Jerry Petersen
Saildrone, a developer of unmanned surface vehicles, has appointed to its board of directors Michael Mullen, a retired U.S. Navy admiral who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Breaking Defense reported Friday.
Mullen commissioned into the Navy in 1968 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering. During his time in the service, he took on various leadership roles and in 2003, was promoted to the rank of admiral and named vice chief of naval operations.
In 2005, Mullen was appointed chief of naval operations and two years after, he became the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He stepped down from the position in October 2011 and retired shortly thereafter.
Commenting on Mullen’s appointment as board chairman, Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins said the former four-star Navy admiral was familiar enough with the company “to understand our capabilities, track record and potential.”
For his part, Mullen issued a statement saying he was delighted to be able to guide Saildrone in addressing the defense needs of the U.S.
Saildrone had initially worked with civilian agencies but has more recently been collaborating with the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet, deploying USVs in the Middle East. The company has also begun partnering with the 4th Fleet, whose area of operations covers South America.
