Complex Weapons – This is Rocket Science!

Jonathan Barratt: Ministry of Defence, Head of Team Complex Weapons

Jonathan joined the MOD in 1983 sponsored through the Defence Engineering & Science Graduate scheme.  He has undertaken a breadth of roles and activities including research, quality assurance, strategy and policy development, capability development  and a 7 month industrial secondment with GEC. His career has, however, been primarily focussed on Programme and Project Management spanning a breadth of defence platform and equipment projects predominently in the Air Domain.  He is currently a Deputy Director resopnsible for Complex Weapons in the Defence Equipment and Support organisation based in Bristol.

Career highlights include: delivering the UK’s first implementation of Link 16/JTIDS in the Tornado, E3D AWACS and UK Ground Environments;   leading development of the DE&S’s implementation of TRLs, the SRLs process and Technology Roadmaps all still available in the DE&S Acquisition process toolkit today;  delivering the Maritime component of the 2005 Defence Industrial Stategy through leadership of a joint team involving MOD and UK Naval Shipbuilders to develop a Business Case for change of ownership that led to the eventual creation of BVT;  and establishing  and leading the Unmannned Air Systems (UAS) Project Delivery Team providing Tactical UAVs for all 3 services including the Strategic Strike UAV ’Reaper’ from the USA, the first such capability in the UK’s inventory. The role also involved devloping new UAS capabilites and delivering the Deep & Persistent Offensive Capability the first stage of which was the ’Taranis’ Technology Demonstrator Project that involved developing, testing and flying a full-scale stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.  The work was a great success and another first for UK.

His current assignment since 2012 has been as Head of Team Complex Weapons and today he provides leadership to 4 project teams, a portfolio office and a small strategy team; in total around 300 people, delivering the majority of the defence Complex Weapons Portfolio for the 3 Front Line Commands.

Jonathan is married with 5 children; all but one now having ’escaped’ the family home!  His wife is a pianist and music teacher at a number of schools in Bristol.  In his younger (and fitter) days he achieved a 1st Dan in Karate; however, today his primary interests are playing piano, guitar, swimming and cycling.  He is also a qualified ASA swimming official with regular commitments at national and county standard galas in the South West and wider UK.

James Gray: Future Kinetic Effects and Weapons Programme Manager, Ministry of Defence

James Gray started his career in the MOD as a Royal Navy Air Engineer Officer after completing his Master in Aerospace Engineering Degree at the University of Bath in 2001.  Early career appointments within the Royal Navy included Air Worthiness delegation for Lynx Attack Helicopter and Ship/Air Integration in the Joint Combat Aircraft Project Team.  He subsequently completed an MSc in Guided Weapons Systems before being seconded into Dstl as a Military Advisor for Air Engineering and Weapons in 2007.

James joined Naval Systems Department in DSTL after leaving the Royal Navy in 2010, as the Technical Lead for Offensive Surface Warfare Missile Systems.  After 12 months, he took on the role of Capability Advisor for Weapons Technologies for 2 years.  In September 2013, he became the inaugural Programme Manager for the Conventional Weapons Programme, delivering the underpinning technology research for both Complex Weapons and General Munitions.  Subsequently, in May 2016, James took over Leadership of the Weapons Systems Group within Platform Systems Division, in charge of the capability and welfare of a group of around 80 personnel delivering the Conventional Weapons Programme, Novel Weapons Programme and Strategic Systems Programme.

In April 2017, James was appointed as the Future Kinetic Effects and Weapons Programme Manager.  The Programme will deliver Research and Development to support UK Weapons Freedom of Action and Operational Advantage by maturing technologies, developing evidence and maintaining S&T Capability across complex weapons, novel weapons and general munitions portfolio underpinned by the principals of Commonality, Modularity and Re-use.

Keith M Garden BA FRAeS: Portfolio Programme Director & Deputy MD UK, Ministry of Defence

Keith Garden joined British Aerospace Army Weapons Division (one of the MBDA predecessor companies) in 1985 as a Systems Engineer. He has a Degree in Electronic Engineering and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Following a series of technical management posts Keith was appointed in 1994 as Chief Engineer for the Rapier short range air defence family of weapons systems. In 1999 he took over as Head of Air Defence projects for both the UK and French businesses and upon the formation of MBDA in late 2001 he was appointed Head of Weapon Engineering. In addition to a wide variety of technical and business roles, Keith was also responsible for the creation of a corporate university operating across France, Italy and the UK to enhance and develop technical skills within the company.

In January 2005 Keith was appointed to the post of Director, Customer Support & Services UK with responsibility for the MBDA in-service support business for products delivered to the UK Armed Forces.

Keith was appointed Deputy Managing Director UK in January 2008 and has led the Company’s Team Complex Weapons activities in response to the UK MOD’s Defence Industrial Strategy, leading to the signature of a Portfolio Management Agreement in March 2010.

In July 2012 Keith was appointed to the combined role of Portfolio Programme Director and Deputy Managing Director UK and assumed leadership of the UK MoD-MBDA Portfolio Agreement in addition to his previous responsibilities.

Keith is married with one son.  He is a keen golfer and scuba diver, enjoys travel and watching a good game of rugby.