The Defense Department has appointed U.S. Navy officers Rear Adm. Mark Darrah and Rear Adm. Mathias Winter to new leadership positions within the military service.Darrah will serve as program executive officer for strike weapons and unmanned aviation and succeed Winter, who will lead the Office of Naval Research, the Pentagon said Monday.
Winter will also hold the title of director of innovation, technology requirements and test and evaluation.
Darrah most recently served as commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center‘s aircraft division and assistant commander for research and engineering  for the Naval Air Systems Command.
He started as a naval flight officer in 1983, has flown approximately 3,200 flight hours and conducted 603 carrier landings after several operational fleet tours.
Darrah was the first deputy program manager for the EA-18G and is a recipient of the 2004 Admiral Perry Award and 2004 Association of Old Crow’s Metropolitan Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award for his service.
Winter started his career in 1985 as a naval flight officer and flew the A-6E Intruder aircraft at sea aboard several carriers.
He was designated in 1995 as an aerospace engineering duty officer and has held program leadership roles at NAVAIR such as precision strike weapons program manager, JSF integrated flight and propulsion control team lead.
The former commander of the NAWC weapons division at China Lake/Point Mugu, Calif. is a recipient of several awards such as the Legion of Merit, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal and Kuwait Liberation Medal.
