Saab's Erik Smith: Global security has "seen and unseen connections"
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of Saab Inc.
In an era of global warfare and burgeoning alliances, U.S. tunnel vision on the Indo-Pacific risks missing "important pieces of the puzzle," according to Saab Inc. chief executive Erik Smith.
- "I think it's dangerous to look at a specific region of the world," he told Axios in an interview. "It's an interconnected web out there right now, with both seen and unseen connections."
Why he matters: Smith leads a growing U.S. subsidiary of an international defense and aerospace company.
- It broke ground on its 10th stateside facility last week: a munitions plant in Grayling, Michigan, that will be used for shoulder-fired munitions, among other tasks.
Q: When you hear "future of defense," what comes to mind?
A: I think a lot about the role of robots and autonomy, smart systems in a more nontraditional warfare sense. I think we're headed to a place where the front end of the technology curve is more pronounced on the battlefield.
Q: What's the biggest challenge the defense industry faces at the moment? What can be done to alleviate it?
A: Right now, speed and capacity are the two biggest challenges, and they go hand-in-hand. We have to lean forward, as an industry, and build the capacity in order to deliver at the speed that's required to meet the current environment.
Q: What's a national security trend we aren't paying enough attention to?
A: The intention of our adversaries to split the American population, from the inside out.
- I think we underestimate the amount of effort coming from external forces to divide this nation.
Q: How many emails do you get a day, and how do you deal with them?
A: Hundreds. And I try to pay attention to the ones that matter.
Q: What time do you wake up? What does the morning routine look like?
A: I'm usually up at 5 o'clock, at the gym by 5:30 and into the office by 7:30. Coffee and a light breakfast.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: Slow down. Details matter. I used to be a bit of a bull in a china shop, trying to get things done.
- As I've gotten into more complex roles and dealt with bigger-picture challenges, you become more and more aware of how important those details are.
