People To Watch In The Defense Sector In 2023

In the face of Russia’s regionally destabilizing invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Blaszczak is leading the push to grow Poland’s military. He made rapid strides in 2022, pledging to add 100 Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to Poland’s fleet, which would make it the largest in Europe. What will he do next?

Brown is favored to replace Army Gen. Mark Milley as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If President Joe Biden does make that nomination, Brown would be the first Air Force leader to hold the post since Gen. Richard Myers left office in 2005.

Cha became chief engineer of the KF-21 Boramae fighter (pictured) in late 2020, inheriting 1,300 Korea Aerospace Industries engineers supporting South Korea’s most ambitious aerospace project. His predecessor, Lee Ilwoo, kept the decade-old project on track. It became Cha’s job to get the KF-21 prototype to first flight on time, which occurred on July 19. The start of flight test, however, marks the beginning of the program’s most challenging phase. Cha’s engineers must pinpoint any glitches that arise — and deliver timely solutions. The program has four years to usher the KF-21 into service.

Colbert has taken on one of the toughest jobs in aerospace—turning around Boeing’s flagging defense and space division. Since 2014, the company has accumulated $11.5 billion in reach-forward losses on key programs including the KC-46A tanker, T-7A advanced tactical trainer, MQ-25 carrier-based uncrewed aircraft system, the VC-25 presidential aircraft and the NASA CST-100 commercial crew vehicle. His first step in the fall of 2022 was to consolidate eight divisions into four. Will it help stanch the bleeding?

Cropsey has one of the longest titles in the U.S. military—and one of its biggest challenges. He is the person who must translate the Advanced Battle Management System—and along with it the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control, the military’s concept for connecting sensors and shooters—to a lay audience that includes skeptical members of Congress. The effort is at a pivotal moment and will require an infusion of cash and solid political support to avoid the valley of death.

In 2023, Downey will oversee the first-in-class CVN-78 USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier’s first full deployment after years of delay. Under his leadership, the Navy will aim to avoid further delays to the Ford-class ship, which features new technology for aircraft launch and landing, and ensure that the rest of the class can avoid the massive delays and cost overruns that plagued development of the CVN-78.

Fontelles is in charge of coordinating the external action of the European Union, leading on initiatives such as the Permanent Structured Cooperation effort to seed technological development, the European Defense Fund and the EU’s Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine.

Granger, a Republican, is fa­­vored to lead the House Ap­pro­priations Committee, which controls the U.S. government’s purse strings. Granger’s district encompasses Fort Worth­, where Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production line resides and where Bell Textron is developing the V-280 Valor, which just prevailed in the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk.

That is just one of Purdy’s four jobs. He is also the commander of Launch Delta 45, director of launch and range operations for Space Systems Command and director of the Eastern Range, Patrick Space Force Base. In 2023, though, he will be leading the effort to choose from a growing number of new rockets in the next phase of launch providers to the Space Force. He will also oversee modernization of the Eastern Range and the rapid increase in the pace of launches there.

A TV comedian who became president and wartime leader of Ukraine, Zelenskyy has led the country into a fearsome defense and subsequent counteroffensive against the Russian invasion of the country. Along with Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, Zelenskyy has been a tireless and effective advocate for obtaining equipment donations to maintain the nation’s defense.