Johannes Schonberg, director of the Navy’s Northwest Tech Bridge, has transitioned to a senior advisory role supporting the fielding of counter-unmanned systems for the service’s new robotics acquisition office.
In a LinkedIn update, Schonberg announced he moved from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport Office of Research and Technology Applications to the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS) [1]. Schonberg wrote that he is serving as a senior adviser supporting the fielding of cUXS systems to the fleet, and he provided a dedicated contact for PAE RAS industry outreach [1].
The move brings an established technology-transition director into an office the Navy created to accelerate the deployment of unmanned capabilities. The Department of the Navy established PAE RAS in December 2025 as part of a broader shift toward a Portfolio Acquisition Executive model designed to align authority across program management, contracting and sustainment [2].
A central PAE RAS mandate is to reduce bureaucracy and rapidly identify commercial technologies to meet urgent operational needs [2]. In May 2026, the office held an industry town hall specifically focused on counter-unmanned systems, stating its intent to collaborate with industry pioneers on defensive strategies and to fast-track the transition of counter-drone technologies from concept to field deployment [3].
Schonberg’s previous role at the Northwest Tech Bridge involved similar connective work. The Tech Bridge network, launched by NavalX, is designed to link Navy innovation centers with industry and academia to speed up the delivery of solutions to sailors [4]. At Keyport, the Northwest Tech Bridge focused on big data, adaptive autonomy, robotics and advanced manufacturing [4].
Schonberg directed inquiries for the Northwest Tech Bridge to a team of representatives, signaling an ongoing transition at the Keyport-based innovation hub [1].
References:
[1] Johannes Schonberg, LinkedIn update on transition to PAE RAS (Contact - Team Orlando News | Johannes S.)
[2] U.S. Navy, “Navy Reshapes Warfighting Acquisition System” (https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/4435370/navy-reshapes-warfighting-acquisition-system/)
[3] SAM.gov, “Scaling the Fleet: PAE RAS Town Hall on C-UxS” (SAM.gov)
[4] NAVSEA, “Tech Bridges 101: Network Built to Accelerate Solutions to the Warfighter” (https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Media/News/Article-View/Article/2555171/tech-bridges-101-network-built-to-accelerate-solutions-to-the-warfighter/)
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