NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems Program Office (PMA-272) welcomed new leadership when Col. Russell A. “Bubba” Strange assumed command as program manager from Brig. Gen. Tamara Campbell during a change of command ceremony June 11 at the Rear Adm. William A. Moffett Building at NAS Patuxent River.
PMA-272 manages the development, acquisition, and sustainment of operational advances in aircraft survivability equipment.
Recently pinned as brigadier general, Campbell, served as the program manager since August 2020, taking the lead amid the COVID pandemic.
“It underscored the dynamic changes we experienced as a program office over the past four years,” she said.
Looking back on her time as program manager, Campbell lauded the 272 team for their resilience and the way they supported one another inside and outside the office.
“We went through some very hard times during COVID and afterwards, and lost some close friends and co-workers,” she said. “This team showed up for each other each and every day.”
Campbell added that maintaining focus on the basics – cost, schedule and performance – and redoubling efforts to build strong stakeholder relationships enabled the team to overcome the challenges of loss and the changing fiscal environment.
“The strength of a team is not how they react in good times, but how they recover from adversity,” she said. “This team is strong and continues to ensure that our Sailors and Marines can fly fearlessly!”
The program unveiled numerous initiatives to advance the development of Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) designed to increase advocacy and understanding for key ASE programs moving forward. These included an ASE Strategy for the Future, the Joint Airborne Mission Survivability (JAMS) initiative, and the PMA-272 Electronic Warfare Center of Excellence concept.
Some of the accomplishments during the last four years include: initiating the high visibility Common Carriage, Integrated ASE, and Advanced RF Decoy Programs of Record (PoR); upgrading and fielding the ALQ-214 onboard jammer, further development of the Advanced Dual Band (Towed) Decoy; and expanding the PMA footprint with allies and international partners.
In 2020, they won the NAVAIR Commander’s Award for significant accomplishments in improving, testing and fielding Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force small-to-medium aircraft survivability capability against today’s most critical threats with the AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure (DAIRCM) Joint Urgent Operational Needs (JUONS).
Campbell led the standup of the AN/AAQ-45 DAIRCM POR, an ACAT II Program, and ensured the continuation of the DAIRCM POR that will deliver critical infrared missile defensive capability to USMC, USAF, USA and partner nations.
Campbell’s support of cradle-to-grave development, testing and evaluation, and fielding of Air Expendable Countermeasures (AECM), included the development, testing and fielding of new advanced countermeasures including the MJU-76/B, MJU-77/B, MJU-78/B and RR-203.
Campbell’s next assignment is Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command.
Strange said he’s looking forward to joining the 272 team and “being in the arena with a phenomenal team providing critical capability to those who are defending our way of life.”
Strange, a graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Economics and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
Shortly after, he earned his Naval Flight Officer wings, completed EA-6B Prowler Fleet Replacement Squadron training, and was designated an Electronic Countermeasures Officer.
During his career, Strange completed two combat deployments to Al Asad Air Base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, completed assignments with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VMAQ) 1; Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 14; and Marine Corps Base Quantico’s Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch.
His NAVAIR assignments include: two tours with the Airborne Electronic Attack Systems Program Office (PMA-234) as the Military Deputy Integrated Product Team Lead (IPTL) of the AN/ALQ-231 Intrepid Tiger II and then as the Deputy Program Manager of both Airborne Electronic Attack Products and EA-6B; the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Program Office (PMA-263) as the Military Medium UAS IPTL for RQ-21A Blackjack and Unmanned Logistics Systems – Air; and the H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters Program Office (PMA-261) as the Deputy Program Manager of the CH-53K.
