FARNBOROUGH, England – Early Wednesday morning of this year’s Farnborough International Show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Stephen T. Sargeant, Major General, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), Chief Executive Officer, Marvin Test Solutions Inc., and Vice President, Strategic Development, The Marvin Group.
Sargeant spoke about both the Marvin Test Solutions and Marvin Engineering business during our conversation, which centers around the company’s commitment to advancing alternate mission equipment (AME) and supporting military personal in various capacities.
“In terms of the Marvin Engineering side, we are happy to be showcasing the AME that we and the five international companies are producing for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program,” he said. “From the Marvin Test side, we are showcasing flightline intermediate level and depot armament, maintenance-test, and support equipment, including our production-proven MTS-235 test set used to qualify the JSF AME.”
At the booth space, Marvin Test Solutions showcased its new MTS-3060 SmartCan, which is increasingly in popularity with multiple fighter and training aircraft. The MTS-3060 is a flightline tester for suspension and AME, including pylons, launchers, bomb racks, and pods. It is a handheld device in the shape of a beer can that is already deployed in 10 countries on multiple platforms and is used by the U.S. Air Force as a smart weapon simulator for joint direct attack munition (JDAM), and advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM).
When asked about what he was most excited about at the show, or in the industry in general, Sargeant shifted his focus toward precision-guided weapons, which he says continue to advance in the types and numbers available to the global market.
“RPAs [remotely-piloted aircraft] are appearing in all shapes, sizes, and capabilities,” he said. “Finally, multiple countries are embarking on designing these trainer and fighter aircraft. We’re excited about these observations because they will demand that the Marvin Group’s capability be brought to bear in many cases, providing armament and advanced test equipment capable of ensuring the most advanced systems are mission ready.”
In terms of trends or technologies that Sargeant has been keeping an eye on, the topic of artificial intelligence with regard to RPAs was brought up.
“Advances in RPAs combined with artificial intelligence and advanced precision-guided weapons will eventually enable these RPAs to effectively operate in a ‘danger-close’ close air support environment,” he said.
Looking forward, Sargeant explained that The Marvin Group will continue to make advances that meet the ever-increasing needs of warfighters.
“We have taken a very innovative approach to maintenance and sustainment of armament in both static and deployable configurations that can be tailored to customers’ needs,” he said. “This involves the capabilities of both Marvin Engineering and Marvin Test Solutions to provide support to warfighters where and when they need it.”
View more information on The Marvin Group.
