Andrew Hawkes

Director of X-BAT Campaign Shield AI

Andrew "Geeky" Hawkes is the Director of X-BAT Campaigns for Europe at Shield AI. A retired Typhoon Test, Evaluation and Weapons School graduate, he spent 15 years as a fighter pilot leading operational missions across multiple theatres including Typhoon's first operational deployments in both air dominance and multi-role combat. Andrew was the lead weapons instructor establishing the first Saudi Arabian Typhoon front line squadron supporting combat operations in Yemen. More recently, Andrew led the Future Systems - Air Dominance and Operational Analysis team at MBDA, where he helped shape next-generation airpower concepts and complex weapons integration for contested environments. Andrew's work now focuses on operationalising AI-enabled CCA for European air forces, translating combat-proven autonomy into scalable, sovereign capability and practical acquisition strategies. Andrew earned a master's degree in aerospace from Staffordshire University