Red Oak, Texas, United States, December 2025 — Edward Smith has started a new position as Chief Growth Officer at Qarbon Aerospace, where he will lead global growth strategy, business development, capture management, and strategic partnerships for the Tier-1 composite aerostructures leader serving premier commercial, defense, and space programs worldwide.
Before joining Qarbon Aerospace, Edward Smith served as Director, F-35 Strategic Initiatives & Business Development at Lockheed Martin, where he led a team of senior capture and strategy experts focused on expanding emerging markets and delivering high-impact solutions for the global F-35 customer community. His work supported one of the world’s most advanced multi-role stealth fighter programs with more than 1,100 aircraft in operation globally.
Prior to that, Edward held the role of Director, F-35 International Capture at Lockheed Martin, leading the full capture lifecycle for a major international Foreign Military Sales (FMS) campaign. His responsibilities spanned proposal strategy, congressional coordination, and complex alignment with international and U.S. Government stakeholders.
Earlier, during his six-year tenure as Director, F-35 Business Development, he led domestic engagement strategies supporting the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air National Guard. He also contributed to strategic planning for future capture initiatives aligned with national defense modernization priorities.
Before moving into F-35 programs, Edward worked in multiple strategic leadership roles within Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, including US Navy NGAD Program Manager, Senior Manager, Operations Analysis for Aero Fighter Programs, and Operations Analysis Senior Staff. In these roles, he led multi-disciplinary analytical teams and contributed to future capabilities in next-generation air dominance, survivability, advanced weapons integration, unmanned teaming, and integrated fire control—directly supporting national security and future-force design.
Across more than a decade of distinguished service in the United States Navy, Edward served in elite aviation and strategic roles, including Commanding Officer at TOPGUN, Commanding Officer of VFA-34, senior leadership roles at the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC), and staff roles with The Joint Staff and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). His service included command responsibility for training, operations, HR development, large-scale naval aviation exercises, and multi-million-dollar aviation readiness programs. He later strengthened his business acumen by completing an MBA from Penn State Smeal College of Business.
About Qarbon Aerospace
Qarbon Aerospace is a leading manufacturer of advanced composite components and assemblies used across next-generation commercial and military aircraft platforms. With nearly two million square feet of state-of-the-art, U.S.-owned manufacturing capacity, the company delivers critical aerostructure solutions with uncompromising quality, precision, and reliability.
A trusted partner to aerospace primes, Qarbon Aerospace specializes in solving complex engineering and structural challenges with speed and assured quality, serving customers across the global aviation and defense ecosystem.
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