The Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209) celebrated a milestone May 21 as Capt. Jarrod Hair handed over command to Capt. Rob Smith and retired after over 25 years of Navy service.

Since taking command in June 2023, Hair has guided the PMA-209 team through a time of significant progress and innovation. Under his leadership, the team achieved several important acquisition milestones, delivering key capabilities to the Navy and Marine Corps.

The third annual Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for Defense Summit, held April 8-9, brought together Tri-Service and industry leaders to advance open architecture priorities critical to warfighter success.

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. - A modular open systems approach narrative is at the forefront of the upcoming MOSA Industry and Government Summit & Expo Aug. 27-29 in National Harbor, Maryland. Leading Navy authorities set sights to engage with the DOD tri-services and industry on system lifecycle urgencies with a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) strategy.

The Navy’s Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209) welcomed a new program manager during a change of command and retirement ceremony June 15 at Patuxent River. 

Capt. Margaret “Maggie” Wilson, who retired after more than 27 years of service, transferred leadership to Capt. Jarrod Hair, who most recently served as chief of staff to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air and Ground Programs. 

The Air Combat Electronics program office’s (PMA-209) Avionics Architecture Team (AAT) recently participated in the Embedded Tech Trends media forum in Chandler, Arizona where AAT members represented NAVAIR on a panel to promote the completion of the Hardware Open Systems Technology (HOST) 5.0 technical standard.  

Rear Adm. John Dougherty recognized Air Combat Electronics program office’s (PMA-209) John Cooke with an individual NAWCAD Commander’s Award for system lifecycle support in a ceremony held 25 Jan.   

“This year you demonstrated boldness, creativity and leadership that powered our organization in delivering enhanced capability, availability, affordability and safety,” said Dougherty. “You have set the bar high, and I thank you for all of your hard work. Across the board, our winners accomplished so much this year.”   

The Air Combat Electronics program office (PMA-209) recently participated in the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) and Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) consortium exposition in Dayton, Ohio. The Avionics Architecture Team (AAT) for PMA-209 demonstrated several of its Open Architecture (OA) projects that are reducing software integration time and maintenance costs for the Fleet.  

The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium elected Sheila Fortner and Hebin Luan, members of the Air Combat Electronics program office (PMA-209), as the new vice chairs of the  Business Working Group and Technical Working Group, respectively. 

The Navy’s Air Combat Electronics program office (PMA-209) recently completed the first test flight of the T-45 trainer aircraft’s Mission Computer Alternative (MCA) which is intended to improve readiness for the legacy system.

PMA-209 collaborated with the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems program office (PMA-273), which manages the T-45 aircraft, and Air Test Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 to execute the March 30 flight at Patuxent River and test out the design replacement for the existing Mission Display Processer.

NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. Carl Chebi recognized the Air Combat Electronics program office (PMA-209) Readiness Cell team with a NAVAIR Commander’s Award for most impactful Readiness Control Board team April 20 during the Commander’s Awards ceremony at Patuxent River.

Chebi said the PMA-209 Readiness Cell’s analytical rigor and data-driven decision making resulted in a 30 percent increase in readiness across Degrader Action Cell (DAC) efforts and helped achieve a mission capable rate of 92 percent across PMA-209 managed systems.