NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The Navy’s Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems welcomed Col. Matthew Allen as its new program manager during a change of command ceremony held last month at the RADM William A. Moffett Building at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Chris Miller, DRPM RAS, presided over the ceremony during which Allen relieved Gregg Skinner, who led the Aircraft Program Management Office (AIR PMO) through a period of continued growth in Navy and Marine Corps unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) capabilities.
“This team has an important mission, and Gregg, your leadership has been the bedrock of this team,” said Christopher Miller, DRPM RAS. “As much as Gregg has led the charge to deliver capability to the fleet at extraordinary speed, he has also built a high-performing, resilient team.”
During Skinner’s tenure, the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Services program surpassed one million flight hours supporting operations on land and at sea. Since its inception in 2005, the program completed more than 50 UAS installations aboard Navy and Military Sealift Command ships and has operated from more than 50 land-based locations worldwide.
The AIR PMO team also supported the delivery of 4,480 Family of Small UAS air vehicles during the last 12 months and expects 1,520 additional air vehicles this winter to support of Drone Dominance. The team advanced the Navy’s first shipboard manned-unmanned teaming capability, completed shipboard testing of the TRV-150C Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System, and awarded Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle Expeditionary Logistics Other Transaction Authorities to two vendors for the next phase of unmanned logistics prototyping.
“A change of command is an inheritance,” said Skinner. “None of us created everything we were given. We inherited organizations, relationships, knowledge, traditions, hard-earned lessons and trust, and people who had invested years of their lives in the mission before we arrived.”
A career Marine officer, Allen has led operational, maintenance, logistics, and acquisition teams across infantry, aviation maintenance, small tactical unmanned aircraft systems, and shore air traffic management. He previously served in leadership roles with the Presidential Helicopters program office, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons 29 and 31, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, Shore Air Traffic Management, and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy-Air/Ground.
From 2017 to 2021, Allen served with AIR PMO, formerly the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office (PMA 263), where he led rapid prototyping efforts for the Unmanned Logistics System-Air and served as the RQ-21A Blackjack military integrated product lead. He is a certified Project Management Professional with advanced acquisition certifications in Life Cycle Logistics and Program Management.
In his remarks, Allen reflected on returning to lead the organization where he previously served and addressed the AIR PMO team and the path ahead.
“We will stay laser-focused on speed to fleet,” said Allen. “The pacing threat demands that we make these systems available, modular, and survivable right now.”
DRPM RAS is responsible for the development, requirements, and acquisition of RAS capabilities across the Department of the Navy. For more information on DRPM RAS, visit drpmras.navy.mil