AeroVironment hires Raytheon executive as COO
AeroVironment, a drone maker based in Virginia with major operations in Simi Valley, has appointed Robert Smith as its executive vice president and COO, effective April 13.
In this role, Smith will oversee the company’s Autonomous Systems and Space, Cyber and Directed Energy business units, as well as the company’s global operations and manufacturing footprint. His appointment reflects AV’s continued focus on scaling manufacturing to meet rising customer demand, strengthening operational execution and enhancing capabilities in a dynamic global defense environment.
Smith joins AV from Raytheon, an RTX company, where he most recently served as vice president, Radio Frequency Solutions.
“Rob is a proven global operations leader with a track record of driving performance at large, complex and industry-leading defense companies,” said Wahid Nawabi, AV chairman, president and CEO. “I am excited to welcome Rob to the team as we accelerate our work to build a stronger AV, scale our manufacturing capabilities, strengthen our supply chain and ensure our operations can support the growing demand we are experiencing.”
