New Leader for Fire Scout Team
By PEO(U&W) Public Affairs
Rear Adm. Bill Shannon, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, gives remarks at PMA-266 change of command ceremony June 17 at Webster Field Annex. Retiring Capt. Tim Dunigan (right) and incoming Capt. Patrick Smith (left) look on.
During the Navy and Marine Corp Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office change of command ceremony, a large audience bore witness as the office’s first program manager passed the torch June 17 at Webster Field Annex.
Capt. Tim Dunigan, who will retire from the U.S. Navy with 25 years of distinguished service, relinquished the reigns of command to Capt. Patrick Smith.
Inside the hangar, with a MQ-8B Fire Scout on both sides of the podium and “Old Glory” as the backdrop, guest speaker Rear Adm. Bill Shannon, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, thanked Dunigan, who stood up PMA-266 in 2007, and his team for their hard-work and dedication to help bring forward a new warfighting capability to our Sailors, Marines and soldiers.
Under his leadership, the Fire Scout Vertical Take-Off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) system deployed for the first time in 2008, with two subsequent deployments this year, one being the Navy’s initial vertical lift UAS land-based deployment to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. The Fire Scout was designed to operate from air-capable ships; however, Dunigan and his team worked rapidly to meet requirements for the CENTCOM deployment.
“I am in awe of the potential of this team,” said Dunigan. “Their morale, energy and can do attitude is amazing. They have encountered so many challenges in my four years as program managers and have always excelled.”
In addition to managing the VTUAV program of record, Dunigan led a team of nearly 250 personnel, supporting a host of rapid deployment capabilities, including Marine Corps’ Cargo UAS demonstration effort, VTUAV endurance upgrade and weaponization efforts and future requirement for a medium range UAS.
After serving as NAVAIRSYSCOM’s liason officer for PEO for Integrated Warfare Systems in Arlington, Va., Smith comes to PMA-266 with a wealth of acquisition and management experience.
After reading his orders, Smith said, “I look forward to leading the strong team Tim has built and am very grateful for the opportunity to serve as program manager.”
Smith, who was designated as a naval flight officer in 1990, has flown more than 1400 hours E-2C Hawkeye. He has served in multiple engineering and acquisition leadership roles at NAVAIR within the E-2C Hawkeye, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and AGM-88 Anti-Radiation Missiles program offices.
