Boeing’s secretive Phantom Works division has a new boss.
The struggling airframer confirms to FlightGlobal it has hired former Northrop Grumman executive Colin Miller as general manager of its military research and development unit.
Miller previously served as the vice-president of engineering within Northrop’s aeronautics business. He joins Boeing at a time when the company’s defence unit – Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) – is struggling financially under the weight of several money-losing development projects.
“We are working hard to stabilise BDS by sharpening our focus on delivering the programmes and capabilities that are core to our business and our customers’ missions,” Boeing tells FlightGlobal.
In addition to three years with Northrop, Miller’s resume also eight years with business jet manufacturer Gulfstream as test pilot and vice-president of innovation, engineering and flight. He also spent time in the US Air Force as a test pilot and test wing commander.
Miller takes over Phantom Works at a time when Boeing is staking much of its future on developing the type of next-generation aircraft Phantom Works would likely be involved in conjuring up.
Earlier this year, Boeing launched construction of a new classified fighter aircraft manufacturing facility near BDS headquarters in St Louis, Missouri. While apparently not tied to any specific programme or contract, company executives say the mysterious new factory is meant to demonstrate their commitment to building the next generation of combat aircraft.
Both the US Air Force and US Navy are actively exploring concepts for such vehicles, with Boeing widely believed to be a competitor for both the air force’s Next Generation Air Dominance and the navy’s FA-XX initiatives.
On top of design and test work, Phantom Works operates classified production facilities involved in developing new techniques for aircraft fabrication and assembly, the application of advanced coatings and the production of advanced composite components.
Phantom Works has played a role in developing some of Boeing’s most prominent new products, including the T-7A trainer jet, MQ-25 carrier-based autonomous refueller and the MQ-28 autonomous fighter wingman.
While the T-7A and MQ-25 are poised to generate significant orders volume for BDS in the coming years, both programmes have generated penalty charges for Boeing during initial development, driving large financial losses for the company.
Boeing’s defence and space portfolio generated some $2.6 billion in penalty charges during the recent third quarter alone, with the KC-46 tanker, T-7A, MQ-25 and Starliner crewed space capsule contributing the bulk of that figure.
