Charles Thomas Burbage

Through his accomplished career as a senior leader at Lockheed Martin Corporation, Tom Burbage has a 30+ year background in managing the world’s largest defense fighter programs including the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

Burbage began his industry career with the (then) Lockheed Corporation in 1980, working a number of Navy programs, including the P-3 Orion and S-3 Viking. In December 1987, he was appointed Vice President for Washington Operations for all Lockheed Aeronautics programs. In 1992 he was named Vice President for Business Development and Product Support and in 1995, he became the Vice President and General Manager for the F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter Program. In 1999, Burbage was named President of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company in Marietta, Ga., and led the restructuring and downsizing of that company prior to the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics consolidation in January 2000. In November 2000, he was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, leading the Concept Demonstration Phase and Lockheed Martin’s competitive selection as the Prime Contractor in October of 2001. The F-35 is the first tri-service, multinational program and is generally regarded as the largest program in the US Department of Defense. In this capacity, he led the integration of technical requirements for the nine partner nations as well as the development of global industrial participation for the coalition nations.

Prior to joining Lockheed, Mr. Burbage was a Naval Aviator, completing the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1975. He has accumulated more than 3,000 hours in 38 different types of military aircraft. As a reservist, he flew the A7 Corsair and retired as a Navy Captain in 1994.

Today, Mr Burbage is a Director on the Board of Aerovironment, Inc, is the Chairman of the Board for Terma North America and Chemring Group, Inc and is a Principal in Global Alliance Advisors LLC. He is a Trustee for the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.

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Tom Burbage was the President of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company and the Executive VP/GM for both the USAF F-22 Raptor and the multi-service, allied next generation fighter, the F-35. Formerly a Naval Aviator, he completed the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School and accumulated more than 3,000 hours in 38 different types of military aircraft.

His numerous industry awards, include the U.S. Naval Academy/Harvard Business Review Award for Ethical Leadership; the Aerospace Industry Personality of the Year; the Society of Automotive Engineers Leadership in Aerospace Award; the Donald C. Burnham Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers; the Silver Knight Award from the National Management Association; three Aviation Week Magazine Laurels Awards and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots James H Doolittle Award. He is an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Burbage has received numerous industry awards, including the inaugural U.S. Naval Academy/Harvard Business Review Award for Ethical Leadership in 2007; the 2006 Society of Automotive Engineers Leadership in Aerospace Award; the Donald C. Burnham Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers; the Silver Knight Award from the National Management Association; three Aviation Week Magazine Laurels Awards and the Aerospace Industry Personality of the Year for 2002. He is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and was awarded the 2013 James H Doolittle Award by the Society for outstanding accomplishment in technical management and engineering achievement in aerospace technology. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in the United Kingdom. He was elected an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics this year (2020) in recognition of notable contributions to the arts, sciences and technology of aeronautics and astronautics.

Tom and his wife, Ellen, reside in Alpharetta, Ga., and have three daughters and twelve grandchildren.