The appointment comes as the Department of the Navy fundamentally modernizes its defense acquisition architecture through the establishment of Portfolio Acquisition Executives to deliver decisive combat power at operational speed and scale. By centralizing full cradle-to-grave lifecycle authority under empowered, single-point leaders, the PAE construct removes bureaucratic friction and integrates technical development, contracting, and long-term sustainment across nine critical warfare domains. This streamlined operational alignment ensures that integrated, next-generation capabilities reach deployed Sailors and Marines without unnecessary administrative delays.

Within PAE RAS, the Navy unifies the acquisition, development, and sustainment of robotic and autonomous capabilities spanning the air, surface, undersea, and ground domains, bringing previously fragmented efforts together under a single, coordinated portfolio.

“The character of warfare has shifted, and we cannot afford to field critical capabilities at the speed of bureaucracy,” said Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. “Chris Miller brings the operational discipline, accountability, and executive grit needed to cut through red tape, hold industry accountable, and deliver robotic mass to the fleet at the speed of war.”

Under Miller’s leadership, PAE RAS will streamline acquisition pathways designed to bypass protracted legacy procurement cycles, strengthening direct collaboration with commercial industry and defense partners to rapidly evaluate and scale proven operational technologies.

“Our priority is accelerating the delivery of a lethal hybrid fleet to the warfighter,” said Miller. “By managing these systems as a unified portfolio, we are opening the door to commercial technology partners, eliminating duplicative overhead, and fast-tracking capability from design to deployment.”