Lt. Gen. (Ret) Scott Howell joins Archer Defense’s Advisory Board to advance next-gen military program

This week Archer Aviation Inc. added Lieutenant General (Ret) Scott Howell to its Advisory Board to help guide its newly formed Archer Defense business unit.

The goal of Archer Defense, announced in December, is to leverage the company’s expertise in aircraft development, advanced flight controls and scalable manufacturing to deliver next-generation aircraft for defense applications. Its first project, in partnership with Anduril, is the development of a hybrid-propulsion, vertical-take-off-and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

Lt. Gen. (Ret) Scott Howell is a highly decorated retired military leader whose time in service spanned Iraq, Afghanistan, the Pentagon and the White House. Notably, Howell helped accelerate the military’s organizational transformation while leading 14,000 Special Operations forces globally as the 15th Commander of Joint Special Operations Command. Previously, as Vice Commander for the U.S. Special Operations Command, he helped secure the largest-ever budget for the country’s most elite warfighters. Now in the private sector, Howell will continue his work with General Catalyst as an advisor focused on modern defense and intelligence.

“The launch of Archer Defense marked a significant moment for both Archer and the industry—Scott is coming on board to help ensure its success. With his support, we’re confident that we can accelerate innovation within military aviation, tipping the scales further in America’s favor,” said Archer Founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein.

Lt. Gen. Howell commented, “Archer has already proven they have what it takes to rapidly build advanced aircraft—they’re not new to this game. I see incredible potential to continue advancing that mission with a focus on defense applications and empowering our men and women in uniform with a distinct advantage. I’m proud to join Archer as they accelerate the development and deployment of advanced technologies for the defense sector.”

In addition to Lt. Gen. Howell, the advisory board is composed of Retired 3-star Lieutenant General David A. Krumm, Retired 2-star General Clayton M. Hutmacher, Retired 2-star General Bill Gayler, Retired 4-star General Steve Townsend, Retired Chief Warrant Officer (CW4) Michael J. Durant, Retired Director of Special Programs (Aviation) Geoff Downer, Retired Acquisition Executive, U.S. Special Operations Command Jim Smith.