Dr Chris Heagney

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Fleet/Force Advisor NAVAIR

Dr. Christopher Heagney serves as NAVAIR Fleet/Force Advisor to the Commander of US Naval Forces Southern Command and the US Fourth Fleet, where he has been assigned since 2021. In this capacity he advises the Commander on Naval Aviation capabilities, research, and technology development that addresses high-priority fleet issues. He serves as the senior advisor between the Operating Force and NAVAIR, communicating needs and requirements back to Program Offices to shape planning, execution, and new investments. From 2018-2021, Dr. Heagney served as the Office of Naval Research Science Advisor on staff. Prior to this, he was Chief Technologist for Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) where he was responsible for management, direction, and technical oversight of the entire Research and Development portfolio of FRCSE. This includes all Science and Technology (S&T) efforts supporting Depot Repairs, Fleet Support, Program Offices, and Naval Air Warfare Centers. As the east coast repair depot for Naval Aviation, research at FRCSE was focused on development of sustainment related technologies. Other assignments include: Level 2 Assistant Program Manager for Systems Engineering (APMSE) for NAVAIR PMA-260 with technical authority for both Portable Electronic Maintenance Aids (PEMA) and Test Program Sets (TPS) (2015); Systems Engineering Lead for the PEMA program (2012); Lead TPS developer for multiple avionics and trainer systems for the MH-60R and UH-1Y/AH-1Z helicopters and the Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) test equipment (2006). Notable accomplishments include standing up the PEMA Program of Record which deployed 12,000 ruggedized laptops to 30 type/model/series aircraft aboard nearly every Aircraft Carrier, L-Class, Fleet Readiness Center, Marine Corps Air Station, and Schoolhouse at 37 sites. PEMA (now called Aviation Maintenance Advanced Solutions) is a $320M ACAT IV-M program. He also supported Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers in Finland, Canada, and Australia through TPS and PEMA programs. His expeditionary work has taken him into theater in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan where he deployed advanced wireless capability to Marine Air Logistics Squadron (MALS-40) that enabled streamlined access to technical publications and mission essential assistance from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the States. Dr. Heagney graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering in 2006, 2010, and 2016 respectively. His doctoral research focused on digital radio frequency memory synthetic instruments. He holds one patent and has authored fourteen professional publications in technical journals and international conferences. Dr. Heagney received the Secretary of the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2018. He was inducted into the NAVAIR Research and Engineering Fellows Program as an Associate Fellow in 2017 for significant contributions to the field of radio frequency digital electronic design, test, and evaluation. In 2016 he was awarded the prestigious Best Technical Paper Award from IEEE Autotestcon and was nominated for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). He is a graduate of the Naval Acquisition Intern Program in 2008 and a native of Jacksonville, Florida.