Stephen Kracinovich

B.S., Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech 1983
Graduate, United States Naval Test Pilot School, 1986
M.S., Aviation Systems Engineering, University of Tennessee, 1989
M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech, 1992 

Stephen Kracinovich is the Director of the Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR) Autonomy Strategy.  He is responsible for establishing NAVAIR Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy, processes, and capabilities. He directs numerous autonomy and AI research and development efforts as well as related education.

Prior to joining the NAVAIR team, Mr. Kracinovich was involved in flight test of the latest advances in Navy/Marine Corps vertical flight aircraft for the Naval Air Test Center.  This included an assignment as the first Lead Flight Test Engineer for the V-22 tiltrotor program.

Mr. Kracinovich has been the head of the systems integration branch for Unmanned Air Systems (UAS), targets, and rotorcraft; and the head of the systems integration division for NAVAIR.  He was the Assistant to the Program Executive Officer of Unmanned Systems & Weapons for Engineering (APEO(U&W)-E) for over twelve years.  In that role, he acted as the chief engineer for PEO(U&W) and oversaw the technical efforts of all UAS, cruise missile, and mission planning programs within NAVAIR.  In these roles, he has lead or supported over a dozen independent reviews and chaired dozens of technical reviews.

Mr. Kracinovich was the vice president of the Seafarer chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the chairman of the UAS technical panel of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP), an international government defense research organization.  He is on the advisory board for the College of Southern Maryland engineering curriculum and the University System of Maryland Autonomous System Research Center in Southern Maryland.  Additionally, he was a former elected member and chairman of the St. Mary’s County Board of Education.         

Select Awards and Recognitions
Department of the Navy Meritorious Service Award
Navy Superior Civilian Service Award
American Helicopter Society Graduate Design Competition, First Place