Lt. Gen. Heath Collins

Director

Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

Brig. Gen. Heath A. Collins is the Program Executive Officer for Weapons and Director of the Armament Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He is responsible for the planning and execution of all life cycle activities for air-delivered munitions, including the Advance Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Joint Direct Attack Munition; Joint Programmable Fuze, Miniature Air Launched Decoy; and Small Diameter Bomb. His $92 billion portfolio also includes numerous other legacy weapons and ammunition; combat training systems; threat emitters for test and training purposes; and aerial targets including the QF-16 and BQM-167A.

Brig. Gen. Collins entered the Air Force in 1993, receiving his commission through the ROTC program at Clarkson University. His acquisition, space, test, operations and staff assignments have encompassed air-to-air missiles, electronic countermeasures, space, radar, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, nuclear, fighter and bomber systems. He has served in numerous program management and senior-leader positions including Program Manager, Wideband Global Satellite Communications, Block 1 Program, Deputy Commander of the Wideband SATCOM Group, Commander, Space Based Infrared System Space Squadron, Senior Materiel Leader and Deputy Director for the Infrared Space Systems Directorate, and the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate. Brig. Gen. Collins has also served in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, overseeing the department's Airborne ISR, Space and Special Programs. He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He also holds master’s degrees from Florida State University, Air University and National Defense University.

Prior to assuming his current duties, Brig. Gen. Collins served as the Program Executive Officer for Fighters and Bombers, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He was responsible for development, production, fielding, sustainment and modernization of the fighters and bombers portfolio, which includes the A-10, A-29, B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15, F-16, F-22 and special programs. He was also responsible for organizing, training and equipping the F-35 System Program Office.

Event Participation