VSI Appoints Phil King as President
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Vision Systems International (VSI), a leader in advanced Helmet Mounted Display Systems for tactical aircraft, has appointed Philip King as president.
Phil King will replace Drew Brugal as the senior executive at VSI, reporting to the company's board, which has representatives of the two parent companies — Rockwell Collins and Elbit Systems.
Prior to joining VSI, King held a variety of management and leadership positions at McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing over a 26-year career. He also managed the Joint Helmet Mounting Cueing System program for six years, from its inception to early 2011, and is considered one of the "Founding Fathers" of the program. King began working on helmet displays in 1986 with the original Kaiser Electronics Agile Eye.
Prior to Boeing, King served 13 years as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying the F-4, O-2A (FAC), and the F-15. He also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1988 to 2005, assigned to the Naval Air System Command.
Originally from Cleveland, King earned both a Bachelors and Master's Degree in electrical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and Florida Institute of Technology.
"Phil King brings to VSI unparalleled experience in helmet-mounted display systems, from the viewpoint of both user and developer, and we are fortunate to have an executive of his caliber on the VSI team," said Dave Nieuwsma, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions for Rockwell Collins.
"We are pleased to have Phil King as the next leader of VSI. Phil provides VSI with the leadership necessary to maintain customer satisfaction and grow the helmet mounted display systems business for Rockwell Collins and Elbit Systems," said Raanan Horowitz, president and chief executive officer of Elbit Systems of America.
About VSI
Founded in 1996, VSI is a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT) and Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL). VSI has produced more than 4,500 joint helmet mounted cueing systems (JHMCS) for the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft. Additionally, VSI is under contract to deliver Night Vision Cueing and Display Systems (NVCD) to the US Air Force and Navy, and the Fifth Generation HMDS for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
SOURCE Vision Systems International
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