Winter touts exciting times in UAS innovation
By Cheeto Barrera
On the heels of one of biggest steps forward in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle development — the launching of a UAV from an aircraft carrier — Rear Adm. Mat Winter told a China Lake Alliance group that we are living in some of the most exciting times.
“It’s a great month to be an American. It’s a great month to be in the Department of the Navy. It’s a great month to be associated with unmanned systems and strike weapons,” Winter said. “Because we’ve been doing things that have truly never been done before and making Navy history and you don’t get to say that every day.”
Despite the budget challenges the Navy faces today, Winter was optimistic about the future.
Winter, the Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, returned to Ridgecrest after an unmanned test in Palmdale that afforded him a chance to visit his former command. Winter previously was the commander of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.
Winter said it was an exciting time in aviation development because of just how much unmanned systems are advancing.
On May 14, the Navy launched the first UAV off the aircraft carrier George HW Bush off of Pax River. He also touted the testing of rotary and wing systems in Mojave.
“These are historic events, and they’re not trivial,” Winter said.
He added that some 50 to 80 years from now, the history books will talk about what has been going on with unmanned systems in the last few months as a major milestone in aviation.
Winter said the ability to build and test these systems is because of China Lake and Point Mugu
Winter said the development of unmanned systems is going to require a symbiotic relationship with his job in Pax River and China Lake.
He said there is an intersection where China Lake meets the efforts ongoing across the Navy that provide the tools within strike weapons and unmanned systems.
“The men and women here at China Lake and supporting community are providing that capability to my program teams so that we can do our jobs,” Winter said.
Winter said understanding the intellectual capital within the Weapons Division — across China Lake and Point Mugu — is vital for programs such as the Joint Strike Weapons program, the Harpoon program and the new Anti-surface Warfare program.
“(They) are all targeted here at China Lake and Point Mugu not because I came from here, but because it’s the right place for the technical conscience and the ability to do that work,” Winter said.
