Ian leads the team driving the design and configuration of MARTAC vessels, from the hull and propulsion systems to the structures that support sensors and other payloads. He also is the chief trouble shooter, self-described as “the person people will go to with the weird problems that happen.”
What draws you to MARTAC?
I started at MARTAC ten years ago, right after college. I had a solid background in unmanned aircraft systems but almost no experience with unmanned boats, and that gap is what first drew me in. What keeps me here is the culture and the people; I’m heavily invested in the company at this point. MARTAC has given me the chance to grow technically and develop the leadership skills I’ve always wanted, which has made me both a stronger engineer and a better leader.
What in your background makes you good at finding obscure problems?
The mechanical inclination runs in my family. My grandfather was a farm mechanic, my uncle served in the Air Force in airframe and aircraft maintenance. I learned a lot about the mechanics of unmanned aircraft systems in college, and transferred those skills to the water. After ten years, I know the MARTAC boats like the back of my hand. Just being able to dive in and knowing where to look is what helps me problem solve.
Are there particular customer or company results you’re especially proud of?
The MANTAS T12 stands out. It was MARTAC’s first real deliverable product, and I took it from the ground up. For about five years the T12 was my primary focus before we expanded into the larger boat line and I moved into an engineering management role. I became Director of Mechanical Engineering earlier this year. Every project I lead, I treat with the same level of ownership. I want to make sure what we deliver is the best we can put out.
Where do you see the USV industry going in the next couple of years?
It took UAVs a long time to mature. Unmanned aircraft have existed in some form since the earliest balloons, but the modern UAV market didn’t really take off until the mid-2000s. We’re at a similar inflection point with USVs. More companies are entering the space as demand builds, and I think this market is only going up from here.
Do you have a vision for where you want to see MARTAC’s product lines going?
I want to see our boats in the hands of the U.S. military. I would like our boats to be the boat you think about when you think about unmanned boats. So, when I think about UAVs, I think about the General Atomics Predator. When you think about unmanned boats, I would love it to be that people think about the MARTAC T38 or the T82. It’s about the quality, it’s about the reliability―I want MARTAC to be the name that people want to go to when they want something that they know is going to do the job they need done.