US Navy removes drone program head Gassler, restructures autonomous systems acquisition

Published Aug 6, 02:20 PM UTC

The U.S. Navy removed Rebecca J. Gassler from her position as Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems on August 6, 2026, just eight months after her appointment in December 2025. The Navy simultaneously announced the establishment of the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS) to address fragmented requirements and acquisition practices. Christopher Miller will serve as acting DRPM RAS and assume Gassler's former role, reporting directly to William Toti. The restructuring follows a federal lawsuit filed on July 14 by defense technology companies Blue Water Autonomy and Saildrone, who allege they were improperly excluded from the Navy's Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program after the Navy failed to comply with its own acquisition requirements. Gassler also served as Deputy Director for Project Overmatch since October 2024.