Advanced Navigation has expanded its defence arm in the US after appointing Wayne Prender as Global Head of Defence. The decision underscores the Australia-based company’s commitment to deepen the technology trade between the US and Australia.
Prender brings over twenty years of experience in the global defence industrial base, with expertise in C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) technologies, crewed and robotic systems, as well as systems engineering and government contracting.
He joins Advanced Navigation following an 18-year tenure at Textron Systems, where he was the Senior Vice President of Air Systems and led the design, development, fielding and sustainment of uncrewed systems. Prender was also responsible for Aerosonde Pty (now part of Textron Systems), overseeing engineering and operations during its transition from a civil and commercial platform to a successful multimillion-dollar global defence platform.
Prior to joining the defence industry, Prender served in the US Army as a Platoon Leader and Battalion Intelligence Officer, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during deployment to Iraq. He was also an Aide-de-Camp for the Commanding General of the US Army’s 20th Support Command (CBRNE). He serves on the Board of Directors for The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and was a charter member of its Maritime Advocacy Committee. Prender holds two master’s degrees in technology management and business administration from the University of Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Saint Louis University.
“It’s a fantastic win for our business to have recruited Wayne at this pivotal moment of growth,” said Advanced Navigation’s Christopher McNamara. “Wayne brings not only deep domain expertise in uncrewed systems but also an exceptional understanding of the problems warfighters face. His appointment is a logical step in our strategy to partner with global defence firms and militaries as we tackle their most pressing APNT challenges.”
Founded in Australia in 2012, Advanced Navigation designs and manufactures software-enabled hardware to deliver APNT solutions to global defence and commercial partners. Fields of expertise include inertial sensors, underwater acoustics, GPS/GNSS antennas and receivers, radio frequency systems, photonics, robotics and quantum-enhanced inertial navigation.
