Navy Removes Head of Drone Programs After 8 Months, PAE Maritime Head Miller Now Leading PAE RAS
The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for robotics and autonomous systems – the first job the service created as part of a broader acquisition overhaul last year – was removed from the position on Wednesday, fewer than eight months after stepping into the role. Rebecca Gassler assumed the helm of the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) upon its creation in December. Chris Miller, the head of PAE Maritime, will step into the PAE RAS job on an acting basis, according to a service news release. The Navy also announced the creation of a new job called
Unmanned Surface Vessel Division 12 (Sea Hunter) and 13 (Sea Hunter) conduct unit level training underway in San Diego Bay, California, May 1, 2025. US Navy photo The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for robotics and autonomous systems – the first job the service created as part of a broader acquisition overhaul last year – was removed from the position on Wednesday, fewer than eight months after stepping into the role.
Rebecca Gassler assumed the helm of the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) upon its creation in December. Chris Miller, the head of PAE Maritime, will step into the PAE RAS job on an acting basis, according to a service news release.
The Navy also announced the creation of a new job called direct reporting portfolio manager for robotic and autonomous systems, or DRPM RAS, who will answer to Bill Toti. Toti is performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy. Miller will also serve as the DRPM RAS in an acting capacity.
“This marks a decisive step toward correcting years of fragmented requirements, resourcing, and acquisition practices that dispersed accountability, complicated industry engagement, and slowed delivery to the warfighter,” reads the service statement. “The organization is designed to operate in concert with the Department of War’s DRPM for unmanned offensive and defensive systems (UxS).”
Rebecca Gassler Miller has been serving in the PAE Maritime job that former Navy Secretary John Phelan created earlier this year as part of a department-wide reorganization of the acquisition jobs. Rear Adm. Casey Moton will now take Miller’s place as the head of PAE Maritime, three sources familiar with the transition told USNI News. It’s unclear if the move will be permanent. Moton has been serving as the deputy PAE Maritime for aircraft carriers.
The Navy in December chose Gassler to serve as the Navy’s first PAE RAS, overseeing the service’s new acquisition office to quickly purchase more drones. Gassler reported to the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
Gassler, as the PAE RAS, oversaw nearly 50 unmanned programs across the Navy and Marine Corps, including the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle program for which the Navy has altered the acquisition framework twice in the last several years. The most recent selection of seven concepts for prototyping resulted in two competitors suing the Navy, accusing the service of not following its own selection criteria. The Navy has said it wants to test the MUSV prototypes by the end of September as part of the Navy’s $5 billion drone effort funded by the Fiscal Year 2027 Reconciliation Act.
Gassler previously worked on Project Overmatch – an opaque Navy endeavor trying to connect systems and platforms to a battle network that can share targeting data across the joint force – over the last few years, according to her LinkedIn.
She did not immediately respond to a request for comment in a message left by USNI News on Wednesday.
The creation of the DRPM RAS job within the Navy comes after the Trump administration stood up direct reporting portfolio managers for high-profile acquisition programs like submarines and the Golden Dome ballistic missile defense program. Those DRPMs report directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg.
In late June the Pentagon created another DRPM for unmanned systems to oversee tens of billions of dollars in drone programs across the Defense Department, USNI News reported at the time. This person also answers directly to Feinberg.
The memo calling for the new DRPM unmanned position notably excluded the Navy’s MUSV program from the office’s oversight.
