Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, and Brig. Gen. David Walsh, Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault & Special Missions Programs, will participate in panels at this year’s Sea-Air-Space 2025 Expo, taking place from April 6 through 9 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland.

Due to travel restrictions, NAVAIR will not have a booth presence at this year’s Sea-Air-Space. However, attendees are encouraged to join discussions featuring NAVAIR leadership on key defense and aviation topics.

At 9 a.m. Monday, April 7, Chebi will appear on the panel “Ready Our Platforms,” moderated by Adm. John Kilby, acting Chief of Naval Operations. This panel will discuss the U.S. Navy’s goal of achieving and sustaining an 80 percent combat surge readiness posture for ships, submarines and aircraft by 2027. The discussion will focus on optimizing maintenance timelines and adopting innovative training, manning, modernization and sustainment strategies to enhance fleet readiness.

Later in the day at 2 p.m., Walsh will be a panelist on “Speed to the Fleet,” moderated by Megan Eckstein, Strategic Communication Officer with Strategic Insight. In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, military customers require advanced weapons and technology at an accelerated pace. This panel will address how the defense industry is working to innovate, scale production and overcome barriers to ensure faster delivery of critical capabilities.
Chebi will also appear as a panelist for “Modernizing the Future of Naval Aviation,” at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 8. The moderator will be Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, Commander, Naval Air Forces/Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. This discussion will explore how the Navy is modernizing its fleet with advanced aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II and integrating unmanned aviation systems to enhance operational effectiveness. Key topics will include interoperability, cybersecurity and maintenance efficiency, all critical to ensuring mission readiness and maintaining air superiority.

All presentations will be recorded and available post-event on the Sea-Air-Space website.
For further inquiries, contact [email protected].