Powering the Mission: Advances in mil-aero power electronics
This event was originally held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025
and is now available for on demand viewing.
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Summary
Power electronics are transforming modern military and aerospace platforms by delivering compact, efficient, and reliable energy conversion for mission-critical systems. From radar and avionics to directed energy and electronic warfare, these technologies are enabling higher performance, reduced size and weight, and improved thermal and power management across air, land, sea, and space applications.
Join Military + Aerospace Electronics for an expert-led, roundtable-style discussion on how advances in semiconductors, materials, and system design redefining power delivery in today’s most demanding defense and aerospace environments. A panel of leading technology specialists will share insights on recent breakthroughs, ongoing challenges, and the innovations shaping the future of mission power systems.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the panelists and gain practical insight into emerging design strategies, reliability standards, and technology trends driving the next generation of military and aerospace electronics.
Topics will include:
- High-reliability packaging, ruggedization, and thermal management techniques for harsh environments
- Design considerations for high-voltage and high-current applications such as radar, EW, and directed energy weapons
- Embedded control, signal processing, and digital power management for precision performance
- System-level approaches to reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP) while increasing mission endurance and survivability
As military systems grow more electrified and software-defined, power electronics have become the foundation for innovation — from advanced propulsion and sensors to autonomous platforms and space-based assets. This webinar will highlight how component- and system-level breakthroughs are enabling the next leap in operational capability.
Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve. Register today to reserve your seat and gain valuable insight into the technologies powering the next generation of military and aerospace systems.
Speakers
Brandon Witcher
Principal Design Engineer
VPT, Inc
Brandon Witcher received his BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 2001 and 2003, respectively. While at Virginia Tech, Brandon studied under the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES). From 2003 – 2013, he was an engineer at Sandia National Laboratories where he designed power and analog systems for satellite payloads and for very high shock applications. He was also the principal investigator leading a team in the research and development of radiation-hardened components for spacecraft distributed power systems. Brandon is currently a principal design engineer at VPT, Inc, where he designs high-reliability DC-DC converters for military and space applications. Overall, Brandon has been designing radiation-hardened and other high-reliability power electronics for more than 20 years.
Dr. Regan Zane
Center Director
Utah State University
Dr. Regan Zane is the founding Director of the Center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE), an NSF-sponsored engineering research center involving 10 universities, 4 national labs, more than 85 faculty and staff, more than 300 students, and more than 60 industry and innovation partners. He holds the David G. and Diann L. Sant Endowed Professor position at Utah State University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he founded the USU Power Electronics Lab (UPEL), the Electric Vehicle and Roadway (EVR) research facility and test track, and the Battery Limits and Survivability Test (BLAST) lab.
Dr. Zane has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, served as co-inventor on more than 35 issued patents, received international and institutional recognition in research, teaching and innovation, and raised more than $180 million in research, development and demonstration funding. His programs maintain a strong emphasis on collaboration with academic, government and industry partners to develop and transition innovative technologies into the marketplace.
Dr. Zane has made significant contributions to the design, modeling, and application of resonant converters and to the development of advanced control techniques for modular power converters in a wide range of applications. His current programs cover key aspects of electrified transportation, from battery, vehicle, and charging systems to grid integration, smart charge management, demand response and distributed energy resources. Additional topics include wireless power transfer, medium voltage grid-tied power converters, control of modular scalable series and parallel input and output converters, high efficiency, high frequency, high power density, and high performance dc-dc, ac-dc, dc-ac power converters, ac and dc microgrids, battery management systems, drivers for LEDs and discharge lamps in energy efficient lighting systems, active stability control and adaptive tuning in multi-input, multi-output converter systems, active converter and system health monitoring, power integrated circuit design, and low-power energy harvesting.
Scott Poole
AirBorn Aerospace and Defense Solutions, A Molex Company
Scott Poole is a leading expert in military and aerospace power systems. Scott transitioned from high power design efforts for welding machines to defense-based products over 20 years ago. Scott’s initial design work specialized around custom applications in the ISR environment to more SOSA/MOSA/VITA aligned product with many differentiating factors that sets the product apart from competition. Scott’s expertise extends to a multitude of military standards and handbooks to ensure proper compliance and operation in a multitude of demanding environments. These environments include aerospace, flight, ground, and warfare. Scott manages several groups to support complex designs including mechanical, power, embedded, and analog circuits. Scott’s background support grueling DC/DC and AC/DC power conversion, inverters, thermal management, energy management, and various sub system requirements.
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