Charles Lyons-Burt
Sharon Dunbar offers the ideal government contracting perspective: decades (three to be exact) served in the military and now a lengthy stint in senior roles at a major industry organization. Dunbar concluded her time in the U.S. Air Force overseeing international 60,000-person aerospace expeditionary operations as a major general and commander.
At General Dynamics Mission Systems, where she’s currently vice president of cross-company business initiatives, Dunbar works closely with top Department of Defense officials on strategy and collaborative efforts. She’s been with the company for 11 years and is currently focused on equipping GDMS to solve the Golden Dome missile defense endeavor’s various problem areas; she said her team is attacking this with “high priority at speed and scale.”
We were lucky to tap into Dunbar’s dual military and industry expertise for a Spotlight interview, where we got her perspective on what attracts top talent to GDMS and the various new capabilities—particularly cyber-related—its foremost engineers are developing.
If you want the full GovCon debrief on Golden Dome, be sure to attend Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Space Force’s Gen. Michael Guetlein, who has been tapped by the president to lead the initiative, will keynote the event, and there will be an all-industry panel discussing Golden Dome featuring representatives from L3Harris, Raytheon, Booz Allen and more. Register today before tickets sell out!
ExecutiveBiz: In your opinion, what makes GDMS a place where the best and brightest want to work?
Sharon Dunbar: General Dynamics Mission Systems is an award-winning workplace according to a variety of metrics and sources. We take immense great pride in our culture, capabilities and the customers we support. We also continuously innovate to improve what and how we deliver to our customers. We find that this virtuous dynamic attracts and fuels bold thinkers and doers to our company.
So, whether you’re a STEM student, aspiring intern, experienced engineer or functional professional, or a veteran transitioning to the civilian workforce, GDMS intentionally cultivates your expertise and leadership through our focus to deliver the leading-edge technologies needed to protect and defend our national interests.
EBiz: Where are you seeing opportunities for expansion in GDMS’ portfolio? What new capabilities or markets are you eyeing?
Dunbar: As a defense electronics manufacturer and integrator with a decades-long record of excellence, we’re highly attuned to our customers’ current and emerging mission needs. GDMS products, payloads and systems are on hundreds of platforms in all warfighting domains. Nearly all domains will see a proliferation of platforms and capabilities, so we’re on pace to support our customers across these fronts.
Consistent with the priorities of the administration and our customers, we are focused on crypto modernization to safeguard missions and secure critical information, proliferated space to enhance warfighter responsiveness and advantage, and avionic electronics essential for autonomous collaboration. Expansion opportunities center on those areas where we have a mix of discriminating technology, mission understanding and technical expertise that can address emerging threats and warfighter needs.
EBiz: In the near future, is GDMS looking to develop a deeper set of capabilities in your current fields or expand your offerings to include new capabilities in new fields?
Dunbar: As close partners with our customers, we endeavor to do both. We’re pragmatic in looking at where we can provide a deeper set of capabilities as well as how existing capabilities should be improved or changed altogether. Technology and threats are dynamic, so our work evolves quickly with both.
EBiz: How is GDMS tackling the nation’s most pressing cyber challenges?
Dunbar: I’ll offer three examples of capabilities we’ve been working based on our discriminating technology, mission understanding and resident expertise.
First, we’re helping to lead the transition to modernized cryptographic products by expanding into quantum-resistant, NSA certified and crypto mod compliant products that use new approaches.
We’re also developing an accelerated low-risk, sustainable, NSA-certified Next Generation Load Device-Medium solution that’s built from the ground up. This high assurance crypto load device will be field software upgradeable, making it much easier for our warfighters to use in tactical environments.
Third is the introduction of our TACLANE E-Series Ethernet encryption product family that addresses demand for higher bandwidth and increased performance with uncompromised data security and efficient power consumption. Notably, we just celebrated the 25th anniversary of TACLANE, a robust portfolio of high assurance encryptors aligned to national priorities for cybersecurity.
