Former FAA Chief Michael Huerta Named D-Fend Advisory Board Member

Michael Huerta, former head of the Federal Aviation Administration, has been appointed to the advisory board of counter-drone technology maker D-Fend Solutions.

The nearly 30-year aviation and airport security veteran will support efforts to grow D-Fend's presence in the market for technology platforms built to defend against small unmanned aircraft system threats, the company said Thursday.

Huerta managed FAA's $16B annual budget and more than 47K personnel during his tenure as the FAA administrator from late 2011 to early 2018, and provided oversight for the National Airspace System.

He is also a board member of Delta Air Lines and co-chaired the Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports, which the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and Airports Council International-North America commissioned in 2019 to tackle airport safety risks from unauthorized drone operations.

“Security agencies are recognizing the need for new solutions for sensitive environments without the drawbacks of conventional jamming and kinetic technologies,” Huerta said.

“I'm thrilled to join the D-Fend Solutions team and collaborate on solutions for a more safe and secure airspace."