President Biden on Thursday nominated this system executive officer (PEO) of Ground-Based Weapons Systems to be the following director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Collins has served on this role since August 2022, where he manages several of essentially the most major MDA programs including the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, the 4 joint U.S.-Israeli programs, and several other classified programs.
Collins’ Air Force biography says these programs are collectively valued at over $3.4 billion annually and canopy greater than 1,200 personnel.
Immediately before his current position, Collins served as Program Executive Officer for Weapons and Director of the Armament Directorate, which encompassed $92 billion value of programs and equipment.
In that role he was liable for planning and executing all life cycle activities for the Air Force’s non-nuclear weapons, munitions and ammunition portfolio. It included legacy weapons and ammunition, combat training systems, threat emitters for testing and training and aerial targets.
If confirmed, Collins will succeed current MDA Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill, who has led the agency since June 2019.
Before becoming director himself, Hill served as deputy director of MDA, Program Executive Officer for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), and on the staff for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition in addition to other acquisition positions.
While Air Force officials have historically more often led MDA and its predecessor officers, the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, the last 15 years saw Army and Navy officers lead the agency more often: Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly from 2008-2012, Vice Adm. James Syring from 2012-2017, and currently Hill from 2019.
The last Air Force head was Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, who only led the agency for 2 years, versus the standard 4 years.