# David Sharpin

> David L. Sharpin is an electrical engineer, U.S. Air Force veteran, inventor and defense-technology executive who leads Quantum-Systems Inc., the German drone maker's U.S. subsidiary. After research, engineering and business leadership roles at Alliant Techsystems and Orbital ATK, he ran AeroVironment's Tactical UAS unit, helped establish Auterion in the United States and became Quantum Systems' U.S. CEO in 2021. His present work centers on turning battlefield feedback into resilient, software-defined aerial intelligence systems and scaling their American production.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Quantum-Systems Inc.
- **Organizations:** Quantum-Systems Inc., Quantum-Systems Pty Ltd, Auterion Government Solutions, AeroVironment, Orbital ATK, Alliant Techsystems, United States Air Force
- **From:** United States Midwest, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Wright State University, Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Wright State University
- **Known for:** Led AeroVironment's 250-person Tactical UAS business serving U.S. and international government customers across 46 countries., Helped establish Auterion's U.S. operation and later served as CEO and board chairman of Auterion Government Solutions., Built Quantum Systems' U.S. operation from its 2021 formation through a 135,000-square-foot integrated production site in Moorpark and a 2026 R&D presence in Huntsville.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1994** — Served in the U.S. Air Force, then studied electrical engineering at Wright State University.
- **1990s** — Worked in research and systems engineering; co-invented patented radar signal-processing methods and co-authored work on digital channelized receivers.
- **2006-2010** — Held strategy, business development and special-mission aircraft leadership posts at Alliant Techsystems, including Vice President and General Manager of Special Mission Aircraft.
- **2010-2015** — Led strategy, business development and aircraft protection work at Orbital ATK.
- **2015-2019** — Led AeroVironment's Tactical UAS business and later sales and business development; his 250-person unit served agencies in 46 countries.
- **2019** — Joined Auterion as U.S. General Manager after seeing its PX4 platform help produce a working prototype in six weeks.
- **2020-2021** — Served as CEO and Chairman of Auterion Government Solutions and represented Quantum Systems products in U.S. government programs.
- **2021-present** — Joined Quantum Systems to lead its new U.S. subsidiary, effective with the North American operation's January 2022 launch.
- **2025** — Opened Quantum Systems' 135,000-square-foot U.S. production and integration facility in Moorpark, California.
- **2026** — Oversaw the U.S. business as Vector AI won a $15.3 million U.S. Army award and Quantum Systems opened a Huntsville engineering and R&D office.

## Achievements

- Led AeroVironment's 250-person Tactical UAS business serving U.S. and international government customers across 46 countries.
- Helped establish Auterion's U.S. operation and later served as CEO and board chairman of Auterion Government Solutions.
- Built Quantum Systems' U.S. operation from its 2021 formation through a 135,000-square-foot integrated production site in Moorpark and a 2026 R&D presence in Huntsville.
- Is named as an inventor on U.S. patents covering radar signal processing and active protection from aerial threats.
- Co-authored technical work on a hardware-efficient multirate digital channelized receiver architecture.
- Led Quantum-Systems Inc. when Vector AI was selected for a $15.3 million U.S. Army company-level small-UAS requirement in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Quantum-Systems Inc. opened a 3,200-square-foot engineering and R&D office in Huntsville, Alabama, placing engineers closer to Army customers and defense partners.
- **2026-05** — Appeared in a Military Embedded Systems video interview discussing UAS, counter-UAS interceptors, electronic warfare, signals intelligence and the long-range Reliant aircraft.
- **2026-04** — Quantum Systems announced that Vector AI had been selected for a $15.3 million U.S. Army company-level small-UAS requirement; Sharpin said the platform logged more than 20,000 operational hours in Ukraine during 2025.
- **2025-07** — In an interview, described Quantum's evolution under jamming, its Ukraine feedback loop and the company's push into drone-as-first-responder and infrastructure applications.
- **2025-06** — Opened Quantum Systems' 135,000-square-foot U.S. production and integration facility in Moorpark, California.

## Links

- Website: https://quantum-systems.com/us/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sharpin-986a2b238
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUiCcacRQKY

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-sharpin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27