Defense Acquisition at the Crossroads (Again)
IEEE Tallahassee Section, PES Chapter, LMAG Joint Technical Seminar
Title: Defense Acquisition at the Crossroads (Again)
Speaker: Dr. Sean P. Niles, Senior Defense and Aerospace Leader
Date: Friday, February 6, 2026, 14:00 – 15:30
Location: CAPS Seminar Room 120 (2000 Levy Avenue, Building A, Tallahassee, FL 32310)
Abstract
Despite decades of reform, defense acquisition continues to struggle with speed, risk aversion, and the transition of innovation to operational capability. Dr. Niles examines why those challenges persist and why today’s leadership emphasis on urgency, warfighting culture, and industrial capacity may finally change the outcome. Drawing on historical reform efforts, current policy shifts, and real-world success stories, he illustrates what enables rapid fielding—and where momentum often falters. The session concludes with practical recommendations for technologists and program leaders to structure for speed, engage users early, and turn promising ideas into deployed capabilities that matter to the warfighter.
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- 2000 Levy Ave
- Center for Advanced Power Systems
- Tallahassee, Florida
- United States 32310
- Building: BLDG A
- Room Number: 120
Speakers
Dr. Niles
Defense Acquisition at the Crossroads (Again)
Speaker: Dr. Sean P. Niles, Senior Defense and Aerospace Leader
Biography:
Dr. Sean P. Niles is a senior defense and aerospace leader with more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning directed energy weapons, advanced surface ship weapon systems, integrated combat systems, satellite communications, and digital transformation. He currently serves as a Program Manager at Northrop Grumman Space Systems, where he leads the development and integration of mission‑critical, global satellite communications capabilities.
A retired U.S. Navy Commander and qualified Surface Warfare Officer and Engineering Duty Officer, Dr. Niles has held senior technical and leadership roles across the Department of Defense and industry, directing large, complex system‑of‑systems programs. He is widely recognized for driving organizational adoption of innovative engineering and modern acquisition approaches through Agile, DevSecOps, cloud architectures, and model‑based systems engineering.
Dr. Niles holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and has published peer‑reviewed research in free electron laser and accelerator physics. His career uniquely bridges cutting‑edge technology, operational deployment, and executive leadership.