
Adam Aberle
Department of the Army, Rapid Capabilities and Critical
Mr. Adam Aberle was appointed into the Army's Executive Service on 2 July 2023 as
the Army's Senior Advisor for Directed Energy. As the Senior Advisor for Directed
Energy, Mr. Aberle provides professional and executive oversight to ensure
synchronization and adequate involvement in the development and prototyping of
directed energy weapon systems and the Army's Directed Energy enterprise. He is
responsible for ensuring coordination and communication is achieved across the
Army's Science & Technology (S&T) and prototyping efforts in the directed energy
domain. Previously, Mr. Aberle served as the Director for the Directed Energy
Directorate at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) Technical
Center. In this role, he was responsible for coordinating directed energy S&T research
efforts with Army Futures Command, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition,
Logistics, and Technology), the Army Research Laboratory, and the Rapid Capabilities
and Critical Technologies Office. Previous roles include serving as the High Energy
Laser Division Chief in the SMDC Technical Center and the Technical Director for the High Energy Laser Mobile Test
Truck and the Robust Electric Laser Initiative at the SMDC Technical Center.
Mr. Aberle began his career as an Army civil servant in 1991 at the Missile Research, Development, and Engineering
Center as an electronic engineer co-op in the Optics and Laser Technology Branch. In this role, he managed the
Masked Target Acquisition S&T program developing laser technology to detect difficult targets using a laser radar and
light detection and ranging sensor systems. In 2000, Mr. Aberle transferred to the SMDC Technical Center where he
was responsible for passive infrared science and technology efforts to combine real-time processing, custom
algorithms, and commercially available hardware into a single integrated package for a satellite experiment effort to
validate Army space requirements. In addition, he developed multiple concepts for observing targets in space using
laser system and developed procedures to investigate advanced laser amplifier concepts and designs with the goal
to increase laser power while maintaining beam quality and frequency stability. Mr. Aberle also served in the Alabama
National Guard as a Signal Officer from 1995 to 2007, achieving the rank of Major prior to transferring to the Inactive
Ready Reserves in 2007.
Mr. Aberle has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (1995) and Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics
(1995) from South Dakota State University. His training includes the Civilian Supervisor course, Civilian Personnel
Management course, Defense Acquisition University Leadership Communications Workshop and Leadership
Assessment Program, Georgia Tech Infrared Technology short course, University of Rochester Institute of Optics short
course on Laser and Optics, and the National Defense Institute Joint Command Control Communication Information
Staff and Operations course. Mr. Aberle has been a member of the Army Acquisition Corps since 2003 and is currently
certified in three career fields: Level III in S&T Management, Level III in Engineering, and Level I in Program
Management and is currently certified as a practitioner in Engineering and Technical Management. Mr. Aberle serves
on the Board of Directors for the Directed Energy Professional Society.
His awards include the 2022 NDIA Excellence in Leadership Award, Achievement Award for Civilian Service, Army
Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Four Army Achievement Medals, three Alabama
Commendation Medals, and two Alabama Humanitarian Service Medals.
Mr. Aberle is a native of Sioux Falls, SD and is married to the former Theresa M. Swanson of Brandon, SD. They have
three children: Austin (wife, Anna), Alexander, and Aaron (wife, Kacie) and two grandchildren: Emmett and Julia.
Sessions
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03-Mar-2025KAUAI ROOM 311Directed Energy