Space Training and Readiness Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.
15 Jul 23. USAF MG Michael J. Lutton for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general with assignment as deputy commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Lutton is currently serving as commander, Twentieth Air Force, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
18 Jul 23. Indra and Oesia Group Sign Strategic Collaboration Agreement for the Development of State-of-the-art Defence Systems.
- They have entered into a long-term collaboration agreement to improve the global offer of critical solutions for the Spanish Armed Forces and Security Forces.
- This agreement will play an important role in strengthening the international competitiveness of both companies as well as national and European technological sovereignty.
Oesía Group, a Spanish multinational industrial and digital engineering company and Indra, one of the leading global technology and consulting companies, have signed a strategic collaboration agreement by which they add key technological capabilities to improve the global offer of new generation systems and services for the Spanish armed forces and security forces, thereby strengthening national sovereignty while improving the positioning of both companies in the international market and European programs.
The signing took place on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at the Teatro Real and was attended by José Vicente de los Mozos, Indra’s CEO, and Luis Furnells, Executive Chairman of Oesía Group. The agreement encompasses the development of new systems and services related to command and control systems (C4I), air defence radars, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition systems (ISR and ISTAR), as well as on-board electronics.
Indra’s CEO, José Vicente de los Mozos said that “by entering into this agreement with Oesía Group, a national and international benchmark in key capabilities based on hyper-specialization and disruptive technologies, we continue adding up national defence companies capabilities and take a new step forward in our agenda of traction in the industry. This transformation of the Spanish industry favors its competitiveness in the international ecosystem, fosters autonomy in the development of strategic technologies for our armed forces and results in a better positioning of the Spanish brand”.
Luis Furnells believes that “this agreement ratifies our commitment to innovation, specialization and loyal collaboration of the Spanish industry. We are very proud to sign an agreement of this magnitude with Indra, which, since the new management team took over, has been working and forging loyal collaboration environments with a view to becoming a great driver of our industry. This agreement allows us to jointly and collaboratively advance and improve dual technologies and innovative and disruptive solutions.”
The collaboration model between both parties will be based on principles such as technological specialization, complementarity, trust to offer the best products and solutions, cooperation, generation of technological capabilities, investments in disruptive technologies and the commitment to follow the investment plan linked to the capabilities and technologies that are the purpose of the collaboration, among others.
As the first Specific Agreement they have decided to work on photonic technology for electronic warfare. Photonics is a technology that affects a range of operating environments, significantly improving performance in terms of efficiency and effectiveness alike. Both organizations strive to generate high value-added solutions for clients in the domestic market with a view to improving their position in national and international programs and compete by providing differential and disruptive high-performance technology (photonics). (Source: ASD Network)
18 Jul 23. Babcock and HII partner up on naval nuclear decommissioning and construction. The MoU will see both companies work together on programmes and opportunities in the US and UK. Babcock International, a British defence and nuclear engineering company, has formed a strategic partnership with the largest American military shipbuilding company, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).
The enterprise will see both companies collaborate on naval nuclear decommissioning and consturction opportunities in the US and the UK. The agreement was solidified in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 17 July 2023.
Both companies will apply their complementary capabilities to existing nuclear decommissioning contracts for US ships and UK submarines, to share best practices and provide the opportunity to upskill and enhance both organisations’ capability for the benefit of the US and UK projects.
“As we expand our presence globally this is an important agreement to leverage more than 60 years of HII expertise in complex nuclear processes on behalf of civil and defence customers,” said Chris Kastner, President and CEO of HII. “We are excited to explore with Babcock potentially promising opportunities for both companies.”
“This collaboration supports our expanding global reach and capability” said David Lockwood, CEO of Babcock. “We look forward to working with HII to realise the benefits that our collaboration can bring to the nuclear programmes in UK, US and beyond.”
Naval nuclear decommissioning
The UK Ministry of Defence has announced it will hold a market engagement day later this year at Babcock Marine’s Rosyth dockyard to determine industrial capabilities ahead of beginning the initial phase of the Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP), a programme to scrap dozens of nuclear-powered submarines once in service with the Royal Navy.
In collaboration with the UK Defence Equipment Sales Authority, the event, to be held on 12 October this year, will focus on plans for the first submarine – the former HMS Swiftsure – to be recycled within the boundaries of the Rosyth dockyard.
The majority of submarines stored at Rosyth, Scotland, and Devonport, England, are thought to have been defuelled since being decommissioned, although hazardous and classified materials remain onboard, requiring specific clearances and capabilities to be disposed of safely.
The SDP’s mandate is intended to fully dismantle 27 of the UK’s nuclear-powered submarines after they have been defuelled, including the ballistic missile boats (SSBN) that housed the country’s nuclear deterrent.
Babcock and HII collaboration on AUKUS
One of the UK-US projects that the MoU refers to includes the AUKUS programmes, in which both companies are already heavily involved in the development of advanced technologies required from the trilateral agreement.
“Whilst the [AUKUS] deal covers joint work in electronic warfare, AI [artificial intelligence], hypersonic weapons and quantum technologies, its centrepiece is Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). Compared to diesel-electric boats, SSNs are much better suited to operating in large, deep, and wide oceans – ideal for the Indo-Pacific region, and a large deterrent for any hostile naval force,” a GlobalData analyst briefing stated in March 2023.
Owning and operating the UK’s only licensed facility for refitting, refuelling and defuelling nuclear submarines, Babcock sustains the entirety of the Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet, including the delivery of through-life support and life extension of the Vanguard, Trafalgar, and Astute submarine classes.
Similarly, in March this year, HII announced: “HII is prepared to leverage our longstanding expertise in nuclear shipbuilding and defence technologies, and our presence in Canberra, Australia, in support of AUKUS. We look forward to working closely with the US, Australian, and British governments.” (Source: naval-technology.com)
17 Jul 23. Safran and HAL to Form JV Company to Co-design and Produce New Generation Helicopter Engines in India. Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have decided to set up their new joint venture company in Bangalore, India. It will be dedicated to the design, development, production, sales and support of helicopter engines, with first objective to build the most adequate propulsion solution for the Indian Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) future 13-ton IMRH (Indian Multi-Role Helicopter) and its naval version DBMRH (Deck Based Multi-Role Helicopter). This joint venture will be India’s first engine design and manufacturing in house.
This decision was achieved thanks to a dynamic common work cycle between the two companies, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 8th July 2022 and an agreement on workshare reached between the two partners during Aero India 2023.
The collaboration the Indian and French Aerospace majors is clearly supporting the development of the aerospace strategic roadmap between the two countries while once again endorsing the Indian Government’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” – particularly in defence technologies. Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL see this joint venture as a natural further step in their robust, well balanced and growing relationship.
Mr. Cedric Goubet, Safran Helicopter Engines CEO, said: “We at Safran Helicopter Engines are truly elated to partner with HAL and India to craft this new turboshaft engine joint venture set to address the Indian market and also future export opportunities. It marks a turning point in not only the longstanding relationship between our two companies but also between India and France. Together we will remain fully dedicated to our customers in India, proud to designing and producing new efficient helicopter engines.”
Mr. C.B. Ananthkrishnan, CMD, HAL said: “Safran Helicopter Engines has been our valued partner for several decades. We both have embarked on a new journey, leveraging HAL’s experience in manufacturing of more than 15 types of aircraft and helicopter engines and Safran Helicopter Engines’ expertise in desiging turboshaft engines. The objective is to co-develop and co-produce turboshaft engines in India – with immediate focus on IMRH and DBMRH. This partnership will engage and harness the Indian Defence manufacturing ecosystem towards realising Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of our Honble PM”.
Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL already have multiple successful partnerships on helicopter powerplants, including the Shakti engine, which powers HAL-produced helicopters, comprising the Dhruv, Rudra and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH Prachand). More than 500 Shakti engines have already been produced. The new joint venture further extends the sphere of current cooperation and explores opportunities for strategic business collaboration that leverage the complementary talents and capabilities of the two aviation firms.
Through HE-MRO joint venture in Goa, Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL will also provide MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) services for TM333 and Shakti engines in the service of Indian Armed Forces. (Source: ASD Network)
17 Jul 23. AERALIS announces signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Inzpire. AERALIS™, the transformational British military jet developer, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inzpire Limited (Inzpire) to jointly develop an AERALIS aircraft service capability and technical offering in the context of the fast jet training & support market.
As part of the MoU, Inzpire and AERALIS will collaborate to develop a common mission system architecture that supports a novel and unique service offering which will deliver an advanced operational training concept to meet the requirements of future aviation customers. The AERALIS offering will provide seamless ‘on-demand’ operational air support as part of the future of air force fleets using a flexible AERALIS system, bringing significantly lower acquisition and operating costs.
The MoU spans a broad range of services which will be offered by Inzpire, including training and engineering subject matter experts to support the synthetic solution, understanding of the design and utility of the cockpit, and knowledge of fast-jet operations. The two companies will also conduct assessments of collaboration opportunities with overseas partners, analysis of the technical and performance elements of the aircraft, and evaluation of the service offering’s programme requirements.
This follows a successful year for AERALIS. The British jet developer signed partnerships with several companies building towards the ultimate delivery of the aircraft, including Thales UK, Atkins, Siemens, Martin-Baker and Hamble Aerostructures. Already this year AERALIS has signed a collaborative MoU with AirTanker, marking a decisive step in the progress of the AERALIS jet’s development. The company is currently in Phase Two of a three-year contract with the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office, and most recently was awarded a £9m digital engineering contract from the UK Ministry of Defence to access AERALIS’ innovative digital engineering approach.
Inzpire is an award-winning supplier of defence managed services and cutting-edge mission systems spanning numerous domains and capabilities. The company designs, builds and delivers the internationally renowned GECO Mission Support System, supports the European Defence Agency’s helicopter pilot training and provides human factors training to RAF pilots. Inzpire recently announced that it is partnering on delivering the next concept demonstration phase of the synthetic solution Platform Enabled Training Capability (PETC) in 2023.
Brendan Nolan, Managing Director of Inzpire, remarked: “I am delighted that Inzpire will be an essential part of this exciting development in aviation. Inzpire is known for its innovation and first-rate customer delivery so is an ideal partner to work with AERALIS to bring capability to the customer.”
Inzpire’s Business Development and Marketing Director, Al Whittle, said:
“Inzpire is hugely proud and excited to be working closely with AERALIS to bring a totally new and innovative aircraft to the market. Great Britain has always had a rich heritage of aircraft design and manufacturing and this project continues that tradition using disruption, innovation and most of all, vision. We look forward to combining our unique skills to create a truly outstanding British aircraft.”
AERALIS’s founder & CEO Tristan Crawford commented:
“The partner network AERALIS is growing in the UK is going from strength to strength, and this Memorandum of Understanding proves that. We are delighted to be working with Inzpire, whose expertise and innovative approaches will complement our own as we look towards going to market with our transformational aircraft and disruptive service offering.”
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
18 Jul 23. CSignum Ltd., the global leader in electromagnetic (EM) underwater communication that sends data through the water’s surface without cables, today announced the appointment of David Leslie as Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for business strategy and development, sales, and go-to-market for CSignum and its new RadiEM Modem™. Leslie reports directly to CSignum CEO Chris Brooks and is based in the Washington, D.C. area. An industry expert with over 30 years in IT consulting, networking and telecommunications, Leslie has been advising CSignum on market positioning and possible new use cases for the revolutionary RadiEM technology that will help natural and manmade water industries modernise data networks, which have lagged networks above the water by 50 years. Leslie was most recently Chief Commercial Officer of Gadget Software and served as advisor as The Modern Data Company scaled operations to go to market. He has served as President and CEO of MedicAlert Foundation, as well as co-founded and led companies such as ZippSlip and Intersect Software Corp. He has held executive sales positions at Ericsson, Torrent Networking, Newbridge Networks, and UB Networks.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
17 Jul 23. AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, has named Andrew Schmidt its Senior Vice President of AAR Digital Services and Trax. Schmidt will work closely with the Trax founders and their leadership team to scale the Trax business by growing the customer base, enhancing customer support, and expanding product offerings through digital innovation. He will help to execute the Company’s strategy for Trax, which includes building a foundation for a new parts ecosystem in coordination with AAR and parts suppliers and more broadly incorporating AI into Trax’s offerings.
18 Jul 23. Akima today announced that John Arnold has been named the general manager of Akima Global Technology, LLC. In this role, Arnold will be responsible for program delivery and information technology services that support the mission needs of global government customers. Arnold joins Akima with 20 years of government contracting leadership experience, including CONUS and OCONUS management at organizations spanning startups through global enterprises. Most recently, Arnold was founder and president of CavPath, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that provides strategic advisory, independent sponsorships, and direct investments to government contracting firms. Prior to CavPath, Arnold had a 17-year career with Agility where he directed projects that included multi-subsidiary profit and loss, mergers and acquisitions, sales, and business development. His career achievements include winning the largest subsistence prime vendor contract ever awarded by the Defense Logistics Agency at $8.1bn. (Source: PR Newswire)
18 Jul 23. Cloud Range, the industry’s leading cyber range solution to reduce cyber risk across the organization, today announced that it has appointed Galina Antova to its board of directors to help propel the company to the next level as it continues its global leadership making organizations around the world more resilient against cyber attacks. Galina Antova is a respected cybersecurity leader who brings to Cloud Range a proven track record in building successful cybersecurity companies and over a decade of experience advancing the state of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. As Co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer of industrial cybersecurity company Claroty, Antova played an integral role in growing the organization from its conceptual stage to a unicorn with over $100m in sales. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
19 Jul 23. Hypori, the leading commercial solution for Department of Defense (DOD) bring-your-own-device (BYOD) capability and National Security Agency (NSA) commercial solutions for classified (CSfC) mobility provider, announced the appointment of Vernon O’Donnell as Chief Customer Officer. With a deep background in customer success at multiple SaaS companies and extensive cross-functional leadership experience, O’Donnell is poised to drive the company’s commitment to delivering customer mission success while leading Hypori’s customer operations teams. O’Donnell joins Hypori after a successful tenure as the first Chief Customer Officer and then the Chief Product Officer at project44, a high-growth supply chain visibility software platform. Previously, he was the Chief Customer Officer for STATS Perform, a global leader in sports intelligence and data. As a U.S. Army veteran, he led public affairs teams as a non-commissioned officer, including service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. O’Donnell’s experience growing and leading exceptional product- and customer-centric teams, scaling operations, and continuously increasing product value to customers, make him the ideal executive for this role as Hypori prepares for exponential growth. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
17 Jul 23. Juvare Appoints New CEO and CFO, Prepares for Next Phase of Growth. Juvare, the leader in situational awareness and critical incident preparedness and response technology, today announced a dynamic shift in its executive leadership. Robert (“Bob”) Watson, the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2018, has announced his retirement and transition to serve on Juvare’s Board of Directors. Rajib Roy, renowned for driving growth through a proven record of leadership in technology businesses, joins Juvare as its new CEO, effective today. Accompanying this transition is the appointment of seasoned finance leader Kent T. Kelley as Juvare’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
18 Jul 23. Knight Federal Solutions, a leading provider of innovative technology solutions, is pleased to announce the promotion of Samantha Mooney-Outlaw to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective July 18, 2023. In her new role as COO, Ms. Mooney-Outlaw will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company and driving its strategic growth initiatives. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the position. Throughout her tenure at Knight Federal Solutions, Ms. Mooney-Outlaw has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to the company’s mission and values. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
20 Jul 23. MatrixSpace announces the addition of Lieutenant General (retired) Michael Barbero to its advisory board, strengthening its engagement within the defense and commercial sector. This follows the recent additions of Lieutenant General (retired) Glenn Spears, US Air Force, and Brigadier General (retired) Robert Hipwell PhD, US Army to its advisory board. General Barbero is a career Infantry leader, having served 37 years in the US Army until his retirement in 2013 as a Lieutenant General. His service included 46 months in Iraq over three separate combat tours of duty, commanding large US and NATO organizations, while coordinating complex political-military operations, including working with allies, senior foreign government and coalition leaders. Today General Barbero works with senior government and business leaders across the globe to develop opportunities for US companies. Among others, he advises multiple organizations including defense awareness leader TCOM L.P. and sits on the Board of Directors of Saab Inc. He is a recognized security expert, testifying before Congress, and has participated in numerous US and international programs to discuss global business and security issues. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy.
20 Jul 23. Oceus, a leading global technology innovator providing 5G network solutions to government and enterprise customers, announces the addition of Carm Caruso as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With a proven track record of driving financial performance and maximizing operational efficiency, his appointment underscores Oceus’ commitment to further enhance its leadership team as it moves into its next stage of growth. In this role, Mr. Caruso drives the company’s strategy and financial integrity for continued expansion and success. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
11 Jul 23. Supernal’s Mike Whitaker “likely to become the next FAA administrator.” Reports in the Wall Street Journal say Mike Whitaker, Chief Commercial Officer for Supernal, a Hyundai company developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, will be the next administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Mike Whitaker has spent his career in aviation, which began as an attorney for TWA in New York and Washington, then through 15 years at United Airlines in Chicago, where he served as senior vice president of alliances, international and regulatory affairs. After leaving United, he served as Group CEO at InterGlobe, India’s largest travel conglomerate, based in Delhi. In 2013, Mike was appointed by President Obama as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, where he served until 2016. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)