Steve Butler, Air Force Materiel Command’s executive director since September 2008, is stepping down, effective June 30, and will retire from the Air Force after some 35 years of service, announced command officials. Replacing Butler as AFMC’s senior civilian at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, will be Michael Gill, according to the command’s May 3 release. Gill has been executive director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, also at Wright-Patt, since July 2012. In his new role, Gill will advise the AFMC commander in managing the command’s mission, serve as the service’s contracts advocate, and oversee the command’s small business program. Among the assignments over his career, Butler played a key role in developing precision-guided munitions and was deputy director of the F-22 program.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft designs from Anduril and General Atomics passed their critical design reviews early in November, clearing the way for detailed production efforts to get underway, the Air Force said. How future versions will be upgraded is still under discussion.