The Honorable Francis L. Kelley
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Unmanned Systems) Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development & Acquisition)
Mr. Frank Kelley assumed responsibility as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (DASN) Unmanned Systems (UxS) on 5 October 2015. He serves as principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) (RD&A) on matters relating to unmanned systems across all domains (air, land and sea).
Mr. Kelley joined the civil service in 2015 following a 32-year career as a United States Marine.
Mr. Kelley, a native of Philadelphia, PA, graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1983 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and was the recipient of the Naval ROTC Donald R. Bertling Award. Upon completion of Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant.
In February 1984 he completed The Basic School and continued to flight training in Pensacola, Florida and then proceeded to the 453rd Flight Training Squadron at Mather Air Force Base, California, where he was a distinguished graduate and the recipient of the Colonel Mike Gilroy Award for leadership and training excellence.
After completing EA-6B Prowler training at Whidbey Island, WA, he reported to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2), where he participated in the Unit Deployment Program, in addition to Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM as the Contingency Plans and Tactics Officer.
His next assignment was at the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (AIRTEVRON) FIVE (VX-5), where he was the Electronic Warfare Branch Head. He then reported to Naval Air Systems Command as the Avionics Systems Project Officer for the EA-6B.
He returned to the Fleet as the Operations Officer for VMAQ-1 and then as the Assistant Operations Office for Marine Aircraft Group 49 (MAG-49). He reported to the Pentagon as an action officer to the DASN for Expeditionary Forces Program.
He attended the Marine Corps War College and taught at the Command and Staff College. He transferred to Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC), Quantico, VA, where he was the Program Manager for Unmanned Systems. His next assignment was Military Assistant to Dr. Delores Etter, ASN(RD&A).
In August 2007, Mr. Kelley was assigned to the position of MCSC’s Program Manager for Training Systems (PM TRASYS) in Orlando, FL. In August 2009, he was reassigned as MCSC’s Chief of Staff before being promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and assuming command of MCSC from July 2010 to July 2014.
He then served in the position of the Vice Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, preceding his last military assignment as Director for Prototyping, Experimentation and Transition in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (DASN) for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation.