Matthew Nelson
Aerion Supersonic has kicked off the initial phase of an effort to create a high-altitude supercruise aircraft offering for U.S. military customers.
Stew Miller, newly appointed executive vice president of strategic systems, will lead Aerion's concept development initiative for the defense market, the Nevada-based company said Monday.
The 20-year Navy veteran is responsible for overseeing the business sector formed by the company to provide disruptive technology platforms to the Department of Defense, allied military clients and other government agencies.
Miller served as an F-14 Tomcat aviator during his military career and an executive at Northrop Grumman's aerospace business.
Tom Vice, chairman, president and CEO of Aerion, said the company aims to apply the same innovation and risk management approaches it has implemented to pioneer the AS2 supersonic business jet.
AS2 is designed to operate at a top speed of Mach 1.4 and soar up to 57K feet with a large payload.
Boeing invested in Aerion last year to help the latter accelerate supersonic aircraft development efforts. The partnership aims to commence flight tests sometime in 2024.
Aerion also partnered with General Electric's aviation subsidiary to build an electrical power system for AS2.
