Dr. Robert Smith was appointed AeroVironment's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective April 13, 2026, succeeding Brad Truesdell. He previously served as Vice President, Radio Frequency Solutions of Raytheon (an RTX company) from 2024 to 2026 and held earlier leadership roles at Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions, BWX Technologies and Lockheed Martin. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Auburn University and an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.