Miles Jamison 
- Applied Energetics is partnering with former Acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy to strengthen its defense market strategy
- Murphy will support business development, stakeholder engagement and strategic positioning efforts
- The collaboration comes as demand grows for counter-drone, autonomous and advanced defense technologies
Applied Energetics, a developer of advanced directed-energy and ultrashort-pulse laser technologies, has announced a collaboration with former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Army Patrick Murphy to strengthen its defense market positioning, the Tucson, Arizona-based firm said Thursday.
What Will Murphy’s Role Include?
Murphy will support Applied Energetics’ growth and national security strategy through stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, thought leadership, business development, industry partnerships and market positioning efforts. His involvement comes as government and investor interest increasingly focuses on counter-unmanned aerial systems, autonomous platforms and advanced defense capabilities.
Who Is Patrick Murphy?
Murphy is a combat veteran, former congressman and senior Army leader who served as the 32nd under secretary of the Army and acting secretary of the Army during the Obama administration. He made history as the first Iraq War veteran elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District.
He currently serves as executive director of Hilco Global’s Geopolitical Unit, where he advises organizations on geopolitical risk and strategic decision-making. His career spans government, business, academia and media, including roles as a lecturer at the Wharton School, a nonresident fellow at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, host of Yahoo Finance’s Warrior Money and a member of the board of directors at BAE Systems.
Murphy was a speaker at the 2026 Army Summit, a recently concluded government contracting event hosted by the Potomac Officers Club.
